Page 72 of Not Until Her

The knock happens again, so I guess I’m answering the door.

I wish I hadn’t.

“Hi Reya!” An overly cheery Raquel greets me.

And next to her are Caleb and Dahlia.

I didn’t forget this. I would’ve remembered if I’d planned to have all of these people show up at my apartment. Especially two of these three. I would’ve needed time to prepare.

“What is going on right now?”

“Family meeting,” Caleb answers. That’s all he says before also deciding he’s going to just step past me and into my space.

I put a foot out to stop him.

“Mind explaining a few things to me? Like who’s responsible for this, and whyyouare included in a‘family meeting?’”

My dad places a hand on my shoulder, startling me.

“Don’t be like that, sunshine. You kids might not have been able to work things out, but he’s still family.” My eyes bug out of my head. I’m ready to explain to him, and everyone else, that he’s my daughter's family. The rest of us don’t have to claim him. “Hi there, princess. Give grandpa a hug!”

Dahlia beams, running and jumping into his arms. I absentmindedly start playing with her hair, while my focus is still on the couple before me.

“I still have unanswered questions?” I say it as if the particular sentence is also a question. I’m trying to emphasize that I need someone to explain what’s going on.

I feel pretty confident that Caleb knows exactly what it is.

“We need to talk, so we’re all sitting down to talk,” he says.

“Dad, can you talk Dahlia to her room for a minute?”

“If you don’t have anything nice to say–”

“I’m being so serious, Dad. Please.”

I’m grateful when he only hesitates for a second before he starts to walk down the hallway. He might look a little upset, but that is the least of my concerns at the moment.

Only when I hear the familiar sound of my daughter’s bedroom door closing do I turn to face my ex-husband.

I immediately poke him in the chest.

“What did you do?” I whisper scream.

“We all need to sit down and talk about this, so I made it happen.”

“You made it happen by ambushing me in my own home? What the hell, Caleb? What did you tell them?”

He puts his hands up in mock surrender.

“I told them that we wanted to sit down and talk about some things.”

“‘We?’ As in, you and me?”

One singular nod.

“You lying little snake! You didn’t like my answer, so this is how you thought to change my mind?”

“Look, it wasn’t the nicest thing to do but–”