Page 149 of Everything After

“Did you get through to Rick?” Lily asked once I’d concluded the call and gone back to her with some water. Charlie was fussing, but not hungry anymore, so I took him from her to burp him. “What did he say?”

“They’re coming Friday. Is that okay?” I asked while I placed our son over my shoulder and gently rubbed his back.

A flash of nerves registered in her beautiful emerald eyes before she nodded. “Sounds good. Can you find us a chef?”

“Sure. Would you mind if I headed to the mainland for an hour or two. I want to drop in on Kara. I think she got the keys to her new place yesterday.”

The ‘keys for Kara’ excuse wasn’t a lie. The place she’d originally chosen had been taken back off the market. It had taken some time to find somewhere close to Poppy’s school that was in an exclusive, gated community. Once we’d secured it, there was some concern about a rock star owning it from the HOA, so I’d had to sign a waiver that I wouldn’t be living in it.

Right then, Charlie’s bowels exploded against my hand, shit squirting from the little diaper he wore and all over my clean black T-shirt.

“Shit,” I muttered, as I lifted him off me and held him at arm’s length.

“Yes, shit. Isn’t Daddy clever?” Lily remarked playfully.

“I swear this kid did that on purpose,” I muttered. I bit back a grin and directed my serious question to him. “Did you poop on me because I said I was going out?” Charlie gave me a constipated smile, went a strange mauve color and squeezed out another explosive crap, overfilling his diaper even more.

“I guess baby wipes aren’t going to cut it this time, huh?” Lily mumbled. My heart clenched when she pouted, and I figured how tired she must be. Lily insisted on being awake for all the night feeds, for the first couple of months at least.

“Take a nap. I’ll sort Charlie out. Then I’ll ask Vicky to take him to the patio for a while. The fresh air will do him good while he sleeps.”

Apart from the shit, bathing Charlie was a joy. The way the little guy gazed blindly up at me melted my heart every time.

“What are you going to be? A rock star like your mom and dad? Let me tell you something,” I said, animatedly. Charlie’s eyes widened. His stare was intense while he pursed his lips, like he was waiting for me to spill a secret. “Dude, I don’t carewhat you do, so long as you’re happy. But I am going to teach you to respect women… that’s how you get a good one—like your mom.”

My heart leapt because Charlie laughed, a gummy, silent laugh. He stiffened and threw his head back, making his whole little body jerk. Alright, it was probably gas, but it was timely to what I had said.

“Yeah, I can tell you’ll want to be a ladies’ man. But you gotta respect them. Sure, you can sow your oats, but dude, remember those women will have dads just like me. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I said, as I lifted him out of the water and wrapped him in a towel. “Now don’t you dare pee on me, young man. I’ve got an errand to run.”

“Dare I say to keep your cool?” Oscar suggested, as he pulled up at the curb outside Sienna’s place.

“Dare I say I’ll do my best, but…”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Oscar warned. His eyes scanned the narrow street where the houses were packed close together. “The walls have ears, an’ all that.”

I nodded. “Thanks for the reminder. If I’m not out in ten, come get me,” I ordered. I climbed out and almost closed the door when he added, “Will I need to bring a body bag?”

I chuckled although there was nothing humorous in my visit. The girl had almost lost me my wife with her meddling ways and spite.

To her credit, Sienna’s face paled when she opened the door before she quickly recovered her composure.

“Alfie, it’s good to see you. No sign of the baby yet?”

Oscar’s warning played back in my head, so I gave her my best fake smile, and prayed she didn’t notice.

“No baby,” I muttered.

“Are you here to see Kara? She messaged that she got the keys, right?” she asked.

“Not here for Kara,” I stated flatly.

The smile she was wearing froze on her face before she quickly recovered again. If I never learned anything else about Sienna, it was her nervous tell.

“Then what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, sounding sweet.

“No pleasure,” I said, darkly.

Anxiety caused her head to jerk as the blood drained from her face. “From that reaction I guess you know why I’m here.”