I turned around startled to see the one man. I didn't want to see.
My father.
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." I looked at him and he had a case of beers in his hand. I was shaking on the inside but I tried my hardest to keep my exterior cool because I was with Zoë and I don't want her to know anything.
"Why are you here?" I asked him meekly.
"It's target Collette. I can be here." I could tell he's been drinking a not massive amounts but it's still there.
"Yes but why here? I thought you were leaving?"
"Signing your parental rights away to a man you thought was your best friend isn't exactly thrilling. I needed a pick me up." He deadpanned.
"You weren't a very good parent."
"You don't think I know that?" He raised his voice a little, not much but enough for me to jump. "But I thought you'd understand, you've always been so understanding." He said softer.
"I'm sorry." I said meekly. I'm not sure why I'm sorry but I know I needed to say it.
"You're always sorry. I'm not your dad anymore. Don't say you're sorry to me." He scoffed.
"Hi Mr Hollis." I heard Zoë say as she walked up to us.
"Zoë, how are you?" He said cheerfully. It's like a switch flipped in him.
He was suddenly so gentle and sweet, like he wasn't just raising his voice. That scared me more.
How much pretending could he do?
"I've been good and yourself?" She asked him placing more cookie dough into the basket still holding a bouquet of flowers.
"I've been doing well. Those are pretty flowers."
"Thanks, we're getting some for our girlfriends. It's almost Valentine's Day and all." Zoë said.
"That's wonderful. You know I'm still waiting to meet the lovely woman who makes Letty so happy." He said with a warm smile as he turned to me.
To me there was nothing warm about it. I was shaking in my skin. This is the same man who was telling me I took the easy way out by loving a woman because I couldn't handle how a 'real man' loved.
I felt tears rise in my eyes.
"I'm sure the right moment will come. We should go though, before they start calling frantically." Zoë held onto my hand and squeezed it a little. I know she noticed the tears.
"I'll let you girls be. I'll see you for dinner Letty." He said and I nodded not saying a word before he walked away.
A tear ran down my cheek and Zoë took me into her arms placing the bouquet down.
"It's okay coco. Shh." She soothed me as I tried quietly into her shoulder.
"Let's get you to Val." She took my hand as we went to the check out.
I dried my tears rapidly as we paid at self checkout.
Zoë took my keys and drove us to Vals place.
"I need to call Colton." I said pulling my phone out of my pocket dialling his number quickly.
"Hi kiddo, everything okay?" He asked sweetly through the phone.
"Is he coming to dinner?" I asked him.
"Who?" He answered confused.
"My father?" I said. I didn't really care that Zoë was in the car. I'm too strung up and I really just need some confirmation that he's not, it's all in my head, and I need to be in Vals arms for a little.
"I was going to say something later when we're together—"
"So he's coming?" I felt fear rise inside me.
"No, no he's not." He took a breath before continuing. "He signed his rights over to me, making me your legal guardian, parent if you will. He also moved away from the house so we can move back this weekend. Or during the week." He said into the phone.
A wave of relief washed through me. I was still shaken from seeing him so abruptly but knowing he was gone was good.
"How did you know something was up with him?" He asked me.
"I ran into him at target. I was picking up a few things for Val and he was there. He startled me. He changed so quickly it made me scared and then he said he'd see me for dinner, so I call."
"It's okay kiddo, don't worry. He's really gone." Colton said with a softer tone to his voice.
"I'll let you get back to it. Have a good evening with Val okay? Forgot about him. We'll see you tomorrow." He said comfortingly.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Love you kiddo."
"Love you too Colton." I said because hanging up.
I sat in silence with Zoë for a moment before we turned a corner, turning into the street Valentina's house is on.
"I'm here for you Letty. What ever it is. I'm here for you. Remember that okay." Zoë said softly.
"I know, thank you Zo."
"Good, now let's go give our girls these flowers." She said as she parked the car in her driveway.
We jumped out of the car and grabbed everything before walking in. We barely made it two steps before Stella's twins ran up to us.
"Collect, did you bring the cookie dough?" Emilia asked me. "Hi Zoë." She said.
"Ooh one to Zoë null to collect." Zoë let out a chuckle.
"Emy, it's Collette. Like mama said." Natalia corrected her sister and I laughed along with Zoë.
"That's what I said." Emilia rolled her eyes and Natalia sighed.
"Girls, come back." I heard Lottie's voice from further inside.
"Did you bring any?" Emilia looked up at me.
"We did." I said and her and her sister squealed running back towards their mom.
"I'm sorry guys, they're excited. Quinn promised to bake with them." Lottie said.
"And I'll help. So it's no problem." Zoë said.
I walked into the kitchen and saw everyone around her table and island.
"Zoë." Quinn got up to give Zoë a hug beelining for the flowers.
"Hi baby." I walked to Valentina who was walking towards me as I put the stuff down.
"Flowers." I said handing them to her.
"Two weeks and counting. Thank you love." She kissed my lips softly.
"I like getting you flowers." I shrugged. She placed them on the countertop softly as she wrapped her arms around me and peppered kisses to my cheeks.
"Letty, you're putting me in a lot of heat you know." Stella said with a smile.
"Me?" I asked her from vals arms.
"Yes, I have to buy flowers now." She said with a laugh. "Even if I got her flowers a few days ago." She laughed making me and Val laugh.
