Page 94 of C is for Comfort

“I’m hungry,” Lexi says.

I check my watch. It’s approaching five. “Let us take you out to dinner?” I ask Spence.

“You don’t need to. I’m happy to pay.”

“Iwantto. Please let me?”

Spence smiles and nods. “I’d love that.”

“I want to go home for food,” Lexi says. “Just me and you, Daddy.”

“That works too,” Spence says. “We can say goodbye here.”

I’m torn about what to do. I don’t want to upset Lexi, but if I keep letting her dictate how much time we do—ordon’t—spend with Spence, she’ll keep doing it. What I don’t get iswhy. Yes, she’s probably jealous, but if she just gave Spence a chance, she’d see how wonderful he is.

“It’s fine,” Spence says, putting his hand on my arm.

I guess my indecision is obvious.

“We can all go out for dinner another time.”

“Or you could come home with us?” I suggest, hoping it’s a relatively safe middle ground.

Lexi pouts and stamps her foot. “I said just me and you, Daddy.”

“Go home,” Spence says to me gently. “We can talk later.”

I nod. “Thanks for this afternoon.” I stare into his eyes. “I love you.”

Lexi makes a disgusted noise and tries to pull away. I keep a tight grip on her hand so she can’t. She’s only five. She’s not sensible enough not to run straight out into the road.

Instead of saying it back, Spence smiles and strokes my cheek with his thumb. “Enjoy dinner with your dad, Lexi.”

He waves at us both and then walks away.

Lexi doesn’t talk to me at all on the way home. When we get into the house, she pulls off her shoes and coat and starts stomping up the stairs.

“Wait right there,” I say.

She stops but doesn’t turn to look at me.

“Talk to me, Lexi.” I make sure to keep my tone soft. “What’s wrong?”

She turns around, arms folded, and her lower lip jutted forward in a sulky expression. “I don’t like Spence.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

I take a breath and count to five in my head. “That’s not an answer. Why don’t you like Spence?”

“You spend more time with him than me.”

“That’s not true.”

She cocks her head. “You’re always at work, doing work, or seeing Spence. I see Uncle Blake more than you.”

My chest tightens. I know she’s trying to hurt me, and there’s no point in raising to the bait. She’s jealous of Spence, but I can’t let that dictate my relationship with him. Getting into an argument with her won’t help.