Maggie
"Greer, we're getting ready to call Asher. Do you want to say hi?" Greer was on the floor of our apartment area playing with the Daltons' children.
"Yes!" She hopped up, and went straight to Sena.
She asks at least 30 times a day to call him. I'm aware she doesn't know the tests proved Asher is her dad, but she's convinced, and I want him to be able to share that news.
Grant put the phone on speaker.
"Asher Bianchi"
"Asher it's Grant. I've got a princess here asking to speak with you."
"Oh, thank God. She's okay?"
"Yes, she's fine, but has asked for you a lot."
"Thank God! Is Maggie okay?"
"She's here too, and she's fine. You're on speaker phone. Greer, you can talk to Asher now."
"Daddy?"
I heard his breath catch.
"Yeah baby, I'm here."
"Daddy, me and Aunt Maggie are coming home, and I can't wait to see you. Is our house still there?"
"I'm so glad you're coming home, and yes the house is still here. Your bedroom is exactly the same as it was too. I think your dolls miss you."
"You're silly, Daddy. Wanna talk to Aunt Maggie? She's going to Paris where there are real princesses!"
"What? Maggie are you there?"
"Yes, Asher."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"What's she saying about Paris?"
"I have a photo shoot, but I'll be home for a few weeks before I go."
"For how long?"
"Maybe a month."
"Don't you think we should have talked about this?" He asked, and why does he care?
"I think we can talk about it when we get home," I responded and there was a silent pause.
"Okay, I guess. Greer, are you still there, Princess?"
"Yeah, I'm playing with real babies. They're Mr. And Mrs. Dalton's."
She was half on the table and half on the chair fidgeting.
"I bet you're really good with babies." He said.
"Mrs. Dalton said when I get big, I can babysit sometime."
"I'm sure you'd be a great babysitter. When are you coming home?"
"We leave in an hour, so it won't be long," Grant answered.
"Alright, I'll see you soon Greer. Take care of Aunt Maggie for me."
Grant and Sena smile at each other.
"Bye Daddy."
"Bye sweetheart."
He hung up, and Greer hopped down and hugged me. "I can't wait to get home!"
She busied herself playing with the babies.
"He doesn't want you to go to Paris," Sena said, with a smirk on her face.
I whispered. "He has a life, one that will need to adjust to Greer. I think it's best for them to find their happy place without me. She's going to have a stepmother, and I need to allow that relationship to grow."
"But that's not what you want, it's obvious. You want to be her mother."
"I could never replace my sister, and if I stay in that house by myself I'll go crazy. I need to do this for all of us, and the longer I put it off the harder it will be to walk away."
"What if that's not what they want? That man cares for you." She says, but she's blind.
"That man loathes me. I'm too stubborn, selfish, and spoiled, and I drive him batshit crazy." I laughed at myself.
"You are the least selfish person I know. What you did for them is so kind. You're not spoiled because you'd trade that inheritance for them in a heartbeat, and you don't drive him crazy the way you think, but in a different way." She tries to talk reason.
"I don't care about the inheritance because I make my own money, and that child is priceless. My life is worth more when she's in it, and yeah, I do drive that man insane."
"Once upon a time I left someone behind because I thought she was better without me. It ended up that she suffered for a decade because I wasn't there to protect her. Don't make the same mistake I did, Maggie." Grant threw in his advice.
"I'm not Sena, and Greer has Asher to protect her, along with a future stepmother. I've only been in her life for a short time."
"I wasn't talking about Greer." He said.
"What?" I'm confused.
"Nevermind. We should be heading out to the jet soon. If there's anything you need to take with you, go ahead and get it ready." Grant shook his head like I'm being naïve.