Page 54 of The Opposite of Romance
She lets out a hiss. “Ugh, I don’t miss those motherfuckers.” A sharp wail fills the phone, making me push it away from my ear.
“Guess you need to go.”
“You guessed correctly. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Bringing my coffee with me, I get comfortable on the couch, pulling my favorite soft blanket over myself. I don’t know why I haven’t told her about Logan and me having dinner. She would probably take it too far, pushing me toward him. Which would be a horrible idea. He’s this attractive guy, building his company and enjoying his life. He couldn’t possibly be interested in anything serious, and having something casual with a person working in my house every day would be way too awkward.
Not that he expressed interest in a relationship with me—casual or serious. And not that last night was actually a date.
Olivia and Ashercoming home is like a tornado moving through the house. Shoes, jackets, and bags line the length of it, but I’m so glad to have them back.
“I want to hear all about your weekend at Dad’s.” I shoot them a warm smile, gesturing for them to join me on the couch.
They each cuddle on one side of me, and I pull them even closer, relishing these precious moments before they get too old for them.
“It was fine,” Liv mumbles, while Ash starts a story on pretty much everything they did.
I love that he’s having a good time, but I wish Liv would enjoy it more. The last thing I’d want is for her to feel like a weekend at Dad’s is a punishment.
“That’s great, Ash,” I say when he finishes the story. “How about you put away your stuff now?”
“O-k,” he groans, not a big fan of tidying up.
Liv stays in my arms, not speaking. While Asher will fill every moment with words, Liv prefers the silence.
A few minutes later, her voice is soft as she asks, “Will Logan be here in the afternoon? So I can help him out.”
“I don’t know, baby. I can ask him.”
She hasn’t told me what happened at Dad’s, but I know themboth well enough to take a guess. He was probably forcing her to be less like herself and more like her peers. And she probably felt like shit.
My heart squeezes with pain. I’ll need to talk to him. He will drive her away if he continues to act like that.
“You want to go take a shower, and I’ll brush your hair out?” I ask her.
“What if I’d like to cut my hair short?” Her voice is barely about a whisper.
“You have a haircut in mind?” I pick her chin up, wanting to show her I’m not mad.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. But I’d like it shorter.”
“Sure. How about you go take a shower and I find a few pics of haircuts online? Then you can show me what you’d like.”
The worry in her eyes disappears, replaced by the childlike excitement I see far too rare. She nods before jumping to her feet.
By the time she’s done with her bath, Asher’s already in his bed, playing with his two favorite dinosaurs.
“Twenty more minutes, and I’ll come kiss you goodnight.”
“Yes, Mom,” he responds with a sigh.
Liv waits for me on my bed, in her dark blue pajamas. I grab the hairbrush from my dresser and sit behind her.
“It’s gotten really long, hasn’t it?”
