“And there was Dennis.”
“Exactly. And Melissa, she wasn’t awful or anything. She wasn’t mean. I just felt like she didn’t really care about me, you know? Like I could’ve been any kid from anywhere, and she would’ve been . . . what’s that thing you say when someone’s trying to show how good they are?”
“Oh. Um . . . virtue signaling?”
“Yeah. That. But lately . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she didn’t finish the thought.
Ophelia was smart, and observant. “How long have you lived with Melissa?”
“Almost six years, I guess.”
“And now your mom wants to bring you back to Ohio?”
She nodded.
“Is that what you want?”
She grabbed Teeny from where she lay between Zeus’s giant paws, and held the wee rat against her shoulder. “I don’t know,” she said. “Not really? But I do love my mom. I just . . . I don’t trust her.”
Then she was crying, quietly, trying not to sob, the poor baby. Adults and their stupid lives, always messing up children. I sat next to her and pulled her head onto my shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I said.
“I wish I could live with you,” she said, and I closed my eyes. I wished so, too. For a second, the longing to have a daughter—my daughter, or anyone’s daughter—washed over me.
But Ophelia wasn’t mine, and I knew better than to make a hollow promise. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go into the den and watch a funny movie. It’s the perfect night for it. I’m sure schools will be shut tomorrow, so we can stay up late and eat popcorn and ice cream. Sound like a plan?”
She gave a half smile. “Sounds like a plan.”
We were halfway through Spy when my new motion-sensor lights went on and my phone flashed with a warning from the security system that someone was approaching my house. Ben? Zeus gave a deep bark, and Teeny scrambled to the door. I turned on the outdoor lights and peered out.
It was a woman dressed in high boots, a fur coat, fur hat and fur gloves. It was either Lara from Doctor Zhivago or Melissa. Sadly, it was not Lara.
“Is she sleeping?” she said, slipping a bit on the patio. I reached out and grabbed her arm.
“You shouldn’t have come out in this weather, Melissa.” Where was Brad? He’d let her drive in this snow, preggers? “She’s awake. Come on in.”
She did, taking off her snow-encrusted boots and handing me her coat and hat, since apparently I was the butler. Then she swooped onto Ophelia. “Oh, honey! I was so worried! You can never do that again! Do you hear me? What if you got lost in the snow?”
“I wouldn’t get lost, Melissa,” Ophelia said, wriggling away, a bored sort of scorn dripping from her voice. “I’m not an idiot.” Where was the nice kid who’d been with me for the past two hours?
“People get lost,” Melissa said. “You could’ve frozen to death!”
“People don’t get lost. Don’t be such a drama queen.”
“Actually,” I said, “people do get lost. A guy disappeared around here about ten years ago. He was never found. They dragged the ponds and had hundreds of people look for him, but he was gone without a trace.”
“Seriously? You’re on her side now?” Ophelia asked.
“Google it. Matthew Dudek.”
Melissa sat on the couch next to Ophelia. “Your mother and Bradley are also very upset,” she said. “We were all so worried.”
“Well, maybe you two shouldn’t screech about who’s gonna get custody of me while I’m in the house.” She stared at the paused image of Jude Law. “Did you walk here?”
“Um . . . well, my car got stuck a ways back. I walked from there.”
“Is Mama in the car?”
Melissa glanced at me, then back at Ophelia. “No, she stayed home. Uh, let me call her and Bradley, if you don’t mind.”
I gestured her into the living room and closed the den door, not wanting to overhear their cooing or Brad’s psychobabble.
The other woman was in my house. In my living room, seeing pictures of my son, my family. It was unsettling . . . but at the same time, I would’ve walked through the deep snow for my kid, too.
“Leave it to her to ruin the happiest night I’ve had all year,” Ophelia muttered.
“Hey,” I said. “She came out in a snowstorm, seven months pregnant, to make sure you were okay. She didn’t have to do that.”
“I wish she didn’t.”
“But she did.” And Ophelia’s mother had not. Nor had Brad, who was the best equipped to drive in the snow down these winding, bumpy roads. Melissa had come by herself, and walked in the dark, snowy woods, pregnant belly and all.
I hated to admit it, but I kind of admired that.
Melissa knocked at the door and peeked in. “Can I . . . can I sit down?”
“Sure.” I glanced at her stomach. “How’s the baby?”
“Fine. Normal.” She looked embarrassed.
“How many weeks are you?”
“Thirty.”
“Well, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go home tonight, Melissa, so you can have Dylan’s room, because Princess Ophelia has already claimed the guest room. I’m gonna get you some soup and a big glass of water.”
“Oh, no, I don’t want to make a fuss.”
“You already have. Sit down in the recliner and put your feet up.” My voice may have been a wee bit hard, but did it stop me from feeding her? It did not.
By the time the movie was over, my brain had had it. I gave each of my guests a toothbrush from the stash I kept for Dylan’s friends, waited for them to get settled, and then turned out the lights. As I did, Ben’s truck pulled into the driveway. I let Zeus out and went to greet Ben at the studio door. The snow was tapering off, but it sure was pretty out here. So quiet.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi. How’s your daughter?”
He smiled. “She’s great. Really happy. We had a nice dinner. Nice to see them both.”
“Both?”
“Oh. Cara, too. The three of us.”
I had heard of amicable divorces . . . or at least, cases of parents who could get along in each other’s company. Couldn’t picture Brad and Dylan and me sitting down for a pleasant dinner, but . . .
“I passed a BMW stuck on the road back there,” he said. “You got company?”
“Yes, I do. I’m having a sleepover. Melissa Fairchild and her niece. Ophelia ran away and came here, and Melissa drove over to check on her, got stuck and walked the rest of the way.”
“That’s a good mile back.”
“Eesh. Well, with the weather being so dangerous, and her being great with child, I invited them to stay.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Very generous of you.”
“Thanks. I know. I’m a saint.”
He smiled. “You’re not bad, I’ll give you that.”
“Oh, and I found out who my father’s girlfriend is,” I said.
“Really?”
“Brace yourself. It’s my mother.”
“Holy shit,” he said. “Are you sure?”
“I caught them in the act, Ben.”
His face contorted. “Oh, man. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you for your much-needed sympathy. It was horrible. Hannah is especially traumatized.”
“I can imagine.”
I looked at him, snow falling on his shaggy hair. The clouds were faintly pink, and the quiet wrapped us like a secret. I wanted to say something profound, or . . . something, just to make this moment last.
“I’m gonna go to bed, Ben.” Dang it. Not what I meant to say.
“Yeah. Quite a day for you.”
“Understatement of the year.”
“Well. Sleep tight.”
I didn’t move. “You can kiss me if you want.” There. That’s what I wanted to say.
He gave that wonderful, smoky laugh, and pulled me close and kissed me, long and slow and warm. “Good night, Lillie. Love your pajamas.”
I looked down. Cartoon sharks carrying human legs in their mouths. “Limited edition,” I said. “Just like me.”
I was smiling as I got into bed and hugged Zeus tight. Weird, to feel so happy after one of the strangest days of my life, but here I was. I’d done the right thing tonight. By Hannah, by Ophelia, by Melissa. And Ben was out there, willing to kiss me.
It was a good feeling.
CHAPTER 31
Melissa