“Today. That’s right.”
“It’s Indie’s birthday today.”
“I know. But she said this was the only day she could do it.”
Then it started to make a little bit of sense. Indie thought that because it was her birthday, none of us would make a fuss about this. But the sounds that were coming from upstairs said otherwise. Adam and Donovan were still having their say.
Suddenly nothing about this day was right. My head was fuckin’ foggy and Nathan’s words started to echo. But I managed to say, “The zoo, huh? Does Indie know you’re taking Maggie to the zoo?”
“Yes, sir. It was her idea.”
And that just didn’t make any sense to me. Because I knew for a fact that Indie hated the zoo. And she had just let us know that a few weeks prior, after she disappeared and came back, when Adam took Maggie to the zoo.
But there was no more time to question Nathan because everyone came bounding down the stairs. First Indie, holding Maggie in her arms, and then Adam and Donovan trailing behind her.
I looked Indie dead in the eyes and the room started to spin. “Are you sure about this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be sure? I told him he could have her for a day. He’s excited about it, McKay. And so is Maggie. He’s her father. He should know her.”
Donovan, Adam, and I all looked at each other like we just popped into some alternate realty by mistake. That was how much sense this made. And that was how I felt too. Like this wasn’t really happening. Like I was back in my bed, stuck in a dream.
But then Indie turned to Nathan. “Can you just give us a minute? I’ll bring her out to your truck.”
Nathan nodded his head at her, then me, and then left. Skipping down the porch steps like he didn’t give one fuck that his visit was causing all this trouble.
Adam slammed the front door. Not the screen door. The real front door. So it slammed good and hard. Then he turned to Indie with angry eyes. “What the fuck, Indie?”
“She’s been up there to Oxford to see him, Adam.” My words coming out a little bit slurred. “And she took Maggie. To see him.”
Indie set Maggie down and crossed her arms, defiant. “She’s my daughter.”
“And you belong to me.” Adam was seething. Maggie was already heading for the door.
“OK. Let’s just all calm down.”
But Adam turned to Donovan and his stupid rational words and pointed his finger in his face. “I will not calm down. We have no clue what kind of man Nathan St. James is these days. He’s been missing for two years. Maggie doesn’t even know him.”
Maggie was twisting the door handle, trying to open it. “I want to zoo. I want to ride pony.”
Which spurred me into favorite-uncle mode. “There are no ponies at the zoo, Mags. If you want to ride a pony, I’ll get you a pony. You can keep it here and ride it all over the woods.”
“McKay, are you on drugs?” Indie was incredulous. “What is wrong with you? We’re not getting a pony just so you can stop Nathan from seeing his daughter.”
I pointed my finger at her. “What is wrong with you?” But she was right. Because I knew there was something wrong with me.
“Indie.” Donovan was interrupting. “Did you go up to Oxford to see Nathan when you went missing?”
“I’ll be right back. You guys are making a huge deal out of nothing and ruining my plans for today.” And then Indie scooped up Maggie, opened the door, and walked out. Taking her daughter over to Nathan’s truck.
Adam looked at me, confused. “What plans?”
I just shrugged.
We all went into the front room and peeked through the closed curtains at what was happening out in our driveway. Indie was still holding Maggie as Nathan messed with a car seat in the back cab of his truck.
I looked at Donovan. There were two of him. “Where did he get a car seat?”
Donovan didn’t answer.
And then Indie handed Maggie—our Maggie—over to Nathan so he could buckle her in the seat.
Adam stepped away from the curtain and started pacing the room, raking his fingers through his hair. He kept saying, “What the fuck is she doing? Why is she doing this? Something is wrong. Something is very wrong here.”
Donovan stepped back as well. But I could not take my eyes off Nathan and Maggie.
I felt sick. There was this feeling in my gut. This gross feeling that I had missed something here. Things were happening and I couldn’t make sense of them.
Donovan was talking. “Just… remain calm. We’ll figure it out.”
And then Indie was whooshing through the door with a big, bright smile on her face and both hands in the air like she was surrendering. “Just listen to me, you guys. God. You’re all a bunch of stupid men. I planned this so we could all have a day together. Just us. Like the old days. Remember them? How much fun we had? I’ve been stuck in this house for two years. I’m twenty. My childhood is over. And I want to have a day with you! All of you!”
Donovan was not buying one bit of this. “So let me get this straight. To celebrate the fact that you’re no longer a teenager, you just handed your child off to a stranger?”
But he was swaying back and forth a little as he talked. Or maybe that was me?
“He’s not a stranger, Donovan. Stop being stupid. He’s her father.”
Adam was shaking his head. “We are her fathers.”
Indie laughed. “You’re jealous.” She looked at all of us in turn. “That’s what this is about. Nathan St. James is the gentlest person I know.”
Adam snorted. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. You are the worst judge of character—”
“Fuck you, Adam!” She was all up in his face, pointing her finger. “You’re ruining my birthday!”
I stepped between them and looked at Adam. I had to place my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. “He’s gone now. It’s done. So… just… let’s try to have a nice day.”
I looked over at Donovan and he was nodding. “It’s done, Adam.” But then he looked at Indie. “What time is he bringing her home?” His voice was what I like to call ‘doctor professional’. Better known as emotionally detached. But his words were somehow… wrong.
“They’ll be back at four.”
All three of us looked at the grandfather clock in the hallway. I thought it said ten forty-five. But I wasn’t sure.
Adam said, “Five hours and fifteen minutes. He better not be late or I will hunt him down—”
“He won’t be late. He’s meeting a contractor over at the cottage at four thirty.”
This seemed to pacify everyone. At least, momentarily.
Indie took advantage of the momentary calm and walked up to Adam and slipped her arms around his middle. She gazed up into his eyes with a look I’d never seen on her face before.
Donovan and I traded glances. I thought this was a new look for him too.
“Don’t you get it?” Indie was asking Adam. Then she looked at me. And then Donovan. “I wanted to spend some time alone with you guys. All of you. That’s how I want to say goodbye to my teens.”
Then she did something I had never seen before. Ever. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Adam right on the mouth.