Page 24 of Guarding Over You
Who spoke out of turn.
Who looked as if they might lose any scrap of control they had.
“Don’t make a scene. Consider this a good day because it looks as if Gracie had one. Just be civil for her.”
Billy turned his head. “Come give me a hug, Gracie.”
Her daughter hesitated, but she nodded her head. Just another thing that pissed Billy off. She couldn’t control Gracie’s feelings of fear or wanting to see if it was okay with her mother watching. Nor would she force anything.
If Gracie didn’t want to hug her father, she wouldn’t have looked for approval first. Her daughter would have just shaken her head and stayed where she was.
“Did you have fun with Dad?” she asked.
“I did. Thank you, Dad.”
“You’re welcome,” Billy said, his tone much gentler, some might even say tender. The man could be a nice guy. Or he was before drugs and alcohol messed up their lives and marriage. “I’ll be in touch about the next visit.”
Arden nodded and moved close to Julie. “Looks as if everything went well.”
They waited inside while Billy left. They’d leave a few minutes after so they could talk in the parking lot away from others.
“It went well,” Julie said.
“Can I play a video game, Mom?”
She pulled her wallet out, found a dollar and handed it over for her to get tokens, then play where they could see her.
“Gracie mentioned Billy stopped at the house this week? Your new place?”
She sighed. She had hoped her daughter wouldn’t say that but couldn’t very well ask her not to. Gracie had to talk and say what felt right to her and, regardless of what her ex thought, she wasn’t guiding the words out of a six-year-old’s mouth.
“He did.”
“Why wasn’t it reported?”
“Because it wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t see Gracie. It was to talk to me.”
She’d downplay it as much as she could. For now. Because making a bigger deal about it would only draw things out. Would only escalate them further.
Today proved that Billy was trying so she’d do the same. It was her problem. Her reactions to what he’d done.
“Is everything okay?”
She had to be honest. Lying wasn’t in her nature.
“He has a girlfriend. He’d like this woman, Tina, to meet Gracie. I said no. That’s out of the question right now.”
“He could have called you for that,” Julie said. “There are protocols and procedures in place.”
“He could have and I pointed it out, but I think he hoped to appeal to my softer side.”
One she’d had for years while she gave him chance after chance. She didn’t give that freely now.
“Is this something you’re considering?”
“No. First, I have to do what is best for Gracie, not some woman I don’t know. I know nothing about this woman. She might be a wonderful person. So please, don’t think I’m being negative.”
“I understand.”
