Page 94 of Storm in a D Cup

‘Bye. Love you.’

‘Love you more, princess.’

I hung up, an enormous wave of tenderness washing over me. Good old Dad. So kind and meek. He’d forgive anyone anything. I must have taken after my mom.

An hour later Renata came over. ‘How’s it going?’ she asked as she sank into a chair at the table. ‘I’m glad the two of you managed to patch things up.’

‘Patch things up? That’s old news. Have you seen thenewnews?’ I flicked the remote to the entertainment channel. And, as if on cue, there they were, Julian and Genie Stacie, his hands squeezing her Brazilian butt as he pushed her into that damn limo, over and over again. The speaker’s voice rambled on and on about how Julian Foxham, formerly of the Red Sox, had reunited with his one and only love, without even informing his wife.

Renata watched for a bit, then looked at me.

‘There must be an explanation,’ she finally said.

‘Yeah – my husband is in love with another woman who has given him what he wanted most. A daughter.’

‘You’re not even going to listen to his explanation?’

‘Would you?’

‘Marco doesn’t know any models.’

‘I’m serious!’

‘Oh, Erica – really. You’re going to listen to this garbage?’

‘There,’ I said, flicking the remote. ‘The volume is off. The sight of my husband’s hands on Genie Stacie is more than enough. I knew it! Paul told me he was planning her secret engagement party, and that the guy was still married! Don’t you see, Renata? It was all just stalling tactics!’

Renata paled. ‘I can’t believe it. It can’t be Julian. I won’t believe it.’

‘How can you not? It’s all over the news.’

‘Mom!’ Maddy called, coming down the stairs with her cell phone. ‘It’s Uncle Paul – he wants to talk to you.’

‘Thanks,’ I said, grabbing her phone like a lifeline.

‘Sunshine…’ was all he said and I melted. He was the only man who would never break my heart.

‘Paulie – this is the end…’ I sobbed as Renata rolled her eyes.

‘Don’t be silly. There’s a perfectly good explanation.’

‘That’s exactly what Renata said, but I don’t believe it.’

‘I do,’ he said simply.

‘Of course you do.’ Paul had always been head over heels with Julian, calling himThe Man of Our Life.

‘Don’t you remember all that he’s done for you, Erica? Don’t you remember how he was there for you after Ira left you?’

I swallowed. Of course I did. Julian had restored my faith in myself. And in love.

‘And don’t you remember how he broke into your home to save your life when Ira attacked you with that baseball bat?’

I remembered.

‘And don’t you remember how he stayed with you and the kids all night after that?’

And the time he carried me home when I had showed up at his office after dark, having walked for miles, getting these blisters on my feet that were so huge I couldn’t even put my shoes back on. And the time Ira kidnapped Maddy, how he stayed with me all night. And the time when I showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night and we… yeah. I remembered it all. I remembered every single word, every single caress that had sent me to heaven and back. I remembered how even his name could make me tingle all over with excitement.