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"You like living here?" I asked her with a smile

Lilly nodded "I like ot more toys here than back at Mimi and G-Pa's house"

I snicker to myself When Marek dumped us here and took off to the beach, I put his credit card to good use outfitting Lilly's rooured a professional hockey player had no liht her a new bedroo, fantastical pictures for the walls, and a shitload of toys, stuffed animals, and books Marek never said a word to me about it

"Well, I' to stay here or not," I told Lilly I didn't want her to see this as a peret our own home sooner rather than later My only proble that without any incos

My iPhone--which I' in s loudly, which startles rin and I answer, "Hey, Mo back from church?"

War,a ive you a call first"

Mmmm I love my mom's meat loaf, and maybe I should make it this week

"How are things going?" she asks, her voice dropping an octave with built-in mom concern She's not worried about my safety, or Lilly's for that ed into a neorld five hundred miles from the comfort of ho Owen, she'd have almost sent me to the doorstep of hell, as that would have been preferable to Owen in her mind

No,me suffer for , my mom knows Marek almost as well as I do He spent as ain, I spent a hell of a lot of ti and I missed them the way I missed Marek when he left

"Things are fine," I tellh worrying about me over the last few years and deserves a break "We told Lilly last night that he's her daddy"

"What did she say?"

"Not ets it somewhat, but it will be a process"

"I ," my mom says wistfully "I miss you too, of course"

My laugh is soft and sad "We miss you a lot"

"Will you be staying there?" she asks, trying to hide the tiny sniffle on the end of her question

"At least until I can help Lilly understand who Marek is and give him an opportunity to solidify a relationship I owe him that at least"

"Oh, honey," my mom murmurs into the phone, and her syht was best at the time and with the infor yourself up over it"

I cough to clearthat's even ed Marek "Have you heard from Owen?"

My ives an exasperated harrumph sound "He's been by twice"

It never crossed o by to check on , because Oould never do that in a o by is if it benefits him, because he's selfish that way

"Wants to knohere your head is at and if you're co home," my mom continues, her disdain for Owen evident

"And you told hiht?" I ask her

"I did That I didn't think you'd be there long and hoped to have you back within a feeeks He seemed satisfied with that"

I let out a tiny sound of te as he stays off ure out what to do

Owen Waller is the biggest mess I've ever made of my life I don't love him and never did I did, however, rely on him for reasons that were far more important thanrelationship because he see at first snowballed into a situation where I didn't have any way out but to marry him

"Don't coently into the phone "I know you think you are obligated to marry Owen, but you're not I promise you you're not"

I avoid co one way or the other "Well, it's not so to worry about Lilly for now, and I'll deal with the fallout from Ohen I can"

"Is he contacting you?"