Page 79 of A Way Out
“Oz’s daughter. Well, his niece, although he’s the kids’ guardian. He has three of them.”
“So Tim’s research said.”
Right. Vic already knew all of this.
“So when I wanted another baby and you didn’t, it was because you didn’t want another one with me, wasn’t it?”
She dropped her gaze to the countertop. “I’m sorry, Vic. I tried. I just…”
“Don’t love me. I understand. I’ve known it for a long time. I had hoped if I emulated the homelife you were used to, you’d be satisfied even if you weren’t in love. It took me way too long to realize the last thing you wanted was to be exactly like your mother.”
“Wow.” She blew out a deep breath. “This is the deepest conversation I think we’ve ever had.”
“Ten years too late.”
He lifted his hand as she was about to speak. “I know, I know. We weren’t meant to be. But you know who you might be meant to be with? Oz.”
Maria scrubbed at her forehead. “It’s so weird to hear you say that.”
“The problem is, he’s very hurt now. He’s probably blaming you for everything your mother and I did.”
“What are you going to do about her, anyway? Seems like she’s still trying to run your life, even though I’m not in it anymore.”
“I’m going to call Tim and cancel the case, and then I’m going to let him know that I plan to find another lawyer who isn’t connected to your parents. I’ll just avoid her calls and turn the other way when I see her walking down the sidewalk downtown.”
Maria giggled and slapped her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe you just said all that out loud.”
He shrugged. “It’s true. She’ll get the picture eventually. Look how she is with Holly. She doesn’t even acknowledge your sister exists unless she has to.”
Maria drained her cup. “I’m not staying here. In Roma, I mean. I…I suspect I’m going to move to LA.”
All she had to do was reach out to Oz, convince him to take her back. And listen while he told her his story. There was surely a reason he hadn’t divulged any of the information her mother had dug up. They had only been together for a week, and that was some pretty heavy information to digest.
If they’d had the time, she had no doubt he would have eventually told her everything.
“I’ve always wanted you to have a relationship with Riley,” she said. “I am open to whatever custody agreement you want. Fifty-fifty works for me.” Part of her didn’t want to say it out loud; she was used to being her daughter’s full-time caregiver. Handing that responsibility over to anyone, even Riley’s father, would be hard. But it was the right thing for Riley.
And Vic.
“That works for me too. I’m going to have a learning curve. When you leave her with me, I’m probably going to text you a hundred times a day until I figure it out.”
“That’s okay. I’ll probably need you to text me that often, for my own peace of mind.”
He smiled. He really was a wonderful man. Just not for her.
He had the makings of a great father, though.
“Hey, what do you think about starting right now? Maybe I can track down Oz and make up with him.”
Vic’s smile faltered but only a little. “Sure. We can do that.” He glanced at the refrigerator. “What do I feed her?”
Maria chuckled and pulled open a drawer under the island, extracting a notepad and a pen. “Let me write you a list.”
With a relieved look, Vic refilled their coffee mugs, and Maria set to work explaining to him how to take care of their daughter.
And then she bid Riley goodbye.
Her phone vibrated, so she dug it out of her gigantic purse and discovered a text from Holly. Why was her sister texting from her honeymoon?
