20. Addie
Chapter twenty
Addie
Now that I’ve got some extra cash, I didn’t feel so guilty about going out and getting Luna a new bathing suit for the occasion.
The one she picked out is absolutely darling. It’s purple and has blue and green flowers on it.
The next Saturday morning, I’m helping her get into it when I hear the doorbell ring.
Who in the world?
“You got things from here, Loones? I’m just going to check who that is.”
She’s too busy examining herself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom to respond.
Alright then.
I leave her and head downstairs.
Overall, I’m in great spirits. I’m actually looking forward to spending time at Hayden’s place. Go figure. But after looking through the peephole and seeing the monster who gave birth to me on the other side, I feel immediately worn out and ready for a nap.
That’s what succubuses do. They drain you dry.
“Adriana? Hello! I can see your shadow under the door.”
I roll my eyes and open the door. “Good morning to you too, Mother.”
“Hmph.” As usual, she’s in some hoity-toity get-up that makes her look like the evil stepmother from any animated movie ever made.
Besides that little grunt, she doesn’t say anything before slapping a closed folder down on the small table where I put my keys every night.
“I just wanted to come and deliver those personally.”
“Seriously?” I don’t need to look inside to know they are the legal papers she swore she’d file against me.
My mother sighs, dramatically crosses her pashmina over her shoulder, and sticks her nose, which has been dramatically narrowed through the help of cosmetic surgery, high in the air.
“A woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do.”
My teeth gnaw together. “Okay, but you don’t have to do this. As I said, we can work something out. After all, I’m not after the company.”
At this point, we’re both distracted when Luna comes cascading down the stairs in her summery robe.
“Hi, Grandma,” she says in her little voice. Poor thing, I can’t blame her for being terrified of the real-life Cruella de Vil before her. Lord knows that I was at her age—and still am to this day.
In response, she just sneers at her granddaughter and reminds her, “I told you not to call me that.”
Her face twists into confusion. “But you are my grandma.”
Primping her already flawless hairdo, my mother says, “Rosa will suffice.”
Now I’m really getting irritated, so I crouch down at Luna’s side and suggest she call her, “Grandma Rosalinda.”
Ha! Suck on that, you hag. It’s a double whammy of things she hates.
In retaliation for that, my mother says, “And you know what you can call your mother dear?”
“Yeah. Mom?”
She laughs out loud. “No, no. I was thinking a more fitting word might be best.” Then, she gasps like she just thought of it. “What about whore? Do you know what that is, sweetie?”
That’s it.
My fists ball up, and I demand for her to leave my house.
“I suppose it’s your house for now, but I wouldn’t get used to that. Ta-ta.”
Ugh! I didn’t realize it was possible to hate that woman more than I already did.
“Mommy?” Luna blinks her green eyes up at me. “What is a whore?”
For the love of God.
Instead of answering, I just try to scurry her along and out the door.
***
I’m still shaking with anger as we approach Hayden’s place, but I pull myself together the best I can and knock on the gargantuan door.
“Hello!” A woman with straight, raven hair answers the door.
“Oh.” She totally takes me off guard. “He—hello.”
“I’m Betsy, Mr. Cohen’s housekeeper.”
“Ah.” That makes sense, as she seems about a decade older than us. But still, she’s gorgeous. “Um, I’m Addie, and this is Luna. We’re here for a pool day.”
She smiles kindly. “I know who you are. Mr. Cohen cannot stop talking about the two of you.”
He can’t?
Before I can think about that too long, she’s inviting us in.
The main entrance, as grandiose as it is, remains empty besides the three of us. That is, until he comes waltzing down the stairs in swim trunks and flip-flops.
Holding his arms out humorously, he asks, “Who’s ready to swim?”
“I am!” Luna bounces up and down.
I’m equally excited as she is, but now about getting into the pool. Instead, I’m preoccupied by his exposed, chiseled abs.
After walking closer to us, he looks me up and down and frowns. “Didn’t you hear the memo, Flores? It’s a pool party.”
I’m not exactly dressed formally like I usually am when meeting with him, but I’m still wearing black yoga pants and an old band T-shirt.
His comment made me a little self-conscious, so I wrap my arms around my body and say, “I’ll just be watching for today.” I’m not sure if he remembers the boating accident I was in as a kid and vowed never to go into the water after.
He shrugs. “Suit yourself.” Then, he reaches for Luna’s hand, which she happily gives him. “Let’s go! The pool is right this way.”
Before following them, I look over my shoulder at Betsy.
“Have fun, miss.”
“Thank you.”
“I was just kidding around before,” Hayden mutters from behind me after I join them in the back room that’s surrounded by glass windows. “You look great.”
“Thanks.”
The subtle smile on his face makes me feel weak at the knees.
Next, his attention is fully on Luna, which I appreciate. He skillfully dives in first before standing up and holding his toned arms up to catch her.
“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll catch you.”
There’s that “p” word again.
Luna ditches her robe but resists jumping in.
“Don’t be scared. I’ve got you. Nothing will happen. You’re perfectly safe.”
