I went upstairs and started the water, my hands shaking. I couldn't believe that Oakley was here. Dalton was clear that he wanted to stick to a schedule. Would Oakley call the police? Would they take Lilliana from us?
I remembered Dalton saying that they both have custody so the police couldn't do anything if he wanted to keep her. She'd have to take her issues to the court, which scared me too. Why did Oakley have to be like this? Why couldn't she see how she affected Dalton and Lilliana?
I got Lilliana settled in the tub, playing with her toys. Thankfully, she was unaware that her mother was downstairs causing a ruckus.
A few minutes later, Dalton came into the bathroom, leaning on the doorway.
"Is everything okay?" I asked tentatively.
"She's not happy." He gestured for me to come into the hallway where we could still see Lilliana but keep our voices softer.
"You told her it wasn't her week?"
"That really made her mad. She wants to take her whenever it’s convenient for her.”
"She could have spent time with her last week."
"It's not about Lilliana. It's only about what she wants."
"What do you think she'll do about it?"
"Talk to her attorney. He'll tell her the same thing mine did. She doesn't have any legal recourse currently. Ashton said it was fine to enforce the schedule even if it's not an official agreement. It shows that I want stability for Lilliana. But I have to be prepared for her to escalate the situation." He looked away. "Am I doing the right thing?"
His vulnerable question got to me. "It's good to set boundaries with her. You can't treat her like someone who's reasonable."
"I don't want to set her off and make things worse. What if she keeps Lilliana in retaliation?"
"She might. Then we'll have to go to court."
His eyes flashed on the word we, but I wanted him to know I'd be by his side no matter what he decided. "I made my decisions, and I'll stick with it."
"Keep reinforcing the idea that this is your week, and she'll see Lilliana next week. She's welcome to video call if she wants, right?" I hadn't heard her doing it though.
He sighed. "She almost never takes me up on that offer. I feel badly that Lilliana hasn't seen her for more than a week."
"She did see her for that one night, remember?"
"That's true."
"And this was her decision. She chose to go on a trip during her week with Lilliana. She could have gone on your week."
He nodded. "She brought this on herself."
"She's going to take every inch you give her, and you'll be right back where you started."
"With her pulling the strings."
That was an interesting analogy I hadn't heard him say before. I wondered if he'd been talking to anyone about the situation. "Is that how it feels?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "She essentially gets what she wants, and I accommodate her demands. How else would you describe it?"
"This really bothers you," I observed, falling back on my therapy background.
"It has for a long time. I just wasn't brave enough to do anything about it."
"You were protecting your daughter. And you are now too."
He pulled me into his chest, holding me tight. I buried my face in his chest, breathing in the scent of him, knowing that he had a good view of Lilliana over my head.
