“It may not be all the time in the world to talk,” John began. “But hopefully enough to clear your heads.”
It sounded perfect.
“That’d be great,” Valentino said. “That work for you, Piper?”
“Yeah, it does. It’d give me a little bit of a chance to freshen up, too.”
Karen clasped her hands together, a big smile on her face.
“Then it’s settled. Maddie, you ready to go?”
“Yep!”
“No, you’re not,” I interjected. “You need to get up there and clean up, brush your teeth, and put on some outside clothes. No daughter of mine’s going to the dog park wearing her pajamas.”
“Aw, man!” The disappointment was intense, as if she couldn’t stomach the idea of even a second’s delay from getting to the dog park.
“Let me handle this,” Karen said. “I’ll get her dressed, if that’s alright with you.”
“I’ll be down here with Dad if you need anything,” Valentino said. “Go on, take your time.”
“Thanks, guys,” I said. “Seriously. Be good with Dr. V.’s parents, OK?” I directed toward Maddie.
“I will!”
I hurried over and gave her a hug, covering her little face with kisses before sending her off with one more “I love you.” I had left my personal effects at my place, so I rushed out of the house and walked next door. The moment I shut the door, a whirlwind of emotions ran through me. I was still overwhelmed by his parents showing up, but the excitement of knowing that Valentino and I were on the verge of finally getting this all sorted out made my heart begin to beat like a drum.
I ran upstairs, taking off my clothes and changing into something a little nicer—a floral-patterned sundress and flats, both perfect for the warm summer day outside. Once dressed, I brushed my teeth and hair, throwing on a little deodorant.
When I was ready, I stepped over to my bedroom window in time to see Maddie and Val’s parents heading down the street, Mick obediently at their side. My heart warmed, and a smile spread across my face. She had grandparents. More than that, she had aunts and uncles and cousins, all ready to love her and welcome her into their family.
On top of it all, she had a dad. Valentino might’ve still been wrapping his head around his new role as a father, but as far as I was concerned, he was kicking ass. I had no doubts that he’d become more and more of an amazing father with each passing day. All we had to do was talk this through, to figure out how this whole thing was going to look.
I hurried out of the bedroom and out of the house, a huge smile on my face as I headed back to Valentino’s.
Right as I crossed the boundary of our property lines, I spotted a brown-haired woman, looking about my age, pushing a baby stroller down the path around Valentino’s driveway. She took no notice of me, her pretty face focused straight ahead, as if she were on a mission that no one was going to dissuade her from.
I watched as she stopped in front of the big, stone steps that led up to the front doors. Once there, she reached in the carriage and took out an adorable little baby, one that couldn’t have been older than five or six months. She went up the stairs, marching toward the front door with the baby in her arms.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Hi!”
She turned to me with big green eyes, barely giving me any notice before knocking on the door as hard as she could.
“Hey!” I said again, running up the stairs. “Can I help you?”
She looked me up and down, sizing me up right then and there with a narrowed and defiant gaze.
“I don’t know who you are but I'm here to talk to Valentino, so please leave me alone.”
“I’m Valentino’s...” I didn’t know how to finish. I wasn’t his girlfriend or fiancée. I guess I was his... baby-mama?
Her eyes flashed with anger and impatience. “You’re hiswhat?”
I looked at the baby in her arms, a precious little thing that was, thankfully, totally oblivious to the negativity of the situation. It reached out for me with tiny hands, babbling happily to his or herself.
I didn’t have a chance to answer the question. The door opened, and Valentino stood there with a shocked expression on his face.
“Ashley.” His voice was calm and cool, careful, even. “What are you doing here?”
