Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I nodded. “Yeah, I hear you on that,” I said.
Harper shot me a sly grin. “You know, the online issue with your spread is coming out soon,” she said. “Nell said that if everything goes well, we’ll have a launch party.”
I grinned. “Can I bring a date?”
Harper playfully swatted my arm. “And just who did you have in mind?”
I turned to Ada, completely serious. “Would you be Daddy’s date, sweetheart?”
Ada responded by blowing a raspberry at me and sticking her tongue out.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said archly.
And there we were – the three of us, happy and domestic and content.
It was perfection.
And I couldn’t believe that it was mine to cherish and love.
34
Harper – Tuesday
“Mommy,” Ada whined. “Why isn’t Pop-pop here?”
I looked down and her and frowned. “It’s a Tuesday, honey,” I said. “Mommy has to work during the week, you know that.”
“But you’re home now,” Ada said. Her chin began to wobble and I sensed she was on the verge of another meltdown. “You’re here!”
“I am,” I said. Bending down, I scooped her into my arms and carried her over to the couch where we sat down together.
“I miss Pop-pop,” Ada said. A tear rolled down her cheek and I wiped it away with my hand.
“I do, too,” I said. “But we’ve been busy, remember? And I bet Pop-pop has been busy, too.”
Ada didn’t look convinced and I sighed.
“I’ll call him right now,” I promised. “But only if you’re a very good little girl and you wash your hands and your face before dinner.”
Ada, immediately cheered, leapt off the couch and ran into the bathroom.
I sighed again.
The time had come – and I couldn’t put it off any longer.
I was going to have to call my dad and tell him the truth about Nico.
That we’d been seeing each other, that he not only knew about Ada but had met and loved her, and that we were together.
For real.
As a couple.
As a family.
My hands trembled slightly as I tapped the icon to call my father, then held the phone up to my ear.
“Hey, sweetie,” Dad said after answering on the first ring. “I was starting to think I had a ghost for a daughter,” he joked.
“I’m really sorry,” I said. “I’ve been so busy – Ada misses you a lot. I do, too.”
“Well, I miss both of my best girls,” Dad said.
I felt a pang of guilt for not telling him sooner, especially considering that he had helped me raise Ada from infancy.
“I know,” I said. I coughed.
“Harp, I know there’s something up,” Dad said. His tone grew more serious and I pressed my lips together as I sat down on the couch. “You never call out of the blue – you Millennials and your penchant for texting,” he teased.
“I have something to tell you,” I said. “And I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
“It’s about Ada’s father, isn’t it?”
I nodded, forgetting that he wasn’t there to see me.
“Yes,” I admitted. “We’ve been ... well, we’ve been seeing each other. It’s going well,” I said cautiously. “And he’s met Ada and the two of them are already very close.”
My dad was quiet for a moment and I felt a spike of anxiety in my chest.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Hon, don’t you think you’re moving a little fast?” Dad asked.
I sighed softly. “I knew you’d say that,” I said. “But ... we’re not like, official, or anything.”
“What is this going to do to Ada? What if it doesn’t work out? She’s just met her father, and—”
“Dad, I know,” I said. I was beginning to feel exasperated, which also made me feel guilty for feeling that way. “But I promise, things are going to be okay. I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think this was going serious places.”
“Well, I hope you don’t get hurt,” my father said.
I knew that he was just being protective of me and Ada, but it hurt a little all the same.
Impulsively, I blurted: “And I think you should come down this weekend. I think it’s time for you to meet Nico.”
“If you’re sure it’s a good idea,” my father began. “I’d be happy to come down and meet this man.”
“It is,” I said.
“Have you met his family yet?”
“No,” I said. “They’re still in Russia.”
“Has Nico told them about Ada yet?”
The truth was, I didn’t know. For all the talking that Nico and I had done, we’d curiously avoided the topic of his parents and how they would react to learn that they had a grandchild.
“I’m sure,” I lied. I hated lying to my father, but I didn’t want him to start lecturing me or worse – start worrying about the über-rich Ulrichs snatching Ada away.
“Well ... I’m glad you called, hon,” Dad said. “If another day or so went by, I was about to drive down there and check on you. How is Ada feeling?”