7. Wells
7
WELLS
OCTOBER
S eptember sucked.
At least for me.
It felt like Vienna and I were in this weird state of limbo. A mambo would be inherently more fun—preferably the horizontal kind.
I’ll take inappropriate dad jokes for two hundred, Alex.
She was great with Haven, the two of them giggling and dancing around the house like she’d always been a part of Haven’s life. She’d carted Haven to and from soccer practice, kicked the ball around with her in the yard, and made all the girls on the team matching hair bows for game day.
And that was on top of everything else she did.
Vienna made my life easier—the platonic one at least. She’d gotten my daughter into a routine, and despite the weirdness between us, as a family unit, we’d been thriving.
Things hadn’t been this easy with Kim, but she’d also never been this invested. Part of me wanted to brush it off like this only works because Vienna is getting paid.
But deep down I know it’s because she genuinely cares about Haven and wants to see her happy. That thought is always followed by a swift surge of anger at the fact that my ex-wife couldn’t be bothered to create half of that connection with her own flesh and blood.
And that is always followed by immense gratitude at the fact that Haven has Vienna to fill those gaps that I’d been unable to, no matter how desperate I still am to have her for myself.
My phone vibrates with an incoming text, and even though I’m at lunch with my cousin, I check it to make sure Haven doesn’t need to be picked up early from her play date.
Instead, it’s the wench, as Saige so nicely puts it.
KIM: I can’t get Haven this weekend
WELLS: You haven’t seen her in over a month and a half
KIM: Don’t start with the guilt trip. I can’t get the time off
WELLS: It’s not a guilt trip—your daughter misses you
KIM: And I’ll see her as soon as I can
Growling, I set the damn thing face down on the table and count to five. It’s only Wednesday, but I’m working Saturday and Sunday and I gave Vienna the weekend off.
“Why are you strangling your napkin?” Saige asks, across from me.
“Kim bailed on Haven for this weekend, and I’m supposed to be working.” On my weekends with Haven, I make sure I’m free or at least free for most of it.
“That little?—”
“Calling her names is unhelpful.”
“But it makes me feel better,” she pouts.
“I know.” I smirk and Saige grins.
“I can take Haven overnight on Friday. I don’t have a showing until Saturday afternoon. Maybe if you get someone to cover Sunday, Vienna can have her Saturday night—or maybe just take her a couple of hours Saturday and I can take her that night too?”
“I just feel bad asking her again.”
“Nothing you can do about it.”
Swallowing down my frustration, I type out a text and wait.
WELLS: Kim canceled again. Saige can take Haven overnight Friday but she has a showing Saturday afternoon. Is there any chance you can take Haven for a couple of hours until she’s done?
VIENNA: Saige was right your ex-wife is totally a wench
WELLS: I know
VIENNA: Tell Saige not to worry about Saturday. I think there’s a festival or something this weekend
WELLS: Thank you—I’m going to try and swap with someone so I can take Sunday off
VIENNA: I know you want to spend the time with her but if you can’t get someone to cover you I don’t mind staying with her
VIENNA: I’d take your bar shift but I only work the floor
WELLS: I know and thank you—seriously—you’ve saved us so many times already
VIENNA: Haven and I are besties so it’s not a hardship
I stare at the message before letting my eyelids flutter closed as the magnitude of this day crashes over me.
Saige’s hand on mine startles me. Her expression is sympathetic, and I appreciate that I’m not in this alone.
“I told you I’d help you when you moved here. And even though you have a history with Vienna, she’s stepped up well beyond what you hired her for.”
“I know.”
She nods and dives back into her lunch, mine already sitting heavy in my stomach at having to tell my daughter that Kim is too busy to see her.
“It’s going to be fine.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You don’t have to,” Saige replies as she points a French fry at me. “but it’s going to be great. Haven and I will paint our nails, watch a movie, and order in dinner from that Thai place she likes.”
“You’re the best.”
“I really am.”
VIENNA
I somehow made it through the rest of the night with Haven without cursing her mother. Because boy, did I want to.
Since I’d been nannying, Kim hadn’t been around at all. Haven had brushed it off, but I couldn’t imagine it would last forever.
I’m so distracted, I miss Wells coming down the stairs from saying goodnight to his daughter.
“Thank you,” Wells says quietly as he leans against the counter next to the sink. His hands are in his pockets, but he rolls his shoulders back as he sighs. “I’ve been trying so hard to find some kind of balance since the divorce and then with Kim being so inconsistent with Haven.”
“It’s understandable that you’d have to adjust to your new dynamic. You went from having a partner to being a single dad.” Turning the water off, I lean my hip against the sink and face him. “It’s a lot for anyone.”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean, yes, that’s hard too, but I guess I just looked past the fact that Kim never really wanted to be here. And hell, you come in and practically hate me but still want to be here.”
I open my mouth to tell him I never hated him, but the words won’t come out because he’s right— I want to be here.
“I do want to be here.”
“I know and I appreciate the hell out of you. I’m just so fucking in awe of you and what you’ve done for Haven. You moved in—didn’t know her—and all of a sudden you’re on the grasshopper?—”
“Cricut,” I correct, earning an annoyed glare.
“ Whatever it is—you made her entire soccer team shirts with their names on them and brought in cupcakes for her class party and you’re teaching her how to cook and she asked for a sewing machine for Christmas and I can barely sew a button on.”
“Wells…” I whisper, my heart nearly beating out of my chest.
“You’ve changed her life being here. And don’t tell me it’s just a job because we’re past that.”
My lips part at the compliment and his eyes drop to my mouth. Clearing my throat, I can feel my cheeks heat and have to look away for a minute before turning back to him. “Saige and I will distract her. We’ll make sure she has fun,” I rasp, trying to get us back on track.
“Vienna,” Wells says, taking a small step forward, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips.
“Don’t,” I whisper, “We’ve done so well and we have a routine and it’s working, Wells.”
Raking his hand through his hair, he spins in a circle as he blows out a heavy breath. “You’re right—I’m sorry.”
My smile is sad because I’m sorry too. “Haven needs stability, and we’ve finally managed to make this work and exist in the same space. We can’t screw that up, especially not now.”
“Thanks for being the adult tonight.” Wells flashes a wry grin as he hitches his thumb toward the stairs. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Not before I see you in my dreams.