Page 26 of The Six-Week Single Dad
“Give him to me,” said Hayden.
“No. I told you on the phone what was going to happen. Robert and I are making a new start in Paris and Alfie’s going to be part of it.”
“So you’re giving up work to look after him?”
Hayden’s question seemed to floor her and she hesitated before answering. “We’re hiring an experienced au pair who’s going to be living in.” Maddy turned to me. “Much like you did.”
My breath caught. I knew that I meant more to Hayden than simply being the live-in help, no matter what Maddy was trying to imply.
“That isn’t what Bea is.”
“No, she told me that the two of you are in love or in a relationship or something. It won’t last once Alfie’s gone. After all, he was the only reason the two of you got together.” Maddy sniffed. “Ssssh, now Alfie, there’s a good boy. Mummy’s here now.” Her words did little to soothe him and he reached his little arms out towards Hayden, his wails increasing.
Hayden looked over at me and I could see the expression of love in his eyes, the tenderness he’d always shown.
“Alfie may have been part of the reason that I finally realised what Bea meant to me, but we’ve created a solid unit over the last few weeks. A family. Alfie needs stability.”
“With me, in Paris.”
“I disagree. How can you consider taking him away from the things he knows, his friends…”
“His father?” I interjected and Maddy shot me a death stare.
“He’s fifteen months old; how many friends can he possible have at that age?”
“Given the amount of play dates and parties you insisted he attend, I’d say he has a lot,” said Hayden.
“You can’t take him away from me.”
“And you can’t take him away from me.”
Their voices were raised and angry, which caused Alfie to start screaming. He wriggled in Maddy’s arms, trying to get out of her grasp. I couldn’t take it any longer and intervened, taking Alfie from Maddy and shooing them both out of the room. I gently stroked his head, breathing evenly, and he began to settle, the screams subsiding until only snuffles remained.
“Why don’t we stay here while your Mummy and Daddy work out what they’re going to do?”
Alfie curled his tiny hand around my finger and my breath caught, a tear finding its way down my cheek.
I didn’t want it to end like this.
I knew things would be different after the six weeks were done, but I’d naively assumed that they would go back to the way they were: Alfie with Maddy, Hayden seeing him every weekend,usseeing him every weekend.
It looked like that wasn’t going to happen.
I wasn’t prepared to give up my family.
I had to stop it.
Placing Alfie back into his cot, I waited for a few minutes until he settled, then took a deep breath and headed out into the living room. Hayden and Maddy were still yelling at each other, seemingly going over the same ground.
“Shut up!” The force of my tone surprised me and two heads whipped around in my direction, the yelling ceasing.
“You two arguing isn’t going to solve this. It isn’t about who is the better parent, and getting one over on the other. You need to think about Alfie and what’s going to be best for him.”
“Which is clearly being with his mother.”
“Who is hiring someone else to look after him.”
“Like his father did.”
