Danica should’ve been feeling beyond relieved and even more excited about having Oreo all to herself. Instead, a feeling of dread began to sweep over her, especially now that she’d gotten a taste of what it was like to have him back in her arms. After everything falling so into place, her worst nightmare now would be Felicia possibly bringing a halt to this arrangement if she felt threatened in any way. She assured her she’d be fine no matter how long Orlando was gone. “He doesn’t even have to be here really.” She wanted that part to be clear.
“That’s what I thought.” Felicia lifted a brow as she pulled on a windbreaker.
“Only reason he will today is because he wanted a few pointers, I guess.” Felicia picked up her purse from the dining room table, eyeing her as Danica went on, “Said there’s a few things he’s been struggling with. But after that it’ll be just me and the baby.”
Felicia nodded as Danica tried lifting the baby away from her to adjust him, but he clung to her as if she might be trying to put him down. Felicia’s eyes were instantly on him as he wrapped his little arm around Danica’s neck. She looked up at Danica again, staring at her for a nerve-wracking moment. “Orlando sure will be pleased to see how quickly he’s taken to you. He’s been so worried about finding the right person to watch him. I guess he’s found her.” As exciting as Felicia’s words were to hear, they weren’t spoken with the same enthusiasm as Danica took them in. Clearly, Felicia wasn’t as pleased about this as she said Orlando would be.
Danica would have to be diligent about making sure Felicia never felt threatened by her. “I, uh . . . I have a way with babies, I guess,” Danica offered, glad that like with Ted, despite still fumbling a bit, lying to Felicia came much easier than it had with Orlando. “It comes from experience I have working with children. You and Orlando will get a hang of it with time.” Danica’s phone ringing distracted them as they turned to her purse where it was in. It gave her an idea, one she hoped would give Felicia some added assurance that Danica was not there to try and steal her man, as if she had so much as chance of landing a man like Orlando. “That must be my boyfriend.” She started toward her purse, hopeful the ease in which she lied to Felicia continued. “Anytime I get a new client and I’m going over to their place for the first time, he asks me to check in.” She turned to Felicia, smiling nervously. “H-he worries like that.”
The expression on Felicia’s face did ease up and she even smiled. “Go ahead and answer.” She dug in her own purse for something. The number on the screen of Danica’s phone was a toll-free number she didn’t recognize. When she answered, she was glad to hear the automated recording, and tried to sound as real as possible as it went on with a pitch about health insurance. Curiously, she didn’t feel nearly as rotten about lying to Felicia, but her beginning to stammer there for a second was a reminder of how not good she was at it. So, she took a deep breath and prayed she sounded as convincing as she was going to try to sound. “Hey, babe,” she said a little too high-pitched, so she brought it down a notch. “Sorry I hadn’t checked in. But I’m here and everything’s good. I’ll give you a call when I head out.” Danica paused, smiling again as Felicia watched her. “Okay, I love you too. Bye.” She shrugged, hoping Felicia hadn’t picked up on her shaky voice, then dropped the phone back into her purse.
“How long have you two been together?”
“About a year.”
The unease Danica had thought she’d picked up on from Felicia seemed to morph into relief. She appeared pleased and intrigued by this change in subject. “Any plans on marriage?”
Nodding, Danica kissed the baby on the head as he nuzzled into her chest. This wasn’t a total lie, just a no longer a valid truth. So, she went on, glad she wouldn’t have to completely improvise here. “We’ve discussed it. He anticipates getting promoted this year and wants to get all that squared away before he asks for the time off. But it’ll likely be a few years still.”
“How exciting though. You want a big wedding?” Smiling big now, Felicia even looked anxious for the answer to this. Once again, Danica was glad for the used-to-be-true stories she could use when she needed them. Ted had really begun to discuss their wedding plans when, not if, they got married just months after they’d started dating. So again, she at least didn’t have to worry about getting these lies mixed up since most of it had been the truth at one point. “Neither one of us wants a big wedding, but we definitely want a long exotic honeymoon.”
“Ooh,” Felicia said, all smiles now. “Exotic sounds exciting.”
Danica nodded, glad for Felicia’s noticeable change in disposition. Looking and sounding much more at ease with this newfound information, Felicia started to the door, excusing herself because she had to get to work. “It was very nice to meet you, Felicia,” Danica said as sweetly and as genuinely as she could. “Have a nice day at work.”
“Thank you, you too.” Felicia turned back to Danica as she reached the front door. “Bye, little guy.” She waved her fingers at the baby, but he only snuggled up closer under Danica’s neck.
Danica started to the door after Felicia walked out and watched as she got in her car. She stood at the door until Felicia drove away. As soon as she was out of sight, Danica smothered the baby with kisses and danced around with him in Orlando’s large foyer. “My sweetheart,” she said between kisses and nibbles of his little ears. “My Baby O. My little Oreo. Oh, how I missed you.” She spun around, making him giggle in the process as she allowed for the tears to flow now that she could. “I love you. I love you. I love you. Never again. Never again will I leave your side.” She tried not to get too emotional because she knew that last statement wasn’t exactly true. She’d be leaving him again today. But she meant leave his life. She’d die before she let that happen again. Only it scared the hell out of her now. There was so much that could go wrong. Her little Oreo reached up and touched her face again, and she leaned her cheek against his little hand as the tears continued to pour out. She had to snap out of it. Orlando would be home soon, and she couldn’t let anything ruin this. Lifting Oreo up above her, she smiled, despite the tears in her eyes as he giggled. “That’s not gonna happen, is it? No, it isn’t.” She smiled even bigger as he giggled and cooed looking down at her. “Never, ever, ever. I won’t let it happen. I promise you.” Bringing him back down to her chest, she continued to snuggle him as she walked through the house, composing herself before she blew it. Orlando’s house was beyond impressive, and she was glad to see that, despite the beautiful nursery he’d set up for the baby—completely decked out in with bedding and accessories from the Disney movie Cars of course—he had a second crib set up in the master bedroom.
The nursery was just a few steps away from the master bedroom, but apparently Orlando wanted him even closer. She didn’t think it was possible for her heart to swell any further, but it did. The warm and fuzzy feelings continued even after her little Oreo’s initial loving reaction to seeing her again began to wear off as what Felicia had suggested happened. His nap hadn’t been long enough, and he started to get cranky.