"Okay hands all washed, Zoë and Quinn they're all yours." Lottie came in with a toddler on either hand.
The minute they stepped into the kitchen they ran to Quinn and Zoë who took each of their hands and walked behind the counter.
"Mess my kitchen and you'll never be in here again." Val said sternly.
"Don't hurt my children either." Stella pointed out just as sternly.
"Got it." Quinn nodded.
We all moved to the living room and sat there for a bit. Everyone else was talking while I rested in Valentina's arms the same way Lottie did to Stella.
I couldn't move my mind away from how quickly my father changed his demeanour. It startled me. He spoke so softly like he was fine, even saying that he wanted to meet Valentina. Like he wasn't telling me I was shameful and taking the easy way out a month ago.
Valentina placed a kiss to the top of my head and pulled me closer to her. "Are you okay baby?" She whispered softly into my ear while Stella and Lottie had their own side conversation.
"Mhm. I'm fine." I said softly.
"No bullshit. You've been too quiet." She said just as softly. Her hand moved to my cheek as she caressed it softly with her thumb.
I leaned into her touch and took a deep breath for a minute.
"I saw my father again. At target." I said and she turned to look at me fully.
"Are you okay? Did he say anything?" She asked me.
"He tried, but I was with Zoë and the minute he saw her, it was like he changed. He was talking gently like everything was okay. I cried. In the middle of target, in Zoë's arms. For a good minute too." I said quietly to her.
"Oh my love. I'm sorry I wasn't with you. I'm really sorry." She hugged me close.
"It's okay, you shouldn't be sorry. Though im sure if you were there something terrible wrong would've happened. To him I mean." I said. Which made her laugh. And me too.
We talked for a little extra, just us, before we were interrupted by her phone ringing.
"I'm sorry, love." She picked it up.
"Hi." She said coldly. I ran my fingertips along her arm as she talked.
"I don't have any Talia. Find a way to push it two weeks from today." She said firmly. And i got curious. Whose Talia? And what was she pushing to next week?
"No. I'm not having her do it again." I listened in closely because that stern answer caught everyone's attention.
"Well she's not available. Someone else can do it. Not Zara. We'll get someone else." She said coldly.
My ears rang hearing her name. I don't like her. Not just because she's my girlfriend's ex but because she's a cheater. Couldn't talk, she'd just cheat.
I couldn't but I eventually got around to it. I don't cheat.
"Thank you." She said hanging up the call.
"Whatever it was that Zara was doing, I'll do it better." I said before she could even get a word in.
"You already do everything better. It was nothing baby. Don't worry." She looked at me sincerely before kissing my gently.
"Can the girls do a photoshoot next Wednesday?" She asked Stella and Lottie.
"I'm not working on Wednesday and there's no nursery so I suppose so." Lottie said.
"Yeah I agree." Stella says.
"Two down, two more to go." Val ran her palm on her forehead in a stressed manner.
"Still looking for models?" Lottie asked.
"Just the two, Andrés already agreed to do the male pieces, I just need two more people."
"Me, and Zoë. Don't let Zara do this." I said to trying to make my voice as stern as possible.
"I like her persistence." Stella said.
"And if you need someone else, I'll make up with birdie. Anyone but her." I said. I was jealous. And I'm not afraid to say that.
I hate that photoshoots have history for them. This time, I'll make my own history with her.
"Baby it's—"
"Anyone but Zara Val. Let her do it." Stella said.
"Okay. But It's a Wednesday. You'll be in school."
"No, it's spirit Wednesday remember, it's a bunch of games." I said. Spirit Wednesday is fun but I much rather be with Val.
"Okay fine, talk to Zoë. You'd both be paid as well." She said softening her gaze at me.
"I don't care about that, just it's not Zara." I said with a sigh of relief and she chuckled.
"I love you." She said cupping my face before placing a kiss to them.
"Mama taste it." Natalia came running in with a cookie covered in white icing.
Stella took a bite of it. And hummed. "It's really good button." She said and Natalia squeal.
"Okay don't finish it, let mommy taste." She pointed.
Lottie did the same saying it was really good.
Emilia came in covered in flour with pink icing around her mouth and a messy head. I wanted to laugh because she looked like Kinsley the day I walked in on her and Colton making princess cookies.
"Dios, what happened cariño?" Stella asked as looked at her three year old.
"It wasn't me. Aunty Zoë started it. She was also eating yellow icing." Emilia said and I laughed I couldn't hold it in.
"Okay I know how it looks but the cookies are really good." Zoë came in with a plate of the referring to Emilia.
"She came in with two even ponytail but now has one higher than the other." Stella sighed while Lottie took a picture.
"Come here sweetheart, let's go clean your mouth." Lottie picked up her daughter.
"Did you like the cookies. The pink ones are mine and Nat has white." She said as Lottie walked her to the bathroom.
Zoë was just as messy when she came in while somehow Quinn was clean like Natalia.
I laughed at them both. I grabbed a cookie to share with Val and surprisingly they were really good. Nice and soft in the middle with slightly hard outer edges.
The rest of the afternoon passed us quickly. It was nice.
Despite seeing the man I hate most today, I felt okay. Knowing I could go home and not see him or have to worry about him. That I could sit next to my girlfriend and her friends as well as have my best friend next to me, was comforting.