Page 5 of No Right To Love You (Winter of Love #6)
Ocean
Today is busy. I can’t focus on how I stayed on the couch too late, and Jaz woke me up. She was getting to that age where it was attitude first and hellos last.
Jaz woke me up and her curious look let me know she wanted to know why I was sleeping on the couch when I had a perfect bed for my big ass.
My cell rings bringing me out of going deep into thinking about the excuses I gave my daughter.
“Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Māhoe?”
“Yes, this is him.”
“Hi, it’s Jenna from St. Josephine’s.”
“Is Zoe, okay?” I stop working on the plants that we were doing for this final day of the landscaping project and focus.
“She’s fine, Mr. Māhoe. Just that we’re getting ready to go to our zoo trip and Mrs. Māhoe volunteered but she hasn’t shown up. Just checking if there’s anything wrong? We tried her cell but there’s no answer.”
“She’s probably in a last-minute meeting or something and didn’t get the chance to shoot me a text for me to notify you.” I stand and forget the job I’m doing. “Does that mean Zoe can’t go or something? What do you guys need from me?”
“We can take her to the zoo with us, but Zoe doesn’t want to go without her mother. She’s crying and she had a bit of a hard time with that. Is there any way we can solve this for her?” Jenna asks me.
“You know what, don’t worry about it. I’ll be there in the next 10. Where I am isn’t too far and then her mother will take her on the next trip. I don’t want her to miss this. How’s that, Jenna?”
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Māhoe! Thank you! I’ll let her know that you’re coming. We’ll just update everything on the file and have you sign the updated paperwork.”
“Awesome. See you soon!”
“See you. We’ll be loading the kids on the school bus by the time you’re here, you’ll just have to jump on the bus, and we can go.”
“Got it. Thank you.” I hang up.
Damn!
I switch from the Home Screen to my messages.
Me: baby, what the hell!
B y the time the trip was over, Zoe forgot about the crying and how her mom didn’t show up. I know she misses her and so do I.
I should reply to her message about being sorry and not answering. I should also pick up her calls but I’m not in the mood. I promised her that I wouldn’t be the kind of man I used to be before her. I grew up angry, angrier than most kids, but I got help for it and I’m better.
Every day, I choose calmness over anger, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not angry at my wife. I’m disappointed. We’ve worked so hard together to give our children and ourselves a good life. Better than what we each got but yet here we are… breaking for reasons that we shouldn’t be.
It’s alright.
January knows her husband very well and if I can predict her next moves, she’s somehow found a way to get home early. She’s waiting for me at the house, ready for me to ask her what the hell is going on.
My cell pings again while I walk Zoe back to her classroom. She’s happy because now she’s got her face half painted as a cheetah and she saw the one animal she’s obsessed with in person, the gorilla.
I don’t know her fascination over gorillas, but I’ll let her keep that gorilla backpack she has on.
Good luck to everyone in the house because she definitely is wearing it to sleep, bringing it into the bathroom with her and she’ll try to pretend it’s part of her body. I shake my head as I try not to laugh.
“Okay, go ahead, small girl. Go to class.”
“Love you, daddy bear.” She gives me a hug and runs into her class joining the rest of them.
My cell pings again and I take a look at it.
January-February: I’m sorry that I missed the call. I really was trying to go on the trip, but I showed up too late.
January-February: I’ll be waiting at home for you. I know you’re upset with me.
Me: as long as you know.
Whatever else she had to say, I’d tell it to her face instead of continuing this during text.