This trip to the Dallas Zoo had been planned for the children, but I had to be very careful I didn’t sound more excited than them. I’d taken the day off, and Laurel and I were supposed to take them together. She could have taken them on her own, but lately, I craved the family experience as well. I was no longer satisfied hearing about these awesome adventures they went on with Laurel. I wanted to live it with them. Being part of their memory during these activities was now important to me.

I glanced at my watch and the eager faces of the girls, who were chattering around a mouthful of breakfast. If Laurel was around, she would have told them not to speak with food in their mouth. I liked being the good parent while Laurel acted the disciplinarian, although they rarely did anything to be punished. Let her be the one to insist they eat their vegetables and couldn’t watch another episode of their favorite programs or that it was time for bed.

Laurel should’ve been down by now. When I’d told her earlier we were heading down for breakfast, she had mumbled she didn’t want any breakfast. I’d left her to catch a few more minutes of sleep, and she must still be asleep.

“I’m going to check on Laurel,” I told the children, getting to my feet. “If you’re done with your breakfast, go brush your teeth again before we go.”

“Yes, Daddy,” they responded in unison, and my heart blossomed with love. I never got tired of hearing them refer to me as Daddy or Dad. Thanks to Laurel. I believed her saying Daddy when referring to me rubbed off on them.

I climbed the stairs to the master bedroom, and just as I predicted, Laurel was still in bed. I approached her slowly and sat carefully on the bed. I didn’t want to startle her awake. Before waking her, I observed her in sleep. Her face was relaxed and her breasts rose and fell with her deep, even breathing. She was so beautiful. I wished I could undress and curl up into bed behind her, nestling her backside into my groin. I’d hold her like that until she woke up. Or I fell asleep.

Reaching up to brush a lock of hair from her face, I placed my hand on her bare upper arm and stroked her soft skin. “Laurel,” I called to her softly. “Laurel, wake up.”

A sexy, satisfied sound emitted from her throat. She shifted a little and her eyes fluttered open. A wide smile stretched her lips. “Jarrod?”

“Hey, wake up, sleepyhead,” I said, shaking her shoulder a little so she wouldn’t fall asleep again.

She groaned, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine,” I responded. “If you don’t get up and shower, we’re going to miss the opening of the zoo.”

She groaned and sat up in bed. “I forgot to tell you yesterday. I can’t go to the zoo with you today.”

“I don’t understand.”

She started to push her way out of bed on the other side. “I’m going to be late. I have an appointment I can’t miss.”

“What kind of appointment?” I asked suspiciously. She hadn’t mentioned she had an appointment.

“Did I say appointment?” she asked on a nervous laugh. “I meant, I-I have something important to do.”

“Like what?”

“Something to do with my mom,” she said, walking to the bathroom. “I’m sorry I forgot t0 tell you, but it would do you some good to go with your children, just the three of you.”

“But Laurel—” She was already inside the bathroom and closed the door. I sat on the bed, staring at the bathroom door in confusion. I would have followed her inside to let her explain herself. She sounded confused about what she had to do, and why had she never mentioned it before?

She had a point, though. It would be great doing something with Anabelle and Isabelle without her for a change. Maybe she needed a day off. Her mother had just died, and she never stopped playing mother to the kids. But if she needed a day off, she could have said so. Why would she hide it from me?

I let it go and collected the kids for the drive to the zoo. After initially asking why Laurel wasn’t joining us, they didn’t seem perturbed that they would have to spend the day alone with me. I dismissed the driver, deciding it would just be us three today.

The zoo wasn’t far from the house, and we arrived some minutes after opening hours. Anabelle and Isabelle snaked their hands into mine while we walked, and the gesture was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. If anyone had told me I would be a father, taking my kids alone to the zoo, I’d have laughed in their face. But there I was, and I was enjoying every moment of it.

