But I shook those morbid thoughts off, jumping in the shower we'd used last night, remembering the way he'd tenderly washed my hair. No man had ever done a task like that for me before. It was like he enjoyed taking care of me, and maybe that was the parent in him, but it was sensual.
It made me feel like he'd always be there for me. Only time would tell.
But right now, I was happy and couldn't wait to paint. I let my hair air dry, pulling on old clothes.
I quickly lost myself in the canvas, painting the sky over the water. I got lost in the mixes of blues and the smattering of perfectly fluffy clouds. I was so into my work, I forgot to grab something to eat.
Mid-morning, the doorbell rang, and my stomach rumbled. Assuming it was a delivery person, I opened the door, surprised to find Oakley holding Lilliana.
Before I could ask any questions, she thrust Lilliana into my arms and dropped an overnight bag at my feet.
"I'm going on vacation with my boyfriend." She spun around before I could say anything.
"Wait. When will you be back?" I felt at a loss for how to handle this situation.
Oakley turned, her hands on her hips, and her lip curled into a sneer. "You're just the babysitter." She paused a beat as if waiting for the insult to cut deep before she added, "I'll have you know he's using you."
I wanted to cover Lilliana's ears, but at the same time, she didn't understand what her mother was saying, just her snide tone.
"We're happy to have Lilliana at any time, but this is your week to have her." I kept my voice soft.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "There isn't an agreement. Everything was working out great until you showed up. You're the one encouraging him to go to court."
"Dalton was already planning to go back to mediation. I didn't have anything to do with his decision." I waited patiently for her to respond.
Oakley rolled her eyes. "He'll come back to me. We're in love with each other."
She wasn't saying anything I didn't already suspect was going on in her head. Our relationship was new, but Dalton and I charted a different course last night.
She must have sensed my hesitation because she went for the kill. "We'll always share Lilliana. She'll never be yours."
That hurt more than I thought it would, hitting me in the chest and stealing my breath. I struggled to find my voice. "Thank you for dropping off Lilliana. Have a good trip."
I grabbed Lilliana's bag with shaky hands, ensuring to close and lock the door. I didn't want to have any more interactions with Oakley. This one had left me feeling unsettled.
"I don't even know if you've eaten a snack. Are you hungry?" I asked Lilliana lightly, trying to cover the waver in my voice.
"Fish," Lilliana said, and I knew she wanted goldfish crackers.
I set her in her high chair and grabbed the bag of goldfish, pouring them onto her tray. "I'm going to make cheesy eggs too."
I handed her a sippy cup of milk. Then I cracked and whipped the eggs, pouring the mix into the pan.
I kept one eye on Lilliana while typing out a message to Dalton.
Blake: Oakley dropped Lilliana off this morning, saying she was going on a trip with her boyfriend.
Then I snapped a picture of Lilliana happily eating in her high chair and sent it to him. I knew he'd want to know that she was okay.
My phone rang a few seconds later.
"Lilliana's there?"
I held the phone against my ear so that Lilliana couldn't hear his side of the conversation. "Yeah, Oakley dropped her off around ten-thirty."
"I can't believe she did that. I was hoping she'd want to spend time with her." I stayed silent, letting him process everything. "Did she say when she'd be back?"
"She didn't, but she mentioned something about preferring your old way of handling visitation."
