“She’s preparing vegetables for our dinner,” Edward said. “We’re making a vegetarian gumbo.”
“Yum. You always were a great cook,” said Savannah. “The movie was great, I hope.”
“It was fantastic,” Edward said. “Your daughter fell asleep midway through, but I enjoyed it.”
Chloe laughed, and so did Savannah.
“She’s so bad at movies.”
“The worst.” Edward laughed. “Would you like to speak with her?”
“I actually called to speak with you. I’d like to talk to you about London.”
“There’s nothing more to talk about.” Edward was calm for Chloe’s sake.
“I would really like your blessing, Edward. I would hope that we could come to an agreement about it.”
“That won’t happen,” he said, and then smiled at Chloe, who was listening intently. Edward stepped outside onto the back deck where he could speak freely. “I haven’t changed my position on this, Savannah.”
“Would you really deny me the opportunity to connect with my mother? You of all people know how important this is for me.”
“Then you should go to London and connect with your mother. But leave Chloe.”
“I can’t leave my child, Edward. You know I would never leave her.”
“Then you won’t be going. Because she’s not going!” He was adamant. “I would never agree to that.”
Savannah was quiet for a moment. “Then I don’t have a choice. I’ll have to petition the courts. I don’t want to, Edward, but you’re leaving me no choice.”
“Do what you have to do, Savannah. But know that I will fight this.”
“I know that you already have your bulldogs lined up,” she said, referring to Edward’s lawyer friends.
“I’ve already consulted with counsel. Yes.”
“Fine.”
“And just so you know, Chloe doesn’t want to move to London. Have you considered that?”
“You’ve been talking to her about it?”
“She brought it up,” he said. “Apparently you’ve been filling her head with this bullshit.”
“How dare you discuss this with her without me.”
“You’ve created this, Savannah! So deal with it.”
“I will!” she yelled and hung up.
Edward stood on the deck for a moment, trying to gather himself before going back inside. If Savannah was looking for a fight, she’d surely found one.
After dinner, he tucked Chloe into her bed.
“Are you mad at Mommy?”
“No, sweetheart. I’m not mad at your mommy,” he lied. The truth was, he was furious with his ex-wife. “Now get some sleep. You’re in charge of the pancakes in the morning.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Good night, Daddy.”
“Good night, baby.” He kissed her forehead.
He poured himself another glass of Merlot and plopped down on his leather sofa. Turned on CNN to find out the latest goings-on in the world. He leaned his head against the tan leather and thought of Chloe. He didn’t know what he would do if a judge found that she’d be better off in another country. He wouldn’t survive without her, and thinking about it took his breath away. He blocked it from his mind. Thought about work instead, and before long his eyes grew heavy. He gave in to the fatigue.
* * *
When he pulled up in front of Savannah’s home on Sunday afternoon, his emotions got the best of him. Usually, she’d suggested that the drop-off take place somewhere else, but this time she wanted him to drop Chloe at home. In the past, when he’d dropped Chloe off there after his weekend, he would at least walk her to the door. Occasionally, Savannah would invite him inside for a cup of coffee and a quick chat. But today he wasn’t in the mood to stand on her doorstep, and even less in the mood for a conversation with her. He sat in the driver’s seat of the car, leaned over and kissed his daughter.
“I love you, sweetheart,” he said.
“Love you, too, Daddy. You’re not coming in?”
“No, not today, baby. I’ll wait here until you go inside.”
Chloe hopped out of the sedan and skipped to the front door of the two-story traditional brick home. The home that he and Savannah had shared before the divorce. The one that he still made mortgage payments on. She rang the doorbell and within seconds Savannah appeared in the doorway. She took Chloe’s backpack and gave her a strong hug. She glanced toward the car, as if waiting for Edward to step out of the car or at least wave. He refused to do either of the two, and as a result she ignored him, too. She grabbed Chloe’s hand and went inside, shutting the door behind her.
He sat there for a moment. Part of him hoped she’d return and at least beg him to come inside, start a fight or something. He needed to engage with her, even if it was negatively. With a long sigh, he slowly pulled away from the curb. They’d reached an impasse. And the only logical move was to allow the courts to make a decision. They’d been down this road before, allowing the system to decide the fate of their family. They had vowed never to do that again, to allow a third party to come into their lives and make decisions for them. They were educated and reasonable, and fully capable of deciding what was best for Chloe. However, they had broken yet another promise. They had all but started a war.
Savannah sat in the third row of the auditorium, a wide grin on her face as Chloe glided across the stage, dancing on her toes to “Für Elise.” She’d been practicing the routine for months, forcing Savannah to watch as she stumbled over her own feet too many times. But tonight she was graceful and poised, and she beamed with pride. Savannah lifted her phone into the air as she recorded the event. The seat next to her was empty. She’d saved it for Edward in the event that he made it on time. She hadn’t spoken with him in days. It was obvious that he was still bitter about their last encounter.
She looked around the auditorium and then took a quick glance at the door. She searched for him and finally spotted him standing at the back of the auditorium, his tall frame leaning against the wall. She always thought that Edward was a handsome man with a wonderfully built physique, light brown skin, a nicely trimmed goatee and a Bahamian accent that drove women wild. His tie was loosened a bit, and he looked exhausted. It appeared that he’d made it there in the knick of time, just moments before Chloe’s performance. Their eyes connected and she smiled, gave a subtle wave. He nodded a hello. She pointed at the empty seat next to her, but he kept his eyes focused on the stage—pretended
