“Congratulations,” I answered the phone to hear his voice.
“Hi Daddy,” I know I’m in for it now.
“First of all, I can’t believe you’ve successfully hidden a child for three years, especially since three years ago you were living at home. We didn’t even notice you were pregnant.”
I took a deep breath and finished wiping down the table. My father is a therapist so he always knows exactly what to say. I’ve learned a long time ago it’s best when you don’t respond at all because if you do he’ll psychoanalyze it enough to drive you crazy.
“Do you know how many phone calls I have received in the past three hours?”
“Probably about a third of as many as I have.”
“What are you doing Sari?”
“I know Daddy, but I…”
He cut me off before I could finish, “You need to quit that job.” I didn’t answer right away and that got him upset. I guess he thought I’d just say ok, I’ll be home in an hour.
“I can’t just quit Daddy. I’m going to straighten it out.”
“How do you possibly believe that this is a good idea?”
“I don’t, but I’m not going to just quit and leave this poor girl with him.”
“Sari, you’re not her mother.”
“Obviously Daddy, I know that.”
“Do you?” he paused and here comes the therapist where he’s going to tell me some deep dark secret that it all means. Except he forgets that I went to school for it as well and it’s not going to work.
“Yes, I have to go though. Bye Dad.”
I flipped my phone shut and placed it on the table just as Justin slowly walked into the kitchen. He stretched his arms over his head while yawning and sat at the table.
“Pancakes or waffles?”
“Pancakes. Blueberry.” He really thinks I’m his slave, “Please,” his lips formed into a crooked smile, “Mom.”
“How is that funny to you? In what universe is it funny that your assistant is pretending she is the mother of your child?”
“In what universe…” he mimicked with a chuckle, “you’re too sensitive.”
“You’re so heartless,” I responded as I started to make the pancakes, “Where is she?”
Every single time he shrugs and looks at me like that I want to strangle him. I’m seriously considering how much jail time I would get. It might be worth it. I’m also considering what kind of trouble I would be in if I was to take Ayden and run. Technically it’s not kidnapping since he even said she is my daughter. Honestly, I doubt he would even do anything about it because then people would know he has a daughter and god forbid that happen. I really think I would have a case.
“She’s your daughter,” that smile is back and I really wish his mother were here to slap some sense into him. I don’t know why she’s not here yet. She’s usually right on these things.
Instead of fighting with him I decided to ignore it. I know that will get to him even more. Ayden made her way downstairs in a daze. I’ve never heard of a three year old who hates mornings. She is just like her father, cranky until she gets her breakfast. Except with Justin it’s more like he’s cranky all day long.
“Good morning Princess,” I picked her up and placed her in the chair next to Justin.
“Hi Sari! Hi Daddy! Guess what?” Justin didn’t answer her and she just waited for someone to say something.
“What?” I answered.
“Oh,” she giggled, “I’m gonna have a tea party, and you can come, and you can come,” she pointed at Justin, “Daddy! Are you gonna come?”
He looked at his daughter for the first time since she came downstairs, “Doubtful.”
The smile slid off Ayden’s face, just like it always does when she has contact with her father. If only she really were my daughter, I would never let her frown like that. Justin’s phone rang and he left the room.
“Should we make cookies for the tea party?”
A smile made it’s way back to her face as she nodded her head and stood up on the chair as she played with my hair, “I wanna chocolate chip pancake k Sari?”
“Of course Ayden. Orange juice?”
“I do it,” she jumped down and ran to the fridge, “How come Daddy doesn’t wanna?”
“Daddy’s cranky sometimes. We need to just ignore him. Do you know what that means?” she shook her head, “It means just pretend you don’t hear him when he says mean things.”
Ayden giggled again until Justin walked back into the kitchen. He sat back at the table and stuffed another forkful of pancakes in his mouth before speaking, “Want to go to the park?”
Both Ayden and my mouth dropped open. He seriously wants to go to the park?
“Why?” I asked the question we both wanted to.
Justin gave me a dirty look, “What do you mean why?
“It’s ok Daddy, we having a tea party! And we gonna make cookies!”
“Yeah, that’s great,” he answered sarcastically, “You can do that after we go to the park.”
“But I wanna have a tea party,” Ayden pouted, “I wanna make cookies.”
I sat down next to Ayden and cut up her pancake, “We can do both,” I offered.
“But I don’t wanna go to the park!” and now she’s going to start her tantrum, “I wanna make cookies!”
“Why the fuck don’t you want to go to the park?” Justin shouted, and now I’m sitting here between the two of them both throwing tantrums. This is what my job is, how sad is that? “You always want to go to the fucking park when I don’t want to and the one time I want to you don’t so you can have a fucking tea party.”
Ayden started crying, she now knows how to fake crying and make actual tears form. It’s too bad she’s wasting them with Justin; he doesn’t give a shit if they’re real or fake. “But I wanna have a tea party!”
“And you can have you’re fucking party after we go! You’re going to go Ayden, and you’re going to have fucking fun!” Justin stood up and stormed into the other room leaving Ayden crying at the table. I didn’t know what the hell to do. He really just told her she had to go to the park and she was going to have fun. And meanwhile, Ayden is stomping her hands and feet because her father is making her go to the park. You would think he was making her go to the middle of the desert. This whole house has gone crazy, and I’m about to follow.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Justin came downstairs after sulking in his room for the past hour. He said two words before going outside, “Let’s go.”
