Chapter 24
Kirsten
‘Oh, hey, Maddie,’ I say, adding a fake smile in case she can hear it.
‘Hi, Kirsten!’ she fizzes back. ‘Thanks so much for picking up. I thought you might be busy today, with you not responding to any of my emails.’
I close my eyes, hold in half a dozen swear words. ‘We just got home; we’ve been out filming content.’
‘That’s so awesome to hear,’ she says in the patronizing tone she uses when she’s pissed. ‘But hey, listen, Kirsten. Those airplane launcher toys. The client really wanted to see that unboxing video go up online in time for summer break.’
‘Yes, I’m sorry about that.’ Heat rises in my cheeks. God, I hate being on the back foot. ‘It will go up soon, I promise.’
‘And you know, the fee was paid in advance, like you requested. We don’t normally do that, but I appreciate you had some costs come in, and of course I’m sympathetic to that, but it does compound things.’
The second payment on my car. My chest feels tight suddenly. Full to the brim with animosity for my ignorant, selfish, jobless husband, stealing my children away before dawn.
I grip the phone tighter. ‘I’ll talk to Garrett,’ I say, trying to sound calm. ‘And the video will be up before the end of the week, I promise.’
‘That’s great, Kirst …’
I cut her off. Stare down my daughter.
‘Maybe I will go for a swim,’ she says. Maple has always been good at picking up on my mood. ‘And hang out with Dylan for a bit. I’ll go and get changed.’
I give her a grateful smile. Of course it’s normal for teenage daughters to test their parents. But we’ll always be Mom and Maple, two sides of the same moon, when it matters. ‘Thank you, honey,’ I say softly. ‘And can you do me a favor?’
‘Um, sure.’
‘Can you wear the Abercrombie Kids two-piece that Maddie sent the other day?’
Maple’s face clouds over. ‘Can I not just wear my regular swimsuit?’
I glower at her. ‘Please, Maple?’
She bites her lip, but eventually nods and heads upstairs.
She returns five minutes later wearing the sky-blue floral two-piece underneath a white minidress.
Maple’s skin tone is slightly darker than mine and Garrett’s, more like my dad’s, which gives her a light tan all year round.
Couple that with a sunny June, and her legs are contrasting nicely against the white cotton.
‘You look gorgeous, Maple honey.’
She gives me a tentative smile, then disappears through the glass doors. I’ll give them ten minutes, then head outside myself. If Maple has coaxed Dylan into the pool – and in that bikini, how could he resist – then there could be some good content to film.
But first, I have something more urgent to do.
I call Garrett’s number, silently rehearsing what I’m going to say, but it clicks into voicemail.
I swallow down a gallstone of annoyance.
Did he not think that I might want to contact him, to talk to my precious children?
After all, it’s me who carried those twins in my belly for nine months, who’s got stretch marks and wrinkles to prove it.
But now he thinks he’s their big protector.
The one who knows best. Keeping them away from their mother.
From their responsibilities.
I leave a message – short and sweet; get the hell home – then walk into the pantry and reach for something sharp and revitalizing behind the bag of potatoes.