Alexis let her head fall to the cool glass and looked up. The slant in her eyes caused the city lights to blur together, just like her mind, her heart, and her soul. It was all a façade. Cory didn’t love her any more than she loved Mitch. What she felt wasn’t what he felt. Her head turned to the side, blurring the green two in the morning, digital numbers. Riki grunted and kicked her legs, pulling her attention to her, sleeping on the couch. The grunt turned into a whimper and then a quivering lip.
She sat on the end of the sofa and placed her hand over her leg and shook, lightly. “Hey, baby. You’re okay. It’s just a bad dream.”
Riki sat up and looked around. “I want to go home now.”
“Me too. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“Where’s my dad?”
“He went out with some friends. He’ll be here when you wake up.”
Alexis scooted down and reached for Riki to come to her. “I miss Mr. Dog,” she admitted while snuggling into Alexis’s arm.
Alexis kissed her forehead, agreeing. “Me too. Shhh, go to sleep.”
The next thing Alexis knew, Kinley was crying hysterically from the crib in the strange room. Alexis jumped up, sliding Riki to her side. She hobbled on one numb foot, making her way to Kinley.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Mommy’s here.”
Kinley reached her little arms up, instantly calming with Alexis’s presence. Once she had a dry butt, she was happy, off to find her sister. Alexis looked around for any sign of Cory, knowing he never came home. The same fury that hit her the night before, hit her again. And once again, she didn’t think. She made a decision and walked out to wake Riki. Kinley beat her to it. Riki was sitting up, showing her the frog on the Lilly pad in the same book Ellen had read her the night before.
“Pish,” Kinley said with a clumsy crooked finger.
“No, no. It’s a frog, not a fish,” Riki corrected. Alexis smiled. Her dad always said everything happened for a reason. Without a doubt in her mind. These two little girls were the reason she had the pleasure of meeting Cory Freaking Baker. If she had to do it all again to get them, she would have in a heartbeat. Even if she did hate him.
“Hey, girls. Come and get a shower. You have to see this shower. It’s like a waterfall.”
Riki closed the book and Kinley sat on the floor. Great. She grunted with the little tap shoes in her hand, toes in the air. Alexis picked her up, letting her scream for a second while she distracted her.
As soon as Riki was giggling in the shower with water hitting her at every angle, Kinley wanted to play, too. Alexis handed her the baby shampoo and a washcloth, telling her to bathe while they played. Alexis packed their things while the girls played, popping her head in every couple minutes to check on them, laughing every time. Once they were on their belly’s, trying to hide from the rain. Once they were racing from one side to the other. And once they were actually bathing. Riki scrubbed soap into Kinley’s hair, creating way more suds than needed. Alexis looked at the time while she stacked their bags by the door, 8.30am. She called room service for breakfast and went to get the girls out of the shower.
All three of them were dressed and ready to go when their breakfast arrived. Nerves started to stand on end while Alexis tried her best to talk herself out of it. She shouldn’t do it. Everything within told her it was a bad idea, but she couldn’t help it. Every minute that passed without him coming, pushed her more and more to it.
“Can you get me a cart and my car?” Alexis asked the suited man with a smile.
“Absolutely, thank you,” he smiled happily taking her tip money.
The same nervous adrenaline from the night before, transferring the same, yet different vibe. It wasn’t like she didn’t give him every chance. She was giving him until nine o’clock before packing up the girls and leaving. That was fair.
At nine-fifteen, Alexis made one more pass through the room, leaving Cory’s suitcase opened on the stand. A bottle of peppermint mouthwash might have accidently gotten spilled over his clothes. It was an accident. Maybe.
Alexis held a deep breath in her lungs and walked out of their condo, one little girl, holding each hand. Kinley wouldn’t let her carry her. The shoes didn’t make noise like that.
“Where’s my dad,” Riki questioned when Alexis buckled her into her seat.
“He’ll probably beat us home. He’s going to fly.”