I looked at Ayden who was still sitting with her arms crossed. I never knew a little kid would be so upset for so long, I thought their attention spans were supposed to be short. She should have moved on by now.
“We’re going to have fun,” I said as I helped her put on her jacket, “We can take a ball,” I suggested but that didn’t work, “What about Teddy?”
Ayden smiled and ran off to get her Teddy Bear. Hopefully that will work. We walked outside where Justin was already sitting in the car, leaning his head against his arm at the side of the car. His huge aviator sunglasses covered his eyes and for a second I thought he was asleep. Then I heard his voice, “Hurry up!” I wish he were asleep.
Justin tapped his finger on the steering wheel impatiently while I helped his daughter into the car seat. We drove to the park in silence except for Ayden humming. From the second we pulled into the parking lot I noticed three cars pull in next to us and eight men with cameras rushed out. I looked over at Justin as he rolled up the windows.
“What?”
“You brought her here for a photo op?”
He took a deep breath and threw his head back, “We’re at the fucking park, she likes the park.”
“But she didn’t want to go, and you never want to go. But now that it’s convenient for you you’re all over it.”
“Give me a fucking break Sari, it’s the park.”
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to have her face on the cover of every magazine.”
“Well she’s not your kid so I don’t really give a fuck about what you think.”
Well then.
After he told me off, Justin got out of the car and helped Ayden out. I just sat there trying to take it all in. I really don’t think she should be photographed. There are too many crazy people in this world. It just doesn’t make sense to me that one day he wants to hide her and the next he’s fine with showing her to the world.
I followed them even though I contemplated staying in the car. I thought I could cover her up at least a little so she won’t be photographed as much. There were so many cameras I felt like we were some endangered species or something. Justin gets photographed often but this is insane. It’s never been this bad.
On the bright side, Justin played with her all morning. He was running around and they were both laughing the whole time. It’s weird to see him like that, especially since he’s been such an asshole today.
Three days later Ayden and I were at the grocery store when she noticed the magazines with her face on the cover. “Look Sari! That’s me! And you! And Daddy!” she pointed.
“Oh yeah,” a smiled formed on my face, at least they’re cute pictures. She looks adorable, she’s even waving at the cameras a few times. Justin looks like he’s actually having fun. I grabbed a copy of each of the magazines and threw them in the carriage before we finished shopping.
“What does it say? Sari! What do those words say?”
“It says: Justin out with the girls.”
She giggled, “That’s Daddy. And me!”
“And me, gosh Ayden, you didn’t even notice me,” I laughed.
“And Sari!” she laughed, “You know what? You look pretty,” she stood up in the carriage and played with my hair.
“Well thank you darling, you look very pretty yourself.”
Ayden smiled brightly and sat back down.
As we drove home all I wanted to do was read those damn articles. Ayden kept asking me what else it said but I knew it wasn’t going to be something she should hear. It’s probably not a good idea to read to her how I’m her fake mother and Justin’s just an amazing guy but not her father.
I made her lunch and read the article carefully while she was eating. There were no surprises. Basically just stating what a wonderful person Justin is to not only give me a job when I have a three year old daughter, but also to take the time out of his busy schedule to go to the park with Ayden and myself. Insert eye roll here.
As if on cue, wonderful person Justin came downstairs hung-over. He sat down across from Ayden, “Let me get coffee.”
“Hi Daddy! Guess what? We got a picture!”
Justin didn’t answer her; I slid a cup of coffee over at him so maybe he’ll be a little less obnoxious after some caffeine.
“Daddy!” she pulled at his arm when she wasn’t getting the attention she wanted, “Daddy! We got a picture!”
“I heard you Ayden. When I don’t fucking answer you it’s because I don’t give a shit. Don’t say the same thing over and over again. You’re going right through my fucking head.”
I grabbed Ayden in my arms and brought her right to the guesthouse. She does not need to take that abuse and I will not sit back and let it happen anymore. He needs serious help.
“Daddy’s mean.”
“Remember when I said we had to ignore him sometimes?” she nodded her head, “That’s one of those times. Should we go swimming?” Ayden nodded her head but she has that look on her face that breaks my heart. “Do you want to play in the playground or go swimming?”
“Swimming!” she smiled, jumping up and down in my arms.
“OK, let’s get changed.”
Ayden wrapped her arms around my neck to pull herself up. She put a finger on each side of my mouth and pulled the corners into a smile before kissing my nose. “I love you Sari!”
“I love you too Princess.”
She giggled and ran up to her room to get her bathing suit on. My phone rang as I followed her and took a deep breath before answering.
“It’s getting ridiculous,” my father spoke before I could even say anything, “It’s out of control.”
“I understand.”
“I’m coming up.”
“Daddy,” that is the last thing that we need right now, my psychologist father to come up and psychoanalyze Justin.
“Sari,” he answered, “I’m coming up. End of story. I’ll be there by six.”
“Daddy, I just don’t think it would…”
“Sari you are on the cover of ever magazine with him and HIS daughter. Each magazine says that you’re the mother and he’s a fantastic guy for helping YOU out. Did he brainwash you into thinking there is nothing wrong with that? Did you lose your brain when you moved to Hollywood?”
“I have to go,” I saw Ayden tangled in her swimsuit, “I guess I’ll see you at six.”
My father is not one to sit back and observe. He is definitely one to step right up and offer his therapy services to Justin whether he want them or not. I know my dad means well but he doesn’t understand how crazy Justin can be. This is quite possible going to be very disastrous.