For a moment, I pretend like he’s saying those words to me, and my heart melts. However, I’m careful to bring myself back to reality and focus on my daughter.
“You’ve got this, baby!” I cheer.
“Yep. Come on. After you do it once, it won’t seem like such a big deal.”
She hesitates a little more before finally taking the plunge.
As he assured her, he catches and holds her above the water as she flails around trying to get her hair out of her eyes.
Oh. I maybe should’ve thought about that.
“Can you bring her over here?” I ask, siding on the side with my legs submerged and digging through my purse for a hair tie.
“Absolutely. But I want you to swim over there, Luna.”
She looks at him like he’s crazy. “I can’t—”
“Uh-uh! I don’t want any of that word for the rest of the day. Today, you can swim. I’ll show you.” He instructs her to get on her stomach and hold her arms out. Then, he holds her torso on either side and directs her over to me.
“Mom! I’m kind of swimming!” Her smile may be below the water, but it’s as bright and radiant as ever.
“I see that, baby. Great job!”
When she’s close enough, I pull all of her thick hair back in a ponytail, and then I let their lesson continue from there.
The whole time, he’s incredibly kind, patient, and gentle with her.
“Look, this is what you’re going to eventually want to be able to do.” She’s resting for a bit with a floaty around her waist while he demonstrates how I’ve seen athletes during the Olympics switch from arm to arm while shifting their heads at the same time.
“Wow.”
It all looks way too complicated for me to do.
“But we’re just taking baby steps for now, okay? First, I want you to know how to doggy-paddle. Can you picture that? How would a dog look in the water?”
He removes the flotation device and monitors her as she waddles her arms and legs around.
“Perfect. That’s exactly right. Well done.”
They giggle together.
“Now, I want you to remember how to do this if you ever find yourself in the water, okay? This is what will keep you afloat for long periods of time.”
I appreciate how he’s chosen to word all of that instead of straight-up scarring her with threats of drowning.
Also, if there were hot-ass instructors like him at the Y when I was growing up, I think I would’ve been more inclined to take and participate in lessons.
Miraculously, within forty-five minutes or so, he’s given Luna enough confidence to paddle around by herself. Yes, she has floaties attached to her arms, but still. It’s a far cry from where she was at before coming here this morning.
“That’s amazing, Hayden,” I comment after he comes swimming over to me. “Thank you so much. I’m not sure how I’ll ever be able to repay you.” I know it’s a giant step for her confidence, but also for my peace of mind knowing she has at least the basic skills in the water.
“It’s not about payback, Adds. Like I said, I just want to be here for you and Luna. Even if today that means teaching her how to swim, then so be it.”
“Well, thank you.” I’m trying very hard to picture him wearing a shirt because that helps me think clearly.
“Happy to do it.”
I lean against the edge of the pool and kick my legs around while he leans his arm extremely close to my thigh. For a bit, we just watch as Luna trudges along.
“You’re doing amazing, Loones! I’m so proud of you!”
She beams and waves.
Hayden, on the other hand, sighs and then looks up at me with the crook between his eyebrows all wrinkled.
Shrinking my shoulders forward, I ask, “What?”
“You stole my question.”
“Oh.” My eyes glance down at my fingers, which are fiddling in my lap.
“So? Let’s have it, then?”
“It’s—it’s nothing.”
“ Ehhh! ” He imitates a buzzer. “Wrong answer. Try again. I know you better than that, Addie.”
“My mother came over this morning, okay?”
He winces. “Oh, yikes. How’d that go?”
“About as terrible as you’d expect. But!” I point my finger up in the air. “She did teach Luna a new word: whore.” I cup my mouth and whisper that last part.
His eyes go wide. “You’re kidding.”
I shake my head. “If only I were. And of course, she was calling me that, so that’s just wonderful.”
He places his wet hand on my knee. “I’m really sorry. Truly, I am. I know what having a difficult parent is like.”
Don’t I know it. That’s something we seemed to always be able to bond over.
“I mean, she’s never hit me. But I think she was still, in a lot of ways, just as abusive as your father could be.”
He removes his hand, backs away from me a bit, and all-around stiffens.
“Hayden . . .”
The expression on his face is mysteriously blank.
“I’m so sorry. That was uncalled-for.” I’m scolding myself for ever relating the trauma he went through at his father’s hand with the stupid bullshit my mother says. It isn’t comparable at all.
He sniffles and inches back slowly.
“Addie, it’s fine. You were right. Abuse is abuse. Especially when it’s happening to a child.”
As if on cue, Luna starts splashing around loudly.
“But I mean, can you imagine ever hurting your child like that?”
“No.” The very thought makes me sick to my stomach. “Absolutely not. I’d rather take a hundred years of my mother’s cruelty before ever letting my daughter experience an ounce of it.”
He then uses his thumb to trace his irresistible lips. “And that’s one of the many things that make you such a great mother.”
I blush. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
“I mean it.”
His words are very touching, but even they can’t erase the pain my mother’s venomous words left in their wake.
Perhaps sensing that, he says, “Hey! I’ve got the best idea. What if the two of us went on a real date?”