Her Dad’s Best Friend

Chapter 78

"Yeah." She giggles to herself as she opens the fridge to take out cheese. "I know that it's kind of

surprising, but I am pregnant again."

"Is it a girl?"

"We don't know yet. We won't learn until the five-month checkup."

"Tell me."

Camilla turns around to raise a single eyebrow at me. "What, so you can knit a baby blanket?"

"So I can tell you what to name her, of course. I think Elia is a nice name."

She just shakes her head at me before shredding ham to go into the quiche. "Keep dreaming."

I smile, even though she can't see me. "I will, thanks."

Jacky interrupts the conversation by pulling a small table over. He starts crying, not because he's hurt,

but because he's more startled by the clatter of a lamp hitting the ground than we are. It's a metal lamp

that has an enclosure for the bulb, which is fortunate.

Camilla throws the quiche into the oven before going back into the living room and scooping Jacky up.

"What did you do, little troublemaker?"

Jacky points and cries harder.

"Nothing is broken," Camilla coos at him soothingly. "You're okay."

He nestles into her shoulder. I pick up the lamp and table and put them back where they were.

"I swear, I feel like we should bolt everything to the wall." "Maybe you should," I say. I look at the time

on the microwave. "I should go home."

"You can stay for dinner," Camilla protests. "You've barely just gotten here."

"Another time," I tell her. I kiss Jacky on his head and half-hug Camilla before walking out and going

home.

When I get home, my dad is on the treadmill. He is listening to some kind of audiobook on Stoicism. I

don't disturb him and go straight upstairs.

I shed my clothing like a snake shedding skin. I am naked on my bed now, alone. What a day. I have to

get the ingredients for the anti-colic recipe tomorrow after I leave Jeff's house. I take one of my pillows

and hug it to my chest. I'm full of stupid little girl dreams about a blue-eyed prince who'll just take me

away. But I don't live in a Disney movie.

Overtime

Elia

I wake up to knocking on the door.

"Elia," my dad says. "Open up."

"Coming," I say, looking for my discarded dress. I slip it on and open the door. "Yeah?"

"You ate dinner, right?"

"Yup." "Jeff and I have some business to talk about. I know that you're only scheduled to work during

the day, but Danny needs someone. I promise, Jeff will be pay you extra."

"Sure," I say. "I wasn't doing anything." Besides sleeping.

"Great," my dad says. "I'll give you a minute. Just hop downstairs." My dad walks away and I close the

door. I hunt for my bra, which has very mysteriously disappeared even though I was just wearing it. I Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

look in my closet. I look on my chair. I even look on my door handle where, let's be honest, it ends up

half the time.

No bra.

I yank open my top drawer to get out a new one and then immediately see my bra sitting on my bed. I

can't even remember putting it there, but the sneaky little thing was sitting there all along.

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