Page 61 of Love You, Mean It
It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that this woman flew in once a year and had the audacity to be annoyed that we had our own shit going on.
“This is Violet,” Harper said, running over to wrap her arms around Violet’s legs as she stood at the counter filling a large white tub with waters and sodas.
“Are you a party planner?” Caroline asked, and her tone had an edge to it.
I forgot how rude she could be.
“I’m a wedding planner, but I also do parties for special little girls,” Violet said as she adjusted the ponytail on Harper’s head. “You must be Caroline?”
“Yes. I’m Harper’s mother.” Caroline crossed her arms over her chest.
What the hell was she doing? She was going to give Violet attitude for decorating Harper’s party, when she didn’t even want to come to it?
“Well, you’re only my mama one day a year,” Harper said, and Caroline gaped at her.
I was surprised she’d said it as well, but it was the truth.
“I just come to visit one day a year. I’m always your mother,” Caroline snipped before setting her purse on the counter and handing a gift bag to Harper. “I’d like you to open this now, before the guests arrive. I probably won’t stay for gifts.”
Shocker.
What the fuck are we even doing having her show up like this once a year?
Harper looked inside the turquoise bag and pulled out a matching box. She opened the lid and stared down at the necklace. “Is it a necklace?”
“It’s a necklace from Tiffany’s. They’re very expensive, so you need to take extra-special care of it.”
I rolled my eyes. She was seven years old. She didn’t want a fancy necklace. She liked to play outside in the dirt. She liked to swim and run and have fun. She was a kid. But we’d put it in her drawer with all the other expensive gifts from Caroline.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You aren’t going to put it on?” Caroline asked, and Harper turned to look at me.
“Listen, it’s a party. She’s going to be playing outside. This isn’t the time to put it on,” I said.
Violet arched a brow as my gaze met hers, and I could read the look easily.
This entire interaction was insane, and she was right.
I’d thought this was an acceptable idea when I’d agreed to the ridiculous arrangement all those years ago. Allowing my daughter to see that her biological mother still thought of her, still wanted to be in her life, even if just briefly, once a year. We’d spend a few hours with Caroline, and she’d leave, and I figured I was doing the right thing by my daughter. I was not a man who’d had any sort of example of how to be a parent. I’d basically raised myself. So I was just trying to do the right thing.
But nothing felt right today.
Not Caroline’s attitude, or the way that Harper appeared to be keeping her distance from her as if her mother made her feel uncomfortable.
“Oh, I didn’t realize it was that kind of party. You should save it for a special occasion or when you go to a fancy dinner,” Caroline said, bending down to meet Harper’s eyes.
“I don’t go to fancy dinners, Caroline. I eat dinners at home or at the diner,” Harper said, and there was an awkward silence.
“How about I take the necklace and go put it in your room?” Violet reached for the box, clearly trying to make this situation less uncomfortable.
“Aren’t you the party planner? Why would you know where her room is?” Caroline huffed.
“She lives in the backyard, and she’s my best friend!” Harper shouted, catching us all off guard.
“What is with this attitude? I came a long way to be here, and I don’t appreciate it,” Caroline hissed, and Harper burst into tears and ran down the hall.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growled at Caroline as Violet moved down the hall after my daughter.
