Page 44 of The Jilted Lovers Club
Jordy
Lottie goes into full meltdown once Ashton closes the door. Half of me prays he will keep on going. The other half hopes he’ll walk back in and relieve me of this stupid, idiotic idea that I’m actually capable of caring for a toddler.
What the fuck was I thinking?
“Come on, Lottie girl. Let’s get you some breakfast. Are you hungry?”
She quiets for a moment, then points to the refrigerator.
“Zowies,” she whimpers, then sticks her fingers in her mouth.
Well, that’s a new one. What the hell are Zowies? I place her in the highchair, and Lottie immediately collapses into shrieks once again.
“Hold on, baby. I’m getting you Zowies.”
I open the fridge, peering in there for anything that might look like it could be Zowies, while Lottie flings herself out like roadkill on her tray.
“Um, is it toast?” I ask, pulling out the bread. Lottie looks up, then wails, pointing toward the fridge again. I dive back in, sounding out everything on the shelves to see if it sounds remotely like Zowies. Tortillas. Salami. Yogurt.
Each item I hold up is met with insistent screams, Lottie’s finger pointing…
At the cupboards above the fridge. Goddamn it.
I open the cabinet where the cereal is. She immediately calms down.
“Zowies,” she mumbles around her fingers.
“You want cereal? You know how to say cereal.” I grab the nearest box—Chex.
“No!” Lottie pounds on her tray. “Zowies!”
The only other box is Cheerios. I grab it, and Lottie immediately starts laughing.
“Zowies! Mine!”
I don’t realize just how tight my whole body is until it relaxes with the first sound of her laughter. I grin, feeling completely insane, but also very proud of myself for not losing my cool while Lottie lost hers.
“Is this Zowies?” I ask. Lottie grins, her hands reaching out and makinggimmegestures.
I should have known. The first day I met her, she was all over these damn Cheerios. I pour a bunch on her tray, because why not? And she happily eats her little Zowies while I get myself another cup of coffee and a few moments to breathe.
What I don’t expect is for my eyes to well up with tears as I watch Lottie eat. It’s not from overwhelm. It’s not even because of the baby I lost. No, it’s because this is the first time I’ve ever felt capable around a child. Even if it took me a couple tries.
I manage to get a piece of toast in my belly before Lottie flings the rest of the Zowies on the floor and announces she wants “Up!”
I remove the tray, lift her up, and set her on the ground so I can clean up all the Cheerios. She immediately stomps on the cereal, leaving little trodden land mines all over the floor.
“No, Lottie,” I moan, but she just giggles. Well, this is a battle I’ll have to lose. I roll my eyes, waiting for her to finish her Godzilla destruction of Zowie town until she grows tired of that and finds a thread to pick at on the floor mat. I take the opportunity to grab the broom off the porch and quickly sweep up every Zowie I can.
It’s just enough time for Lottie to completely disappear.
“Lottie, where are you?” I keep my voice sing-song, but inside I’m panicking. I mean, it’s not like she can escape far. This house has two bedrooms and a bathroom besides the open concept kitchen and living room. She can only be in one of three—
My thoughts are interrupted by a very distinct SPLASH.
I race to the bathroom, just in time to see her throw the second of my new pair of Vans in the toilet.
“No, Lottie!” I yell, snatching her up just as my shoe lands in the bowl, splashing water everywhere. My sudden movement must have shocked Lottie because she completely loses it in my arms. She screams, pushing against me as she tries to get down.
