This was it, the last day. My last hours with Kadee, and I had no idea when I would see her again. Even if I could put my house flipping plan back into action it would be months before I was in any position to move after the setback I’d had with the house across the street. Georgie’s house, I reminded myself. That was something else I had to do… I needed to apologize. She had every right to be mad at me, but I just doubled down on frustrations and took it out on her.

Kadee moped around the house with her bear Herbert in her arms. It was as if she didn’t know where she belonged anymore, restless with anxiety. It was breaking my heart, as was how I had left things with Georgie. She had been a ray of hope that I’d fallen for, but the dream of the three of us had no place in reality. It had merely been a passing fantasy. And it was time to get back to the real world. Which now involved selling the house and moving west, watching my daughter grow up and being there for her, how could there be any other future? I would be forced to make do with whatever house or apartment I could get out there. Would even probably need to rent at least for a little while, throwing money down the drain. Long gone was the dream of having the same kind of setup I had here, it would cost too much. Nearly four times the price the last time I checked similar properties.

Kadee was all packed up, her presence in the house had been hidden away in the backpack, as well as a few bags that contained extra pieces, toys, clothes, she’d accumulated in the relatively brief period she’d been with me.

Letting my eyes drift over her room, I sensed how empty and silent it would feel in the coming days. I thought of her new bike sitting dormant in a corner of the garage, becoming rusty from the lack of use, the pads no longer needed. My brave girl had proven she didn’t need them anymore. But there wouldn’t be moments where I could look out the window and see her riding happily up and down the street. I so wanted to hear her giggle echoing through the house, see her bright smile, but there was no mood for these things today.

Karen arrived a little earlier than expected, just before two. She and her new husband Brian got out of their expensive hire car and looked around, noses turned up at the small-town neighborhood, picket fences and well-established trees.

I watched from beside my curtain in the lounge window. They had a tanned and smug glow of people returning from a sunny paradise. Disdain in their eyes for boring normality that they had returned to. I did not get on with my ex—never mind her new husband—at the best of times, her stubborn and fickle hostility, his pretentious disregard for anything he deemed below him. In a way, they suited each other but I did not know how my little Kadee endured it all and remained so sweet.

I considered how I could get through this with as little interaction as possible. I imagined a hostage like exchange in the driveway, all of us keeping our distance, where I had to let go of Kadee but got nothing in exchange. Karen, however, was already advancing toward the front door and I no option but to get this over and done with before my heart broke any more. I called to Kadee upstairs, then faced the music.

“Hey how about that, we’re early,” were Karen’s first words.

Yeah how about that, I thought, you couldn’t even give me an extra five minutes. Selfish bitch.

“Karen, Brian,” I greeted them each joylessly.

“Hey Derek, how you doing? Place looks great, smaller than I imagined though,” Brian replied, apparently oblivious to the gravity of the situation for everyone else.

“So where is she?” asked Karen with characteristic abruptness. “We really need to get going again. This was only meant to be a pitstop.”

“She should be coming down. Kadee, sweetie!” I turned to call up the stairs again.

Kadee appeared this time standing at the top to stare down at everyone. She dragged her backpack in one hand along the floor and Herbert dangled from her other hand, he hung there forlornly. Herbert looked like a bear that had given up on everything as well, ready to have the stuffing plucked out of him.

“Kadee, come on. We have a plane to catch. We can’t be late,” Karen called up to her.

Kadee started her slow descent while my gaze narrowed on Karen’s cold features. I was trying to remember when I had ever heard her use any term of endearment for our daughter. She generally just barked commands and stubbornly expected results.

“Hurry now, Kadee, we don’t have all day,” Brian said with an impatient sigh. “Come and see the shiny car. We might upgrade to this model when we get back,” he added. What an oh so helpful contribution, I thought bitterly.

My anger rose at their soulless attempts to herd my baby girl away from me.

“I can’t believe you’re taking her away this week. You seriously don’t know how much this sucks,” I found myself saying with the rising anger in my voice.

“Oh, relax Derek. We’ll be out of your hair shortly, if only little madam here gets a move on,” Karen responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. But the tap of her foot clearly indicated her impatience. “What is wrong with her? Have you been feeding her sugar? She’s all lethargic.”

Ignoring her last comment I turned to face her. Blocking Karen from moving any further into the house. “No, you can’t wave this off. Are you even listening? No, of course not. Why would you listen to anything that isn’t about Karen's perfect little life? Well, I’ve had just about enough of it. I think it’s about time I fought for my daughter.”

Kadee paused motionless halfway down the stairs as the volume of our voices quickly escalated.

“Let’s try and keep this civil shall we?” said Brian. He was always looking to avoid any conflicts, not out of concern for others but more for his own sanity, I expected. “Kadee, let’s go. Right now!” he added his tone serious and scolding.

