“How old are you, Matilda?”
“I’m turning seven in December,” she says with such pride.
“Umm, is your mom available?”
“No. She’s working. That’s why we asked you to call us at this time. I’m not sure if she’s going to be happy about the email or the call.”
I cringe and look up at Eros, who shrugs. I wish Nyx were here. She’s my legal counselor, and she’d know if I can talk to this girl.
“Listen, sweetheart, I…I need to speak to an adult,” I mumble.
“I’m old enough to speak for myself,” she states.
“I bet you are, but legally, I need the authorization of an adult to continue this conversation.”
“Hey, this is Miranda Wickerton. I’m her legal guardian when her mother is absent. You have my permission. I can send you something signed if you need it,” the woman on the other end offers.
“Or I can do it.” The sound of the desperate male voice makes me wonder about Nyx’s latest idea to screen my callers and run background checks.
“Who is that?”
“Aiden Wickerton, my husband,” Miranda says.
“I don’t know…”
“You need to help this kid and her mom,” Miranda insists.
I chew on my lip. Ford comes out of his office and leans against the wall shaking his head. I should hang up. These people could sue me or shut down my show if I’m not careful.
“This is pretty unorthodox,” I state.
“We understand, but Autumn needs an intervention,” Aiden states.
“Mom needs a miracle.”
“Matilda is right. She needs a miracle,” Miranda agrees.
“Can you give me a second?”
I mute the phone and sigh. “What if they aren’t real?”
“They are real,” Zach says at the same time as Ford says, “Let them talk, and if you don’t like what they say, don’t upload the podcast.”
He’s right. I unmute and continue with the call.
“Okay, here’s the deal. We’ll take the call. Afterward, I’ll have my lawyer send you a release form. This show won’t air until I have the signed consent and my legal department approves it.”
“That’s fair,” Aiden agrees.
Ford nods once.
“Okay, Matilda, tell me about your mom.”
“Well, Mom needs a husband. At least a boyfriend. I’d like a dad too. All my friends have a dad. Even if they don’t live with them, they have someone. I don’t.”
“Would you mind if I ask what happened to your dad?”
“He died in a car accident.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”
“It’s okay. I never met him, and I barely remember his face. We lost all his pictures in a fire, and his mom didn’t want to give us new ones.” Her voice is low. The pain of this kid is killing me. “It’s okay, though. Mom says he loved me a lot. I was his favorite girl.”
I press a hand to my chest and hold my breath to prevent myself from bursting into tears. Ford walks toward me and kisses the top of my head. He knows I’m about to lose my composure. Once I feel like I can continue without crying, I ask, “Well, what do you want us to do for you, Matilda?”
“I don’t know. I know that your boxes with the adult toys help her.”
I can’t help myself. I burst into laughter, and so does Liv. “Okay, I’m sure a box might be helpful, but that won’t last long.”
“She can always charge the toy,” Liv whispers.
I shake my head.
“Maybe you can convince her to go on Tinder or one of those apps. Maybe you can persuade her to stop working so much. She’s too busy to be happy.”
I look up at Zach, who is also too busy to be happy. I know what she’s talking about, and if I could, I’d send them on a trip so they could be busy with each other and find happiness. I don’t suggest that because Zachary St. James is too stubborn. This woman needs someone who isn’t trying to save the world.
“Okay, so you want us to play matchmaker. Am I getting this right?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. I tried to listen to your old podcasts to learn how you met your husband, but those are for subscribers only. I don’t have a subscription. I can only listen to the new things when Mom is around, but she turns it off when she sees me.”
I don’t blame her. My kids aren’t allowed to listen to Mommy’s shows. I’m not ashamed of them, but they’re too young to listen to sex talk. Way too young.
“What does your mom do for a living?”
“She goes to school. My grandma calls her an eternal student. She’s a bartender. Grandma wants her to get a husband. A rich one. But not one from her bar job. She says they’re losers.”
“Your grandma has a lot of opinions,” I say, trying not to laugh. “Let’s focus on your mom then. She’s finishing her degree, and she works at a bar.”
“She works on her computer too. She also makes things and sells them on Etsy.”
“What kind of things?”
“Crafts and jewelry. They’re pretty. She’s too busy to meet anyone.”
“You’re right. With three jobs, it’s hard to go out and get to know new people. Your mom is an admirable woman. How about friends? Does she have any?”
“She doesn’t have many, but my uncle Aiden and aunt Miranda might have a few.”
“Setting up friends can be dangerous. We might need more information to determine a plan of action,” I suggest.
“You’re not helping,” Matilda complains.
“It’s not that simple, but I want to help you and your mom,” I assure her.
“Are you sure? I just want Mom to be happy and for someone to read me bedtime stories when she’s not at home. She works every night.”
My eyes are getting watery again.
“And who stays with you while you sleep?”
“Some nights, I stay at my aunt and uncle’s place. Other days, Grandma stays with me.”
“Well, Matilda, I think we’re going to team up to find a way to give your mom a hand.”
“Thank you. I knew you’d understand.”
“Make sure your aunt and uncle send me the signed release. We’ll be contacting them soon.”
I hang up and continue the recording. “Well folks, you heard it, we have a new job as matchmaker. Now let’s move to our next segment: sex and coffee. We have the owner of Café Fusion to help us pair coffee with the best sex of your life, so stay tuned.”
Chapter Six
Zach
I’m staring at the microphone in shock.
When I’m around this family, I expect the unexpected. This call qualifies as two steps above surprising. What the fuck was that? Aiden Wickerton was my best friend from grade school. I remember Autumn well. When we were young, she’d follow us everywhere. She was a tiny thing with big glasses and a book under her arm.
I imagine Matilda Wickerton being just like her mother. Long brown curls, amber-colored eyes, and a wicked smile. Smart like her mom, and I guess a warrior for the right cause.