Page 254 of The Havenport Collection

Matteo

“ D ad, look!” Valentina pointed excitedly at Cliff, the fully intact Triceratops fossil displayed in front of us. “Will you take a picture?”

I nodded, unlocking my phone while Val posed next to it, making funny faces. The look of sheer joy on her face warmed my heart. We wandered in awe, soaking up the paleontology exhibit.

“Dad. It says here that chickens are descended from dinosaurs.”

“Cool,” I replied, smiling at her happy face.

Although I really couldn’t afford to, I had taken the day off for a daddy-daughter date.

Since the Maple Festival was next weekend, and it was unlikely I’d be able to take any time off in the next two weeks, my dad had graciously volunteered to cover the restaurant today so I could spend some time with Val.

As much as I struggled to let someone into my kitchen, it was a generous offer, and my girl deserved some fun.

So we had headed to Boston, where we were enjoying the Museum of Science together.

I had been coming here since I was a kid, and it never failed to amaze and humble me.

Val skipped along, headed to an exhibit on poisonous frogs, while I tagged along, enjoying my time off.

We took photos, attempted to build a hovercraft, and watched a 4D film about the Arctic together while they sprayed snowflakes in our face.

We were checking out the hall of human life when I heard a familiar voice. “Valentina, baby.”

My stomach dropped as I turned around to see Mandy walking toward us.

It had been years since I had seen her in person, and she certainly looked healthier.

Her hair was chin length and well-groomed, and she wore jeans and a sweater.

She looked like a suburban mom, not the party-loving wild child who had up and left our premature baby in the hospital to go get drunk.

Val jumped into her arms, clearly delighted to see her. I tried to force a smile, but it probably looked more like a snarl.

“What are you doing here, Mandy?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“When we spoke on the phone, Valentina told me you were taking her here for the day. And I’ve never been, so I decided to come check it out myself.”

I bit my tongue to keep from lashing out at her in public. Why was she crashing our special day? What did she hope to achieve by butting in?

“Mom. You need to see this,” Val said, pulling her toward the display. “Dad, you too.” I couldn’t deny how happy she looked, marveling at the museum and sharing it with both of us. And Mandy was fully engaged, laughing and asking questions and being exceedingly polite.

I found myself softening as the day wore on. The sun was out, so we set out for a walk on the esplanade, stopping for gelato on the way. Mandy and I stood, watching Val play on the playground and staring out at the Charles River.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I know you weren’t happy to see me.”

I shrugged, trying to avoid the bait.

“I know you hate me, but I’m trying. I have a good job, an apartment, and things are going well. I moved across the country so I could see her and be a part of her life.”

I sighed. I hated when she made me feel like the bad guy. “I don’t hate you, Mandy. But you need to understand you can’t just show up and take her away. She’s been through a lot, she has complex medical needs, and her routine is important.”

“I am trying to understand. But you have to be willing to talk to me, to explain and help me here. You yell at me about her asthma, but how about we talk about it? How about you help me figure out how to create a safe environment for her in my home? Ever think about that? Or do you just want to make me the villain so you can control everything and everyone as always?”

That stung. And she was right. Mandy wasn’t the enemy, and treating her like one was only going to hurt Val. “You’re right. I am glad you’re here and doing better, but we need to take things slow and figure out what is best for Val, and randomly crashing our daddy-daughter date probably isn’t it.”

“I know. But I wanted to see you and talk to you in person. Show you that I’ve got myself together and am taking this seriously.

My lawyer says I need to demonstrate to the court that I have changed and am responsible, but honestly, it feels like it’s going to be much harder to convince you of that fact. ”

She wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t change the fact that she was trying to take my daughter away from me. I nodded, continuing to stare out at the river while Val played happily on the swings nearby.

“Who is Eliza?” Mandy asked, her voice sharp.

“The babysitter,” I said, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

“Valentina talks about her constantly. She seems to really like her.”

“She’s great with her. Has been a huge help to me.”

“So you’re definitely fucking her, aren’t you?”

“No.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Matteo. I could tell by the way Valentina talked about her. She stays for dinner all the time, hangs out with you, dances in the living room? I can read between the lines.”

“Stop. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It’s gross. You talk a big game about wanting what is best for Val and doing everything for her, but you’re still the same selfish ass. She clearly loves this woman and will be devastated when you drive her away. Have you even thought about that?”

Of course I had thought about it. I was obsessing endlessly about it, actually.

Afraid to admit my feelings for Eliza, desperate to keep our relationship a secret, and panicking that it would end.

But I couldn’t tell Mandy any of this. She would weaponize this information against me, that was for sure.

She may be playing nice, but I had known Mandy for a decade.

She would do anything to get what she wanted, and I couldn’t take any risks.

After a few minutes of angry silence, Mandy turned to me and placed her hand on my arm.

“Matteo, I am not supposed to tell you this, but I don’t want you blindsided.

I want to work together and be a team for Val.

So my lawyer will be filing a petition with the courts soon.

I don’t want a war. I don’t want a struggle.

I just want what’s best for my daughter. ”

I shook her hand away as my mind spun with anger, resentment, and panic. I needed to think, I needed to process, and I needed Eliza.