Page 33 of Tight Ends & Tiaras
“But our parents would be so happy if we happened,” she whines.
I grit my teeth. I’ve been putting off calling Tío Julio, because if he’s known all this time that Janelle had my kid, I’m not sure how I’m gonna handle that.
“Our parents will learn to live with the disappointment.” I stare at Lily, who eyes me warily as she kicks her feet. “She doesn’t talk much, huh?”
That worries me. Because Rider’s kid, who’s barely one—I think?—baby-talks nonstop.
“She doesn’t know you. Give her some time.”
I crouch in front of Lily and smile. “Hey, peanut. How’s it going?”
Her bottom lip juts out just like her mother’s, except then it quivers, and tears well in her eyes.
Please don’t tell me she hates me already.
Janelle pulls me up. “Don’t get in her face.” She hands Lily a baggie of Fruit Loops.
“Doesn’t that cereal have a lot of sugar? Won’t that make her bounce off the walls?” I don’t know much about kids, but my aunt and uncle never had any fun cereal because they insisted the sugar was bad for us.
Janelle sighs. “That’s the point. She’ll wear herself out and take a long nap. Which, FYI, is when you want to nap too.”
Maybe it’s too early in this co-parenting thing to tell Janelle her business, except Lily is my business too, and I don’t want her hooked on sugary cereal. But what the fuck do I know?
I’ll ask Sienna or my sister for their two cents before I make any declarations about what the kid should be eating.
Lily tosses a handful of cereal at me like she’s warding me off.
As I pick the food off the floor and look for the nearest trash can, I get the impression naps are not in my future.
I text Sienna as we wade through the checkout line.
Incoming.