The highlight of the day was the Wilds of Africa Adventure Safari monorail ride. I probably missed a lot because I watched the girls so much, marveling at the differences in them. They were excited and exclaimed they’d never been to the zoo before, and I felt pride that I was responsible for the smiles on their faces. Maybe I wasn’t such a horrible dad after all.

I paid for a private safari photographic tour for the girls, and while they were being instructed by the staff photographer, I rang Laurel to see if I could get her to change her mind.

“Hello,” she answered on the third ring.

“Laurel, we’re having a blast. You sure you don’t want to come on down to the zoo?”

“Umm…uh, yes, I mean no. I can’t,” she mumbled, sounding a bit disoriented. “Hold on.” She spoke to someone in the background while I waited for a few minutes before she returned. “Jarrod, I’ve to go.”

“Are you okay?” I queried, convinced there was something going on she wasn’t telling me. “Where are you?”

“At the doctor’s,” she replied in a far-away voice.

“The doctor? Why?” I remembered her saying she had an appointment this morning, but then she had changed it to say she had to do something related to her mother. Just what in the hell was going on here?

“Uh, nothing. It’s nothing,” she answered. “A routine check-up.”

“Are you sure?” I didn’t believe her one bit.

“Yes,” she answered then added, “I may be home a little late today.”

“Why?”

“I may drive out to Taylor and back.”

“Why?” I asked again. “I don’t think you should go back alone. If you can wait a day, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

“No, I want to go alone. Let the girls know. See you later, Jarrod.”

Dammit! She hung up before I could question her further. She was lying to me. Something was definitely going on, but what?

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Annabelle asked when they returned to me. I must have been frowning pretty hard for her to ask me that question.

“Yes,” I assured her with a smile for their benefit. “I was talking to Laurel.”

“Is she coming?” Isabelle asked, and her eyes held such hope, I was sorry to disappoint her.

“She can’t make it,” I explained to them as we walked along to the next exhibit on our list.

“Is she still mad?” Anabelle inquired.

“Why would she be mad?” I asked, sensing they knew something I didn’t.

“Well, she seemed pretty mad that the man kissed her in front of us,” Anabelle explained innocently.

“Ouch, Daddy,” Isabelle cried, wiggling her hand that I had unconsciously squeezed tightly at Anabelle’s announcement.

“Sorry, dear.” I loosened my grip on her hand and nonchalantly asked Anabelle, “What man are you talking about?”

“The man at the mall yesterday,” she replied. “We were in the store when he kissed her.”

I didn’t want to question the girls about Laurel’s actions, but the revelation was too much for me not to find out more. Was the kiss friendly on the cheek or on the mouth? I couldn’t ask them that.

“Kissing on the mouth is yucky,” Isabelle added, answering my question.

Was she meeting someone else? Was that why she had suddenly decided not to go with us to the zoo today? I had to mentally prevent myself from letting the anger and disappointment ruin the rest of the day for the girls. Thank God they had a lot of activities to do and didn’t realize how somber I had become. I’d have never thought she would date someone else, although the nature of our contract said we could. Still, I thought the way we connected had meant something. Now I understood perfectly well why she’d said no to us forming a sexual relationship too. She already had one.

So many questions tripped around my brain for the rest of the day, and I was no closer to reaching an answer when we finally left the zoo. What I wanted to know was whether she’d had this man all along or if she had recently met him. No wonder she had wanted that clause in the contract so she could get out of this marriage if she had a mind to. How long did she plan on waiting before she broke the news to me that she was leaving?

I waited patiently for her to return home. I had dinner with my children, just the three of us. They asked when Laurel was coming home, and I couldn’t rightly respond but assured them she would be home soon. I’d stopped calling her phone after she hadn’t responded the last three times.

They showered and I put them to bed, and still no Laurel. I grew livid with every minute that ticked by. Even if I wanted to go to bed, I couldn’t. I was upset with her, but also upset with me. For caring about what she did. If she wanted to screw around, that was up to her. Our contract stipulated she could.

But it hurt. I found myself reaching for a bottle of vodka.