“Really, you want to fight for her now? You’ve never fought for anything in your life. You have no idea how to raise a child.”

Brian brushed past us and ventured up the stairs as we glared at each other.

“Come on, Kadee, let’s go,” he said as he tried to grab her hand and pull her down the stairs.

“Get your hands off my daughter, right now.”

He stepped away and held up his hands. “Just trying to help. How about I go upstairs and check to see if she’s left anything behind?”

“Good idea!” Karen and I both shouted at the same time as we glared at each other.

“Want to help me, Kadee?” he said to her. She merely nodded but then raced back upstairs.

Breaking the tension, I stepped outside not wanting Kadee to hear us arguing. Karen followed behind and I quickly closed the door. Karen took a step back maintaining the distance between us.

“Well, I’m going to fight now,” I hissed, picking up where we’d left off. “She’s my daughter too, and I’m a good father. You just don’t let me have the time with her. But I have rights, Karen. And it’s time to put a custody agreement on the table.”

“Fine, fight all you want. Do you think it’ll make any difference? You won’t win,” she yelled back at me, her tone defensive and angry at the mention of custody.

“We’ll see won’t we?”

I still had no real idea what I was getting into, but the one glimmer of hope that Georgie had inspired in me burned now like a bright torch leading the way in a dark tunnel. I could remodel a house from top to bottom, but I had always felt out of my depth with lawyers and the like. All that law stuff was far beyond my understanding. But now I was ready to do whatever it took.

“Well, looks like she’s not going anywhere yet,” Brian said as he reappeared on the porch. “She’s locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out.”

* * *

Shaken from our hostilities by a sense of concern, we all ventured inside to investigate. Good girl, I thought. I wanted to laugh at Kadee’s ingenuity, but managed to keep a straight face. I led the way upstairs and we huddled around the bathroom door. Karen and I squatted close by listening for movement inside.

“Kadee. Honey, it’s dad. Are you okay?” I asked softly.

“Uh huh,” came the quiet response.

“Are you going to come out?” I continued.

“No!” Kadee cried out with a sob.

“Kadee, this is silly. If you don’t come out right now, I will lose my temper,” exasperated her mother.

“Go away!”

“Don’t you want to go home?” added Karen, her voice taking on a sickly sweet tone, that did little to disguise her annoyance. If that was her best effort at appeasement we were going to be here for a long time.

“No, I hate you. Leave me alone! I want to say here with Daddy!”

Karen threw her hands up in exasperation and looked back at Brian who had arrived to stand silently behind us. He met Karen's look with a shrug as he leaned on the banister. These people really did make useless parents, filled to the fucking brim with compassion and patience.

“You’ve turned her against me.”

“I have done no such thing! Trust you to think like that. Don’t even start with that bullshit. You’ve pretty much done that all yourself,” I replied keeping my voice low so Kadee couldn’t hear our conversation. “Have you ever considered that she’s unhappy in California with you?” Without waiting for an answer I turned back to the door. “Kadee sweetheart?” I said, listening closely to the muffled sniffs I could hear. “What do you want to do honey?”

“I want to see Georgie,” was her reply.

I squatted there stunned by the unexpected request, not knowing if it would be possible and if it would even be advisable.

“Who the hell is Georgie? Her bear?” Karen asked, her exasperation returning to hostility with this new curve ball she had been thrown from behind the bathroom door.

“No not a bear. She’s our neighbor. It might help,” I said getting up.

Karen stood up as well with a tinge of bewilderment on her face looking to Brian for support. But he merely stood there, blank faced, staring at the wall, thoroughly bored with the domestic situation he’d found himself in. I bet he didn’t even want kids.

“If it’s going to help, I’ll go get her. If not, maybe I can just talk to Kadee alone and we can get this solved?” I said, lowering my voice again away from the door.

Karen shrugged. “Do whatever the hell you want, break the door down if you have to. We’re going to miss our plane because of that little brat.”

My fists tightened. How could she ever think of our daughter in that way? Had she even met the kid or spent time with her? Yes sometimes she’d have normal outbursts expected of a five-year-old but a brat? Hell, no. I let out a long, hot breath through my nostrils and decided now was not the time to go to battle. One of us would surely end up at the bottom of the stairs if I did.

“Kadee, I’ll be right back okay?” I announced back at the door then left the couple muttering to each other.

I rushed over to Georgie’s and glanced disapprovingly at the state I had left her steps in. I had so much to mend I didn’t really know how or where to start. I’d hoped to keep my distance, letting things smooth themselves out over time, and then maybe once I had things sorted with Kadee I could make amends. However, thanks to Kadee, I was already involving Georgie again. I headed to the back door and knocked. Georgie met me with a stern look.

