“I’ll just put her to bed. There are more towels over there.”
He nods, and I turn my attention to Ella. When we get to her room, I help her out of her wet clothes and into some dry pajamas. Her skin is cooler now, and she seems more like herself while she talks about how funny Jamie looked when he climbed into the bathtub with his socks on.
“Did you have fun with Jamie tonight?” I ask, toweling her hair dry.
“Uh-huh.” She nods enthusiastically. “We had mac and cheese for dinner and watchedIced Outtwice. Then I got hot, and we had a bath party.”
“Sounds like quite an adventure,” I say, tucking her under the covers. Her stuffed fox is already waiting on the pillow, and I place it in her arms.
“Jamie's nice,” Ella murmurs, her eyes already drooping. “Even when I was sick.”
“He is nice,” I agree softly, smoothing back her hair. “He cares about you very much.”
“Mommy?” Her voice is getting quieter. “Is Jamie gonna stay?”
I still.
“What do you mean, baby?” It comes out shaky, but I hope she can’t tell.
“Like Uncle Zach stays. Is Jamie gonna be here?” She yawns, snuggling deeper into her blankets. “I want him to stay.”
My throat tightens as I say, “I hope so, Sweetie.”
“I hope so, too,” she whispers, already halfway to sleep.
I sit there for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall as her breathing evens out. I check her forehead one more time, and the fever has definitely broken.
She's okay. Everything's okay, but her question echoes in my mind as I pull the covers up to her chin and press a kiss on her forehead.
Is Jamie gonna stay?
I hope he does…not just for Ella, but for me. For us.
Standing slowly, I flip on her nightlight and crack the door, leaving it open just enough that I'll hear if she calls for me in the night.
In the hallway, I lean against the wall and close my eyes, trying to process everything. The panic of those missed calls. The reliefof finding her laughing in the bathtub. The image of Jamie, soaking wet and utterly out of his depth, but trying anyway.
He'd called 911. He'd panicked over a fever. He'd climbed into a bathtub fully clothed because he didn't want to leave her alone.
He'd shown up in every way that mattered while I was on a date with another guy.
What the hell am I doing?
My phone buzzes in my pocket with a text from Reese.
Reese:Hope Ella's feeling better. You're a great mom, Tiff. She's lucky to have you.
I stare at the message for a long moment, then type back a response.
Tiff:Thank you. She’s doing better now. I’m sorry for running out like that. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging.
His response comes quickly.
Reese:Don’t apologize. You did exactly what any good mom would do. I’m just glad she’s okay. For what it’s worth, watching you care about her like that just proved everything I already knew about you.
I swallow down the lump in my throat as I read his message again. Why couldn’t he be an asshole and make it easy for me to hate him? Why did he have to be so nice and caring? Why did I go on a date with him and lead him on when the only person I can’t stop thinking about is right here?
Closing my eyes, I relax my head against the wall and blow out a breath. I need to figure this out.