The Setup and the Substitute by Jiffy Kate

Chapter 27

Owen

“Are you nervous?”I ask Molly, who’s fidgeting with one of the bracelets she and Sophie have been making. My girl is usually so confident and outgoing, but in the past twenty-four hours she’s seemed to turn in on herself.

I don’t like it.

As a matter of fact, I hate it and it makes me want to call off this whole thing, but I know I can’t. After I spoke to the private investigator who corroborated Lisa’s story about being in a residential rehab facility in LA, I talked to my lawyer who advised me to give Lisa what she wants.

Because the last thing I want is to fight her over my kids… our kids.

Looking at Molly, who finally raises her eyes to meet mine, I feel my heart constrict.

“I’m just apprehensive.”

That makes me laugh, relieving a little of the tension. “Do you even know what that means?”

She nods, her adorable braids swaying as her head moves. “It means I’m anxious about something.”

“About L—Mommy coming to the house today?” I ask, almost slipping up and calling her Lisa. I’m not used to this. It’s been the three of us—me, Molly, and Ryan— for almost two years. And the last few months, it’s been us and Sophie. We’ve made a good team.

Maybe a little too good.

Because over the past month or so, I kind of forgot Sophie was my paid employee.

I put Lisa at the back of my mind.

There have been no calls to the private investigator.

No contact with her family, outside of the monthly email with her mother asking about the kids.

Not once have I wondered if she’d come back.

But here she is, back and on her way to my house.

“What if she forgot what I look like?” Molly whispers, still toying with the bracelet.

Ryan looks up at me and then over at his sister, like he hadn’t considered that possibility until she said it. But now that she has, he’s worried about it too.

Or apprehensive, rather.

My heart clenches so hard I feel like it’s going to shatter.

Grabbing them both, I pull them to me and squeeze, probably a little too hard, but I can’t help it. Kissing the top of Molly’s head, I breathe her in. “There’s no way she won’t remember what you look like, Molls. You’re unforgettable.”

Leaning back, I take in both of their faces, seeing signs of Lisa and me in both of them. I’ve always been amazed by genetics—how two people can come together to create another human being who is unique, but also familiar. It’s incredible.

No matter what, I know I was meant to meet Lisa.

And the two of us were meant to create Molly and Ryan.

If nothing else works out, I know I was meant to be their dad.

“Remember what I said?” I ask, smoothing down Ryan’s hair. “Mommy went away to get better, not because she didn’t want to see you.”

“She was sick,” Ryan says, repeating what I had told them last night. It’s the only way I knew how to explain Lisa’s absence. There’s no way in heck they’d be able to comprehend drug addiction and rehab. Even if they could, I wouldn’t want to put that burden on them.

“That’s right, buddy. But she’s better now and she wants to see you.”

He nods, his expression solemn.

When there’s a knock at the door, my stomach flips but I put on a smile for Molly and Ryan’s sake. “Are we ready?”

Molly nods and gives me a brave smile.

Hugging his favorite dinosaur, Ryan stands just a smidge behind his sister, using her for protection. And she lets him. I love their relationship and how intuitive they are toward each other. It reminds me of how Emily and I were growing up. She was always the one who’d stand up for me, but also put me in my place.

Not much has changed.

When I called her last night to tell her Lisa is back, she was very vocal about her feelings, which were similar to Sophie’s. But I have to do what I feel is best for my kids.

“Let’s do this,” I say, walking toward the door.

When I open it, Lisa is standing there looking just as nervous as Molly and Ryan, but when she sees me, she smiles and lets out a relieved sigh. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Holding the door for a second, keeping the kids out of view, I hesitate for the slightest moment, feeling a rush of panic set in before I push it to the side. “Come in.”

The second Molly sees Lisa, a smile breaks across her face and she runs over to her. Lisa drops to one knee, catching Molly in an embrace and I have to admit, it’s a beautiful sight.

Ryan, on the other hand, is a little more reserved. He hides behind my leg, arms wrapped around my knee, now using me as a protective shield.

“Hi, baby,” Lisa says, her voice watery with emotion. “Can I get a hug?”

Slowly, he lets go and walks toward her, eyeing Molly who seems to be giving him the green light. “This is Ducky,” he says, holding up the stuffed dinosaur. “Do you like dinosaurs?”

Lisa looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

The last time she saw him, he was basically still a baby, not even fully potty trained. Now, he’s talking better than most kids his age and looking less and less like the baby she once knew.