“What do you want? I’m not really talking to you. You still haven’t fixed the mess you made.”

“Hey, I know and I’m sorry,” I said hesitantly, “and this may be a little awkward… I know we have other things we should probably be talking about. But Kadee is pretty upset and I think you could help. She’s asking for you.”

Georgie’s brow furrowed. “Me?”

“Yeah, I know,” I said with a smile. “Took me by surprise too. But ever since you two met, there’s been this little bond. She adores you so much.”

“I feel the same.”

“But I have a bit of a parental nightmare occurring right now. Karen is here, her mother, to take her home, early I might add, but Kadee’s locked herself in the bathroom, and she asked for you. I don’t want to have to put you on the spot, but if you could just say hello and talk to her, maybe she’ll come out. She’s leaving today you see.” My voice broke a little as the last words caught in my throat. There was something about telling Georgie the bad news that made the emotions well up inside me.

Concern flashed across her face and her defensive posture loosened.

“Okay, should I come over now?”

“Please, it will only take a minute. I hope.”

“Fine, I can spare a minute for Kadee.”

We walked quickly back across the street, deep in our own thoughts. I was doing my best to fix things here and the conclusion that awaited me was Kadee being taken away, it hardly seemed fair.

“Is she really leaving today?” Georgie asked just before we entered the house.

“That’s the plan, well, that’s her mother’s plan.”

We entered and headed upstairs. Bypassing Karen and Brian who were busy discussing something in the lounge. “You left her alone?” I yelled and shook my head, ignoring their surprised glances. Karen then ventured to the foot of the stairs to study us, or perhaps study Georgie more closely. The woman our girl had asked for. I saw the quick narrowing of her eyes and scorn on her face, but paid it little mind. I didn’t care one iota if Karen was jealous of Georgie.

Georgie and I took up our positions squatting either side of the locked bathroom door.

“Honey, Georgie's here,” I announced.

“Hey honey,” Georgie whispered.

“Hi,” Kadee said after a pause and a muffled sniff.

“What’s wrong? How about you come on out so we can talk?” Georgie implored softly.

“But I don’t want to go.”

“I know, but your daddy looks scared and sad. He needs a hug. You should come out, things will be okay.”

“Yeah, honey I’m going to work things out for you. For us both. I promise. I’m going to make sure we get to see each other more.”

“You promise?”

“Cross my heart sweetie,” I replied immediately, instinctively making the gesture on my chest.

“I saw it, Kadee, he crossed his heart,” Georgie added, “you really have to come out now.”

“Do you promise?” Kadee asked again for Georgie’s benefit.

Georgie rolled her eyes playfully. “Yes honey, I cross my heart too. Your daddy and I will do anything to make you the happiest girl alive.”

We both waited through the silence, then after a while we heard some shuffling movement from inside. I looked up at Georgie with hope, she nodded as the door latch was released. I took Kadee up into my arms immediately when she appeared and she clung on tightly.

“There she is,” Georgie said, ruffling her hair. “Such a brave girl.”

“Is this nonsense over now?” demanded Karen as she headed up the stairs.

Kadee clung onto me tighter the closer her mother approached.

“Yes, this is over. But she isn’t going anywhere today.”

Karen looked from me to Georgie with contempt.

“I better go,” Georgie quickly said. “Kadee, you’re going to be fine. I’ll see you later, okay?”

She edged her way past Karen on the stairs. For a fleeting second, I almost secretly wished that there was time for a match up between the two of them, a battle of wills and wit. I had to wonder how Karen would fair if Georgie’s fierce sarcasm and temperament was let loose upon her. But it was probably best for everyone involved if Georgie kept a lid on that side of her personality. Karen was already on the brink of meltdown, from the telltale fire in her eyes. I skirted past Karen as she fumed silently and carried Kadee downstairs.

Karen followed, stomping, preparing for battle, ready to persist with her demands.

“Kadee are you coming or not?”

“Not!” my daughter blurted.

“Fine. Be a naughty girl. Stay with your father let’s see how long he puts up with your antics. How about we leave you here and you can fly back on your own again? Is that what you really want?”

Kadee lifted her head from my shoulder to nod furiously. Her mother growled in desperation.

“Babe, we need to get going. We can work something else out later.” Brian said, moving to her while pointing dramatically at his watch.

“You know what, this has been a big waste of our time. We’ll go, but it’s your responsibility to get her home now, Derek. You hear me? And if you don’t you’ll be hearing from our lawyers.”

“Not a problem,” I said, still rocking Kadee in my arms.

After some lack luster farewells. Kadee refusing to say goodbye to her mom, even when I insisted, Karen and Brian stormed off back down the drive and with an excessive slamming of car doors they left.

“Thank you, Daddy.”