In my room I stripped Avi down and removed both packages from the bag. Deciding to start with the Advil, I measured out the proper amount and placed the dropper in the corner of her tiny little lips and grinned when she started smacking. With milk being the majority of her daily intake, my little muffin wasloving the sweetness of the orange flavor. It was also time for a bottle, so I carried her into the kitchen and bounced her in one arm while I removed a bottle I’d pumped earlier that day and dropped it into the warmer on the counter.
Once it was done, we settled on the sofa and I smiled at my baby while she sucked it down like she hadn’t been fed in days. After a diaper change, she was satisfied and drifting. I carried her back to the room and carefully placed her in the portable crib near my bed and prayed she slept long enough for me to get a few hours of sleep. I was exhausted and had a busy day ahead of me.
After Avi was settled, I decided to dump a load of clothes in the washing machine that I could transfer to the dryer once I was up in a few hours. I wiggled out of the sweat bottoms and yanked the hoodie over my head, leaving me in just the oversized tee and spandex shorts I slept in. Before I dropped them into the hamper, I shoved my hand into the front pocket of the hoodie to get my wristlet and my heart stopped.
No, no, no…
Panic pushed through my veins again as I grabbed my phone, pressed the flashlight button, and began searching my room to see if I dropped it. I grabbed the bag sitting next to the medicine I’d purchased, clearly noting it was empty but I still shoved my hand in anyway.
After I confirmed what I already knew, I moved through my house, searching the floor before I grabbed my key fob and hurried outside, praying I’d dropped it when I buckled Avi in. The ground was freezing under my bare feet but I didn’t care. I frantically searched every inch of my car and almost cried when I realized my wallet wasn’t there. That could only mean one thing…
I left it.
I had been in such a hurry to get out of the store that I must have dropped it or forgotten to grab it off the counter after I paid.
Oh hell…
I hurried back into the house and searched one more time, but dialed the pharmacy at the same time because this couldn’t be my fucking life.
“Rx-R-Us.” The mundane voice definitely belonged to the guy who rang me up. This guy really loved his job…not.
“Uh, hi. I was just there about half an hour ago. I purchased medicine for my daughter. I think I left my wallet there. It’s brown leather with a beaded bracelet attached. I might have…”
“You left it on the counter but your boyfriend said he would bring it to you.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yeah, the guy you were with. He walked out right after you.”
Omiri. He had to be talking about Omiri. We were the only two people in the store.
“He’s not my boyfriend!” I yelled into the phone then immediately swung my head toward Avi’s portable crib. When she didn’t move, I hurried out of my room and began pacing the floor in front of my sofa.
“He said he was.”
“And you believed him?”
“I mean yeah, why wouldn’t I?”
“Because he could be a gotdamn serial killer who now, thanks to you, has all my personal information. My license was in there, asshole.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry? Are you serious right now?”
“Ma’am, you need to calm down. How the hell was I supposed to…”
I hung up and dropped down on the sofa, blinking rapidly. Yelling at that idiot wasn’t going to do a damn thing to undo what was done. Omiri had my wallet and the only reason he would have cared enough to take it was because he wanted to know if Avi was his. He already assumed she was. I could see it all over his face when he looked at her . She had his damn eyes. Very rare eyes. One hazel and the other dark brown.
“I’m so fucking screwed.”
I was on my feet pacing again and needed a voice of reason. There was only one person who knew who Avi’s father was, and even though it was three in the morning, I knew she was up. She worked overnight at the hospital. If she didn’t have her phone on her, she would be wearing her smartwatch, so she would see my text and hopefully call me back.
Me: Call me ASAP. Emergency. 911.
I hated to make her worry. She was going to think something was wrong with Avi, but shit, I needed to talk this through because right now my mind was spiraling.
I can move.
