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John
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2024-10-29 19:42:56After aa rocky afternoon yesterday, then an absolutely wonderful night, I picked up Amora and decided to keep things light on the drive back. I didin't want to have this discussion with her in the truck, but thought it would be best to be home, surrounded by our things, with easy access to her bed if she needed to lay down and cry it out.
Still, it was hard to be up beat on the drive home, especially when the first thing Amora asked when she got in the truck was, "Have fun with Renee'?"
I decided to igmore her snide tone and answered, "Yes, I did."
Amora just crossed her arms and pouted the whole way home.
Once we got her things inside, unpacked and put her dirty clothes in the laundry, I turned to my daughter and said, "We need to talk."
"I don't wan't to talk about Renee'. You can't make me like her," she said snidely, and I had to remind myself that she was a 9 year old girl who missed her mother and was about to be heartbroken once again.<
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We'd finished eating in silence after John left, my Beef and Broccoli tasteless, so I barely ate at all.After we cleaned up, I took Amora into the back. I gave her a brief tour, making sure she knew where the bathroom was, showing her our office, the kitchen, and the different walk-ins. I thought breifly about taking her up into my apartment, so she could hang out and watch TV or something, then figured it was too far and maybe for my first time watching her, I should keep her close.So, we were in the kitchen and I was explaining the flowers I was making, the type of cake it would go on, and telling Amora about the party the next day. If thre was ever a person who looked or acted more bored, I'd never met them. Still, I kept trying."You can make flowers with frosting, fondant, gum paste...""He's never going to fall in love with you, or marry you, you know," Amora broke in, her tone full of anger.I looked uo from what I was doing, put my tools
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I parked outside the lawyer's office and walked slowly in, giving myself time to try and calm down. To breathe.Mr. Hurlyey had said it wasn't bad, but the worry that had formed on my drive over was that Kayla was going after Amora. I remembered that she'd said just a few days ago, and I knew my lawyer would categorize such a thing in the bad category, but still, that's where my mind had wandered and stayed for the duration of my trip.No way am I letting that happen, I promised myself as I opened the door and went into th waiting room. I turned my phone to silent, then crossed to the receptionist to let her know who I was and why I was there, then went to sit down. Before my butt could hit the chair though, my lawyer stepped out, and I knew he must have been waiting for me."John," he called, giving me a welcoming smile, which eased my worry a tiny bit.He wouldn't be smiling if my world was about to fall down around me, right?W
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He said we'll be there soon, and I doubted he meant Tyson or Wyatt, or even Tanner, although I would have been less nervous with any of them...yes, even Tanner...than I was about his 9 year old daughter that obviously hated me."It'll be fine, Renee'," I assured myself out loud as I worked on the flowers for the various cakes that would be served at the anniversary party. Not 50 of them, thank goodness, although that would be cool, but each table would have their own cake centerpiece that would be a miniature version of the actual anniversary cake.that meant I had a lot of flowers to make. Calla Lilies, which were the flowers she'd had in her wedding bouquet.Still, when John had offered to bring food, I'd jumped at the chance to see him."Talking to yourself again?" Suzanne asked as she walked in, her trustyclipboard in hand."Of course," I replied with a smile, then gave my sister a once over and whistled. "Wow, you look great.'
