Chapter 22 Javier
Twenty-Two
Javier
After parking and checking the mail, I entered my house and dragged in a deep breath. The scent of Italian herbs swelled in the air.
I dropped my keys into the glass bowl in the foyer before venturing through. Around the corner, in the living room, Aleesa sat in the middle of the rug, with a hooded dinosaur blanket covering her head, watching TV.
Mickey Mouse asked the viewer if they could spot a duck, and Aleesa pointed and screamed, “Right there!”
In the kitchen, Octavia shuffled through the fridge. I approached the island counter, where the stovetop was. A pot was on top, with steam starting to waft out of it.
Octavia stepped back with a jar of pasta sauce and a carton of heavy cream, kicking the fridge door shut.
I studied her a moment, noticing her hands were still shaking as she tried opening the ravioli. I walked around the counter, touching her hand to stop her. She froze.
“Octavia, look at me.”
She shook her head, biting hard into her bottom lip.
“Please.”
“I should finish cooking.”
“The food can wait.”
“Leesa is hungry.”
“Okay, I will feed her. But you are in no condition to cook.”
She started to pull away from me, but I caught her with a gentle hand around her upper arm.
I tilted her chin with my fingers, and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. Her mouth quivered, and before I knew it, she buried her face into my chest and released a raw, choked sob.
My eyes stung as I closed my arms around her, feeling her body tremble and the pain travel through her body.
“I’m sorry,” she cried.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, stroking her back.
“I just . . .” Her words failed her, translating to another sob.
I felt something rub across my leg and looked down. Aleesa stood next to us, staring up, her face drooping with sadness.
“What’s wrong, Tava?”
Octavia gently freed herself, swiping at her eyes. Even with her tears, she smiled at Aleesa. “Don’t worry, angel. I’m okay. I just . . . needed to process my feelings for a second.”
I picked Aleesa up and rested her on my hip. Feeling sad herself, Aleesa rested her head on my shoulder. I kissed her cheek, then said, “Maybe a hug will help Tava feel better.”
Eager, Aleesa sat up with a big smile and leaned toward Octavia. Octavia bubbled out a bittersweet laugh as she grabbed hold of Aleesa. My daughter closed her arms around Octavia’s neck and murmured, “It’s okay, Tava.”
Octavia closed her eyes, most likely fighting another surge of tears. “Thank you, my sweet girl. Everything is definitely okay when I’m with you.”
“I will order pizza,” I said, already pulling my phone out of my back pocket.
“No, Javier. You don’t have to do that. Seriously, I’m fine. I have one job, and it’s to take care of Leesa and feed her good food.”
“Octavia.” My voice was low but stern.
“I already bought all the ingredients,” she went on.
“Octavia,” I tried again, still stern.
“Yes?” she whispered, keeping her glossy eyes on me.
“I am ordering pizza for us, okay?”
“Okay,” she murmured after a sniffle.
“I am here,” I said. “This is not all on your shoulders. Let me take care of you for a change.”
She smashed her lips together, and her eyes became watery again.
Smiling, I rubbed a fallen tear off her cheek with my thumb. “Is that okay, amor?” I asked.
A small smile swept across her lips. “Yes. It’s okay.”
After the pizza arrived and we all ate, I told Octavia to relax while I washed Aleesa up and prepared her for bed. I had to fight her on this, of course. She did not like feeling useless.
But she deserved to take a moment for herself—to think about her problems and process the situation that had just happened. She would not have been able to fully do that while handling Aleesa.
Once Aleesa was dressed in her pink nightgown, she rushed to me with a butterfly hair clip in her hand.
“Daddy, look.” She raised the clip in the air. “I want to wear this ’morrow.”
“Okay.” I scooped her up. “You can wear it tomorrow. Are you ready for bed?”
“Yes. Can you lay wif me?” Her voice was so innocent. How could any sane person reject her?
“Sí, mi amor. Come.”
I turned off the light. The bed was twin size, so it was always a struggle for me to get my whole body on, but I managed anyway. I wrapped an arm around my baby girl, letting out a long, deep sigh.
I hoped Octavia would stick around for a while, but I would not have blamed her if she went to the guesthouse. I wanted to know more about that ignorant ex of hers and see what more I could do to help.
“Daddy?” Aleesa raised the butterfly clip in the air, observing it in the night-light.
“Sí, princesa?”
“I like Tava.”
The center of my chest warmed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. She my friend.”
I lifted my head to study her profile. Her eyelids were drooping, but she held on to the butterfly clip, twirling it in the air so the yellow wings could sparkle in the light.
“Is she Mommy?”
That caused my heartbeat to stutter. “No, amor. I told you who Mommy is. She is right over there.” I pointed at the photo tacked to the wall across the room.
It was an image of Eloise while she was pregnant.
I had taken it a week prior to her giving birth to Aleesa. Eloise had seemed perfectly fine then.
“Oh yeah.” Aleesa giggled. And the next thing she said shocked me a bit. “I wan’ Tava to be Mommy too.”
I swallowed thickly, trying to fight the emotion burning in my throat. I did not know what to even say to that, so I remained quiet.
Eventually Aleesa yawned, lowering her arms and turning over to snuggle in mine. I held her even tighter, staring at the image of Eloise while tears threatened to fall.