“I want to fly, too.”
“Maybe we will the next time,” Alexis lied. There wouldn’t be a next time. She was never coming back to Chicago. She didn’t leave anything there and there was nothing to come back for, except maybe Ellen.
“Hey Google. Take me home,” Alexis said to the speaker in her phone. And they were off, and she was crazy. No, it would be fine. She would just stop when the girls got restless, and hopefully they would take a nice long nap. She had this.
Alexis sang goofy songs with the girls, Riki read to Kinley, and they played with the magnetic dolls, dressing them in designer fashions for the longest time. Alexis contemplated life without Cory. For real this time. She didn’t want Cory, but there was no way to get rid of him. She didn’t foresee him giving her the girls and getting out of her life. They were going back to, dropping them off with Sam and not seeing each other at all. Oh wait. Sam was leaving Doug. Sam was quitting on her. She brushed it off again. She had a big family, and lots of stay at home cousins. One of them would love her girls as much as Sam did.
Alexis was seeing signs for Toledo before Cory ever called. She hit the cancel button on the steering wheel and answered with her cell phone, not wanting Riki to hear this conversation.
“Hello.”
“Hey.”
Hey? Really? Hey?
Cory was the one to break the long pause between them. “What are you doing? Did you guys eat?”
“It’s eleven o’clock.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Long night?”
“I don’t really remember.”
“Okay, did you want something?” What an ass. I don’t remember? Seriously? He was going to play that card?
“We can leave today if you want. We don’t have to stay until tomorrow.”
“Where are you?” He didn’t know. Cory hadn’t returned to the condo yet. He was probably still at her place and she was probably still passed out naked.
“In a cab. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“We’re not there.”
“Where are you?”
“West on I-90.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m about two hours in. I’m going home.”
“Oh, my God, Alexis. You hardheaded hillbilly. Turn around and come and get me.”
“No way am I fighting that traffic again. This is my car. You can grab a flight.”
“What the fuck is your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem, Cory. And I’m not doing this with you. You win.”
“I don’t want to fucking win! Will you stop?”
“I have to go. I need to pay attention to the road. We’ll be fine. I was a big girl before you and an even bigger one now.”
“Alexis, don’t do this. This is beyond stupid. You can’t travel alone with two little girls. Come back and pick me up.”
“I’ll see you later. You can get the girls from Sam’s on Wednesday.”
“Alexis!”
“We’ll stop and get lunch in a little while. You doing okay back there?” Alexis questioned Riki through the mirror.
“Yeah, look at this,” Riki replied while holding up her design fashion, purple shirt, checkered red skirt with a matching hat and shoes.
“Oh, I love it.”
“Kinley has two shirts on hers, but she won’t listen to me.”
Alexis laughed. “She’s little. It’s okay.”
Eleven
Alexis never shed another tear, not one. She went through her days, taking her dad’s advice and making the best of it. For the most part it worked. She refu
sed to even look at Cory Baker unless she absolutely had to. The Christmas rush was in full swing and she was busy. Extremely busy. Her oversized stomach kept her from working the studio, and she worked a lot at home after the girls had gone to bed. She was happy for the distraction. Cory left her alone, too, going right back to avoiding her. That too made things easier.
Happy memories were created without Cory Baker. Alexis and Riki picked out the tree, made homemade pizza, and decorated every inch of the living room. Not one thing was allowed to be left in the box. Alexis tried.
“Wait, we have to put out all these farm animals for baby Jesus,” Riki assured her while she pulled the box away from Alexis closing it.
“We can’t use everything, Riki.”
“Look, we need to put this little tree somewhere. It’s all lonely.”
Alexis sighed while her fingers dragged through her hair. “Why don’t we take them up to your playhouse and you can decorate there.”
“Okay!” Riki exclaimed.
It was a struggle, trying to get Kinley and three boxes up the two sets of stairs without being worn out, but she managed. Who needed a man? Not her. Alexis helped Riki hang all the extra lights and decorate with everything in the three boxes.
