me.”
“Oh no… far be it for me to ask an
explanation,” she waved me off as if I was insignificant.
“Julie,” Charlie’s voice was firm. “I’d like
you to meet my fiancée, Neena Allen.”
“Oh,” she pursed her lips. I wanted to pinch
them off. If she said “oh” one more time, I just might. “What a
surprise. Last I heard, you weren’t seeing anybody. This must be
very sudden.”
“Are you keeping tabs on me?” Charlie moved
towards me. I finished my descent down the steps to meet him
halfway. “Some people might think it’s sudden. I just couldn’t take
the chance that Neena here was just a dream.”
The look he gave me made my heart melt. Maybe
a few other things, too.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here,”
Charlie leveled his gaze on her, squelching the glare she had
rested on me.
“Can’t a mother check in on her baby?” She
batted her eyelashes prettily. I wanted to rip them out when she
did that. Right after I pinched her lips off, I’d get to those.
“You are not my mother!” a little voice
shrieked from the top of the stairs. “Miss Neena is my mother now.
She told me.”
“It wasn’t exactly like that,” my eyes met
Charlie’s and I tried to fight the panic rising in my chest.
“You did so say!”
“I know baby girl… I just meant they should
hear the rest of the conversation, too,” I tried to explain but she
had already whirled around and was gone.
“I’ll go talk to her,” Charlie assured me.
“I’ll be right back.”
A cold silence settled after he disappeared
up the steps. She glared at me, hatred rolling off her in waves. I
met her gaze, trying to keep mine neutral. Trying.
“I told her I’d be her step-mom,” I attempted
to clarify.
“You might think you can show up like a stray
dog on the porch and take this family, but you have no place here,”
Julie informed me in a low growl.
“Excuse me?” Fury rose through me
instantly.
“You heard me. Go back to where you came from
little dog. This is my family.”
“You mean… the family you threw away? That
one? I don’t think so,” I took a step towards her. “Now why don’t
you go back to where you came from before either of us says
something we regret?”
“I don’t intend to give this up without a
fight.”
“Fine. You might be bigger, but I’m a helluva
lot meaner. We can step outside right now if you’d like.”
“I’m not going to fight you in the front lawn
like some sort of Neanderthal.”
“Prefer to lie in wait like a snake in the
grass, do you? Duly noted,” I folded my arms across my chest and
gave her my fiercest look. On Conrad, that same look could make
grown men cry. Apparently it lost something in the translation when
I did it because she didn’t even tear up a little.
“Crisis averted. Cara is properly reassured
that you are in fact going to be her mommy,” Charlie cheerfully
informed me as he headed back down the stairs.
“Charlie…,” Julie practically stamped her
foot in protest.
“Julie, you haven’t even called her since you
walked out that door. What did you expect? For the world to stop
turning here? It didn’t. Now go home.”
“You’ll be hearing from me again,” she
whirled and left with much flurry.
Charlie and I stood there for a minute, our
eyes saying what words could not. How far would Julie go to rout me
from their lives? What would she stoop to, just to hurt Charlie for
the words he’d spoken?
“Well,” I straightened my shoulders. “Those
eggs aren’t going to fry themselves. Go get cleaned up. I’ll make
us some breakfast.”
What should have been a happy morning was
tempered by the unexpected guest. The three of us made small talk
occasionally but mostly focused on the food on our plates.
“When will you marry Daddy?” Cara finally
asked the question that had been burning on her mind.
“I don’t know,” I paused mid-bite to look at
Charlie. “Have you thought about it?”
“Tomorrow?” he
“Oh no… far be it for me to ask an
explanation,” she waved me off as if I was insignificant.
“Julie,” Charlie’s voice was firm. “I’d like
you to meet my fiancée, Neena Allen.”
“Oh,” she pursed her lips. I wanted to pinch
them off. If she said “oh” one more time, I just might. “What a
surprise. Last I heard, you weren’t seeing anybody. This must be
very sudden.”
“Are you keeping tabs on me?” Charlie moved
towards me. I finished my descent down the steps to meet him
halfway. “Some people might think it’s sudden. I just couldn’t take
the chance that Neena here was just a dream.”
The look he gave me made my heart melt. Maybe
a few other things, too.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here,”
Charlie leveled his gaze on her, squelching the glare she had
rested on me.
“Can’t a mother check in on her baby?” She
batted her eyelashes prettily. I wanted to rip them out when she
did that. Right after I pinched her lips off, I’d get to those.
“You are not my mother!” a little voice
shrieked from the top of the stairs. “Miss Neena is my mother now.
She told me.”
“It wasn’t exactly like that,” my eyes met
Charlie’s and I tried to fight the panic rising in my chest.
“You did so say!”
“I know baby girl… I just meant they should
hear the rest of the conversation, too,” I tried to explain but she
had already whirled around and was gone.
“I’ll go talk to her,” Charlie assured me.
“I’ll be right back.”
A cold silence settled after he disappeared
up the steps. She glared at me, hatred rolling off her in waves. I
met her gaze, trying to keep mine neutral. Trying.
“I told her I’d be her step-mom,” I attempted
to clarify.
“You might think you can show up like a stray
dog on the porch and take this family, but you have no place here,”
Julie informed me in a low growl.
“Excuse me?” Fury rose through me
instantly.
“You heard me. Go back to where you came from
little dog. This is my family.”
“You mean… the family you threw away? That
one? I don’t think so,” I took a step towards her. “Now why don’t
you go back to where you came from before either of us says
something we regret?”
“I don’t intend to give this up without a
fight.”
“Fine. You might be bigger, but I’m a helluva
lot meaner. We can step outside right now if you’d like.”
“I’m not going to fight you in the front lawn
like some sort of Neanderthal.”
“Prefer to lie in wait like a snake in the
grass, do you? Duly noted,” I folded my arms across my chest and
gave her my fiercest look. On Conrad, that same look could make
grown men cry. Apparently it lost something in the translation when
I did it because she didn’t even tear up a little.
“Crisis averted. Cara is properly reassured
that you are in fact going to be her mommy,” Charlie cheerfully
informed me as he headed back down the stairs.
“Charlie…,” Julie practically stamped her
foot in protest.
“Julie, you haven’t even called her since you
walked out that door. What did you expect? For the world to stop
turning here? It didn’t. Now go home.”
“You’ll be hearing from me again,” she
whirled and left with much flurry.
Charlie and I stood there for a minute, our
eyes saying what words could not. How far would Julie go to rout me
from their lives? What would she stoop to, just to hurt Charlie for
the words he’d spoken?
“Well,” I straightened my shoulders. “Those
eggs aren’t going to fry themselves. Go get cleaned up. I’ll make
us some breakfast.”
What should have been a happy morning was
tempered by the unexpected guest. The three of us made small talk
occasionally but mostly focused on the food on our plates.
“When will you marry Daddy?” Cara finally
asked the question that had been burning on her mind.
“I don’t know,” I paused mid-bite to look at
Charlie. “Have you thought about it?”
“Tomorrow?” he
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