“I love dinosaurs,” she finally says, reaching out to touch the stuffed animal.

When she reaches for him, he lets her hug him, but isn’t as committed to this reunion as Molly.

“Do you want me to make you a bracelet?” Molly asks, holding up her wrist for Lisa to see. “Sophie taught me how to make them.”

At the mention of Sophie, my heart skips a beat and I momentarily hold my breath, waiting for Lisa to look to me for further explanation. But she doesn’t. And I’m glad because a part of me wants to protect Sophie as much as possible.

And another part of me wants to spell it out for her, letter by letter. Sophie has been there for her children when she hasn’t. She’s laughed with them, played with them, and nursed them back to health. She protects them like a mother should.

Thankfully, the moment passes and Molly doesn’t sense the tension. Instead, she carries on in a way only she can, with so much tenacity for a six-year-old, it kills me. And also makes me so damn proud.

“They’re really pretty,” she continues, trying to sell Lisa on her newest obsession. “And I have all colors.”

She’s always been one to accept people at face value, and even though she’s been the most hurt by Lisa’s departure, she remembers her more than Ryan. And she’s romanticized this moment in her mind for a long time.

“I’d love a bracelet,” Lisa finally says.

For the next couple hours, Molly shows Lisa every bracelet, book, and Barbie in her room. Ryan quietly watches, occasionally interjecting his two cents worth into the conversation.

Me? I just stand in the doorway, watching this unfold like a mirage.

I still can’t believe she’s here.

And I’m not sure I can trust her.

What if she disappears tomorrow?

I can’t think about that or I’ll drive myself crazy with indecision and regret. I’ve felt so much guilt over the past couple years—wondering what I could’ve done differently—so this is a good thing for me too, I think.

At least, that’s what I try to convince myself.

Lisa being back means I can figure this out on my terms, instead of having decisions made for me, I can make them for myself.

“Can Mommy read us our bedtime book?” Molly asks.

Glancing at my watch, I see it’s after eight o’clock and past the time we normally do baths and showers. “Sure, but you need to get ready for bed first. Do you want me to help you wash your hair?”

Molly glances behind her, then lowers her voice as she leans in closer. “Is Sophie not coming back?”

For the millionth time in the past twenty-four hours, my chest tightens. “Yeah, Molls,” I reply, just as quietly. “She’ll be back later, but not before bedtime.”

Her face falls a little, but she nods. “Okay, then can you help me wash my hair?”

“Of course.”

Lisa eyes meet mine and I can tell she wants to ask about Sophie, but like earlier, she doesn’t and I don’t offer. It would probably be easier to just put it out there. Let her know that Sophie is the kids’ nanny and leave it at that. But she feels like so much more and it’s making the words clog in my throat.

As I get both kids ready for bed, Lisa stands back and merely observes. When they’re both dried off, teeth brushed, and dressed in their favorite pajamas, she joins us in Molly’s room.

“What book are we reading?” she asks, perusing the shelf beside Molly’s bed.

I watch as Molly slides the book she and Sophie have been reading from the top of the stack and grabs another one of her favorites instead. “This one,” she says, holding it up. “Start at the beginning.”

Lisa glances at me over her shoulder with a wry smile.

I can’t help but chuckle at Molly’s sassiness. Shaking my head, I just shrug.

Ryan snuggles in on one side of Molly and Lisa squeezes in on the other.

“Once upon a time,” Lisa starts and I slip out of the room. For the first time since she showed up, I feel more relaxed, so I decide to give them a little alone time while I go into the kitchen and grab a glass of water.

God, I miss Sophie.

She’s only been gone for the majority of the day and I already miss her. That’s the first thing I think as I glance around and see evidence of her everywhere I look.

The paintings on the fridge she helped the kids make the last time I was on the road.

The half loaf of banana bread wrapped up on the counter she and Molly made yesterday.

Her colorful water bottle on the counter beside the refrigerator.

Rubbing my chest, I feel that same stab of pain as I did earlier. When I told her I thought it’d be best for her to not be here when Lisa came to see the kids, she looked so dejected. It killed me, but it didn’t make me change my mind.

This was best for everyone involved, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

When I told her the last thing I want to do is hurt her, I meant it. I know when we started having sex, we agreed it would be a casual thing and we wouldn’t put any labels on it or make any promises. But that changed for me a while ago.

I know this thing with Sophie is no longer casual and I can’t imagine it coming to an end.

But I’m also struggling to see anything clearly right now.

Lisa’s arrival has definitely muddied the waters.