Sam spent a lot more time there as well, sometimes even keeping the girls there. She was really doing this. Sam rented a place in Bradford and planned to move right after the holidays. Alexis decided not to even worry about it until after the baby. She had at least six weeks after the baby. She would worry about finding another sitter when the time came.
Spending time with Sam and Bernie, the girls, and her family, was the plan that worked. Alexis never even thought about Cory, and when she did, she found something else to do, even at night. Alexis would get up and go to her office and work before she would lay awake and think about Cory. It was over, and fixating on the past wasn’t going to do anything. Alexis was moving on if it was the last thing she did. Cory Baker had done nothing but cause turmoil in her life from day one. Anyone that came with that much hassle, wasn’t worth the work or the trouble.
Christmas was a happy time. A time for family, a time to rejoice, and a time to look forward to the new year. That’s what she looked forward to the most. Alexis wanted to have this baby and move on with her male-free life, except for maybe a little boy. Although she was sure she would welcome a little guy with welcome arms, she did sort of wish for another little girl.
The weekend before Christmas Alexis and Bernie were finishing up the last of the holiday customers. Happy customers were sent away with Christmas photos to pass along to their family.
“Last one. I’m dead,” Bernie said as she plopped to the floor, arms and legs feigning death.
Alexis stepped over her pretend corpse. “You coming to Riki’s play tonight?”
“Shit. I forgot about that,” Bernie admitted while coming to a sitting position. “Yeah, we’ll be there. You’re huge.”
“Thanks, partner. Is Travis home until after Christmas now?”
“Yes, three days and he’s already driving me crazy. He bought Taylor a BB gun of all things.”
“He’s ten. We had BB guns.”
“I live in town! Pull me up.”
Locking hands at the wrists, Alexis pulled Bernie to her feet. “He can shoot it at your grandma’s. Cory is going to be at the school tonight.”
“I would keep you away from him, but we have to leave as soon as Riki is done. Is he coming to the church play Christmas Eve, too?”
“No! I didn’t tell him about that. You guys don’t have to come. I forgot about your mom and Joe being in. Are they taking Taylor back to Florida for a week?”
“I promised Riki, and Travis says no, but more than likely. We’ll see. I could use a break from him right now. I swear his mouth gets smarter every day. I know you don’t like hearing it, but you should count your blessings. I wish I could get rid of Taylor every other weekend sometimes.”
“No you don’t, and I hate it.”
“You can’t tell me Riki hasn’t picked up the attitude from school yet.” Bernie followed Alexis, wobbling to her office.
“She hasn’t. Riki never gives me any trouble. She’s the best little girl ever. Kinley is going to be my wild child. Everything she gets her hands on gets tossed down the stairs now. She’s driving me crazy.”
Bernie laughed and fetched her purse while Alexis turned off the lights. “Do you have them this weekend?”
“No,” Alexis pouted. “Cory is taking them right after the Christmas program.”
“And you’re getting them back Christmas Eve?”
“Yes, until the afternoon Christmas day. Cory’s picking them up after dinner.”
“You’re cooking?”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. You’re not?”
“Hell no. I’m taking enough leftovers home so I don’t have to.”
Alexis snickered and walked back to the lobby to lock up. “Great.”
“What?”
“Three o’clock,” Alexis nodded.
Bernie looked to the left. “What?”
“That’s not three o’clock. That’s nine.” Alexis watched Cory pull the collar of his coat around his neck and blow warm breaths into his hands.
“Hey, Bernie,” he greeted as the chime dinged and he ducked from the Christmas bell.
“Cory,” Bernie coolly nodded. “I’ll see you at the school, Lex.” Bernie had nothing to say to Cory either. Cory could go to hell in her book. She had Alexis’s back. Always.
“Traitor!” Alexis called to her back.
“So she thinks I fucked Camille too, huh?” Cory questioned as he caught the cold shoulder from Bernie.
