20. Still switched off
Adrian’s Pov:
When Lily told me that Sophia wasn’t picking up her calls, something felt wrong.
Sophia could ignore me.
She could ignore everything else.
But she would never ignore Lily.
I looked at Lily and said,
“Call Mommy again.”
She nodded and dialed the number once more.
Still switched off.
A strange unease settled inside me.
This wasn’t Sophia avoiding Lily.
Her phone was off.
Lily then looked at me with bright eyes.
“Daddy, should I call Aunt June? Mommy went to work with her.”
I patted her head.
“That’s a good idea, princess.”
Then I frowned.
“But I don’t have June’s number.”
Lily waved her little hand confidently.
“No worries, Daddy. I have Aunt June’s number. She calls me on my birthdays.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
“Alright, call her.”
Lily dialed June.
The phone rang.
No answer.
She tried again.
Still no answer.
Then again.
Nothing.
My stomach tightened.
Sophia’s phone was switched off.
June wasn’t answering.
A sick feeling crept inside me.
Were they alright?
I quickly stood up and held Lily’s hand.
“Come on. Let’s go to June’s house.”
Lily nodded eagerly.
“Yeah, Daddy. I want to talk to Mommy.”
I took her to the car, buckled her in, and started driving.
I knew where June lived.
I had dropped Sophia there a few times before.
We had barely driven a short distance when Lily’s phone rang.
She gasped happily.
“It’s Mommy, Daddy!”
I immediately pulled the car to the side of the road.
“Pick up.”
Lily answered the call, and as always, it was on speaker.
The moment the call connected, Sophia’s panicked voice came through.
“Lily! Are you okay, baby? I’m so sorry—my phone died and I couldn’t answer. What happened? Are you okay?”
The words came out in one breath.
The fear in her voice was unmistakable.
Lily pouted softly.
“Yes, Mommy, I’m fine. I was just missing you.”
There was silence for a moment.
Then Sophia asked gently,
“What happened, sweetheart? Are you alone at home?”
Lily shook her head even though Sophia couldn’t see her.
“No, Mommy. It’s just that today both you and Vanessa are ignoring me.”
The moment Lily said that, silence filled the car.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Even though Lily said it innocently, I knew how those words must have sounded to Sophia.
To hear your daughter say she misses another woman in the same breath as you—
it had to hurt.
And it was my fault.
I waited for Sophia to respond.
When she finally spoke, there was a light laugh in her voice, but I could tell it wasn’t real.
“Oh, just that? Then Mommy is free now, and we can talk.”
Her voice softened.
“And guess what? Mommy has so much to tell you today. Just like you tell me all about your school day, today I have many stories too.”
Lily’s whole face lit up.
“Really, Mommy? What happened?”