Page 101 of Mr. Almost

“How was day care, baby girl?” I ask Ari as I glance at her in the rearview mirror of my car.

“It was good. Randy says that he is going to be a dinosaur when he grows up. I told him that he can’t because they aren’t real. I made him cry. Ms. Marigold told me to be nice to him, but I don’t think I should have to lie to someone to be nice to them.”

“I don’t think that’s what she means, Ari. Did he ask you whatyou thought about him wanting to be a dinosaur, or did you tell him he couldn’t be one without him asking?” I ask.

She thinks about it for a moment. “He didn’t ask.”

“Okay, so whether he is right or wrong, his wanting to be a dinosaur doesn’t hurt anyone. Unless he asks what you think about it, I think we can let him believe he can be a dinosaur. If what he is saying will hurt someone, then you should let someone know so that no one gets hurt. Does that make sense?”

She sighs. “Yes. Although I think when he doesn’t become a dinosaur, that would hurt too.”

She’s not wrong.

“It’s okay, honey. Let him figure it out on his own.”

My phone starts ringing then. Seeing it’s Max, I answer on Bluetooth.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Mother tried to get into the hotel again. This time, she was wearing a disguise. Not a very good one, but still. The discreet security team we have posted inside noticed her and removed her. She’s stepping up her game. I think we need to take action before she gets worse.”

“What do you propose we do?”

“Schedule a meeting with her. See what she has to say. Tell her to go home.”

While the base of the foundation is here, my mother never enjoyed the cold. She set up a satellite office down in Florida. The fact that she has been spending so much time here has been shocking.

“Fine. I’ll call her when I get home. You’ll come to the meeting too?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t make you do this on your own. If we are cutting her off, then we are doing it together.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll text you the information.”

Ari speaks from the back. “I love you, Uncle Max. When are you taking me to see the movie with the mermaid?”

“Next weekend. We can do movies and dinner,” Max tells her, affection clear in his voice.

“Ooh, is it a date? I liked the place Daddy took me to on our date.”

Max snorts. “Yes, a date. I’ll take you somewhere better. I’ll talk to you guys later. Love you, Ari.”

“Love you too.”

“I love you too, Max,” I tell him honestly.

We don’t say it enough.

“You too, Mase. We will take care of this.”

When he hangs up, I smile back at Ari.

She looks so happy. I would do anything for her.

Pulling into the parking lot of Olivia’s apartment, I find a close parking spot. I’m antsy now. I don’t like this. I wish my mother had just accepted everything. Instead, now I am constantly at war with myself. I don’t want to be mean to my mother, but I also have an obligation as a father to protect my child.

It’s a shitty situation.

Getting Ari out of her seat, I get us inside safely. Letting her run off to play, I grab my phone. I stare at it for far too long before I suck in a breath and make the call.

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