“What do you want?”
“I want to do Christmas at your house. I want to spend the night Christmas Eve and be there when the girls wake up to see that Santa came.”
“Fat chance. I’ve got to go. I want to run home before the program.” Alexis avoided eye contact and tried to sidestep him.
Cory blocked her. “I will sleep in the downstairs bedroom.”
“It’s my weekend.”
“Can’t you just not be a bitch for one minute? How do you think you’re going to like it next Christmas when it’s my turn to have them? I don’t want to miss this, Lex. It’s not about you and me. It’s about them. That’s it.”
“I can’t even stand to look at you. I don’t want you in my house.”
“Get over it. We have two and a half kids together.”
“One and a half. You don’t need to worry about this one,” Alexis assured him, covering her belly with her hand. She zipped her coat and pulled on her hood, trying to get away from him again. Of course Cory didn’t move. Why would he? He was an ass.
“I pulled up your records from the clinic. You’re not seeing Dr. Dalton.”
“There’s a law against that you know. My shit is none of your business and you never have to worry about this baby. Ever!”
“We’ll let the paternity tests decide that. It’s one night, Lex. One Christmas Eve. Is that too much to ask?”
“Yes, Cory it is. You’re not staying at my house. You can have your own Christmas with them. They already know Santa is stopping there, too. We’re not doing this. I’ve got to go. Move so I can lock up.”
“Wow, I’m not even sure who this person is anymore. You’re a bitch.”
“Fuck you. I’ll see you around,” Alexis nonchalantly said while locking up and walking away.
“Country girl with a dirty mouth. I love it.” Alexis didn’t respond with words. One stiff middle finger thrown over her head was the last thing she needed to say to him.
No words were needed at the Christmas program either. The small gymnasium was full. Alexis sat on the left, half way back with Bernie and her half of her family. Cory sat in the left, all the way in the back. Alexis only looked to see if he’d showed up. His narrowed eyes were staring right at her, but unlike before they didn’t hold hers. She didn’t have a
bit of problem turning away.
Riki was the cutest thing ever, standing right beside Emily, singing their hearts out. Five songs and one little skit and the entire program was over. It took longer for everyone to get out of the gym than it did for them to sing the Christmas melodies.
Alexis hoped that Cory was one of the first ones out since he was in the back. Of course not. He wasn’t that kind of dad.
“Daddy!”
Cory scooped, running Riki into a big bear hug. “Hey, baby. You were awesome.”
“I forgot the words.”
“Well you faked it very well. Where’s Kinley?” Cory asked as Riki slid to the floor, running to Emily.
“With my parents.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? Leaving her with them?”
Alexis snapped her head, glaring at him over her shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, just that she’s a lot to chase after. Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Cory whispered, pinching her ass from behind.
Alexis spun on him, fury engulfed. She stopped herself as soon as she realized she was amongst half the town. That’s all she needed, another call to her dad. Wait. They could call her dad. Cory Baker wasn’t shit to her and he wasn’t treating her like she was shit anymore. She turned again, stopping him dead in his tracks.
“Don’t you ever touch my ass again.”
“Alexis, keep moving,” Sam ordered by grasping her elbow. Cory laughed from behind her, fueling the fire.
Cory backed off for the next few days. He picked the girls up from Sam’s on Wednesday and dropped them back off Thursday, Christmas Eve. Alexis wasn’t about to let him ruin her holiday with her family. She was getting over him. That’s what she was doing.
Cory had different plans. He showed up Christmas Eve at the church. Her church. Everything was going great. They had the Christmas play in the afternoon where Riki would be an angel, dressed in white with broad wings. After that, they would have dinner and exchange gifts at the barn with the rest of her family, and then she would spend half the night wrapping presents. There was plenty of time to do it while Cory had them, but it didn’t feel the same. She wanted it to be magical, like Santa had worked half the night, delivering the fairy-tale.