Unexpected

Chapter 35

That day at Lars's, Kirk and Lani invited me for a week in their house in Hawaii. They'd be renewing their vows and wanted their closest friends there. Somehow, I was flattered to know I'd fit in the closest friends category, but I refused their invitation taking Willow as an excuse. The truth was James was going to be there and I didn't want to spend a week with him in the same house. But they were stubborn and even more... convincing... I ended up agreeing. So two weeks later, I packed some suitcases and Willow made her first trip. I found myself landing in Hawaii after a turbulent flight. Not the flight itself but having shared the flight with James.

"She looks so cute." Lani said as she received us at the airport.

"I was amazed the whole flight." Connie commented. "Her tiny pink dress is just adorable."

They were all drooling over my two months baby, except for her father, who I knew then he didn't ignore her when they were alone, but still ignored her when I was around, which was pretty much most of the time.

"He's still not looking at her?" Connie commented as Lani pushed my baby's stroller away and stayed a bit behind the crowd.

"No." I said. "I don't understand..." I shook my head. "Why do that? I mean... he was smiling at her... there was tenderness I could see it, but then he acts like it doesn't matter! At least around me, you know? Alone I saw there was."

"He has his own weird ways. I don't know what to tell you. I also don't understand why he does that, after all she's his daughter so there's nothing wrong about loving her. Maybe now that she's going to be near him 24/7, he won't be able to ignore her."

My baby became a little cranky while we were waiting for the ride to Kirk's house. Lani rocked the stroller a bit but she didn't calm down. From far, I saw James eyeing her and then looked away as if nothing was happening. Lani, maybe on purpose, left the stroller near him and went to talk to Lars. James was disturbed by her cry and both Connie and I walked as slowly as we could. James eyed Willow one more time and then bent over the stroller. I saw him grabbing her pacifier and put it quickly in her mouth.

Willow wasn't satisfied. After sucking a bit she threw it out and burst into a louder cry. I knew it was around her time to eat, so she was hungry. James looked back and I knew he was looking for me. It was always like that. If she needed anything and he was around, he'd look for me and kind of instructed me to go to her. I hated that because I did not understand his intentions.

"She's crying." He told me confirming my suspicions.

"You could have hold her. She's hungry." I shot at him.

"You're her mother, so you're the one entitled to do that." He said.

I flipped off hearing his words. Without a second thought, I put Willow yelling in his arms.

"The father is also entitled to participate." I said and turned around to leave, leaving James with Willow.

That was the first time, after she was born, that he held her, or better say, that I was seeing him holding her, because Willow shut up instantly as if she recognized his cuddle. I looked back surprised, and James was holding her with affection. Willow indeed recognized her father's arms.

"I need to heat her bottle." I talked to Lani. She grabbed my hand.

"Come with me, let's ask in that bar over there. I am sorry I kept you here waiting when she's so little."

"It's ok." I said smiling.

"She stopped crying in his arms..." Lani commented.

"You also noticed that? You know, after that incident at Lars, I began to leave him alone in the house with her while he visits me. I'd find an excuse to buy something out on the street and leave him there. Last week, I began to realize that Willow calms down when she hears his voice, which means he talks to her, when he's alone with her of course, and now I am quite sure that he holds her too. He just doesn't want to do it in front of me. I don't understand his behavior..."