Both women stare at me, waiting for an answer. This is the best solution. Neutral ground to be fair to us both. But quite honestly, I feel betrayed by my parents. I would’ve thought Mom would’ve taken my side. It looks like everyone is Team Andi, other than Mark. At least he sees things my way.

“Fine, we’ll stay here. Thanks, Cassie, for looking out for us.” Then I stalk inside.

Fletcher approaches me. “Dude, she’s a cutie. And you’ve taken to her like a fish to water. I’m proud of you.”

Even throughout all of this, I have to grin. And it’s a feeling of pride that I wear in my smile. “Yeah, I really have. It’s an unbelievable feeling to hold your child in your arms, isn’t it?”

“The greatest there is. So, I know this isn’t the best topic, but are you and Andi working on things?”

“No.” This is not up for discussion.

“Then what are you going to do about your daughter?”

“She’s coming back to Italy with me. If Andi wants to fight me, she can bring it on. I’ll put together the strongest legal team I can find. She was in the wrong and she fucking knows it.”

“Yeah, I agree, but what I don’t agree with is putting Violet in the middle of the battle.”

“I’ll keep her out of it as much as I can. She’s the last one I want to hurt, believe me. She’s been hurt enough as it is.”

Fletcher nods. “And there’s no way to work this out amicably?”

“I’d like to, but think about it in her terms. Would you want Harrison, your son, removed from you?”

He shakes his head. “Guess not. I do know this. If I tried to do that to Cassie, she’d go for blood.”

“Yeah, but Cassie wasn’t deceitful either. I think Andi does have somewhat of a conscience.”

“You weren’t looking at her face when you all walked in. She looked abso-fucking-lutely destroyed.”

“Good. As bad as it sounds, that’s what I felt like when I found out I’d lost two years of Violet’s life … two years I’ll never get back. Imagine losing two years of your kid’s life, Fletch. It sucks so bad, I can’t even explain it.”

He pats my back and then squeezes my shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do, to be honest. Mark was pissed as hell too. He’s still giving her hell over it.”

I glance out the window and spot the two of them out on the deck. Andi has her arms crossed, either from the cool January air or from Mark’s chilling words. Her crestfallen expression has me almost feeling sympathy toward her … almost. But I’m still too angry for that.

“You’d better get over that pissed-off feeling or those damn creases in your forehead are going to turn into a crevasse,” Fletcher teases.

“Shut up. It’s not that easy.”

“Right. But you’ll have to give it up someday. You can’t carry that anger forever.”

“Says he who was pissed off at his wife for what? Years?”

He slashes his arm through the air. “That was ages ago and I was young, dumb, and stupid. Don’t follow my footsteps. We wasted too much time. You two have already wasted years.”

I look out the window again and think about why I went to Chicago in the first place. What a crazy ass trip that turned out to be.

Fletcher breaks into my thoughts and asks, “By the way, what the hell happened to your nose? Did Andi punch you or something?”

I explain that whole deal and he cracks up so hard, all heads turn. Then I have to tell everyone else. Dad says, “I was going to ask you about that, but then Violet stole all the attention.”

Violet suddenly calls out, “Dada. Dada.” Then she barrels full force into me.

“Good Lord, that kid is fast,” Dad says. “She’s faster than you were at her age, Chase. Maybe she’s inherited the Wilde athletic genes.”

Mom yells, “Not already. You men. Just give the child a chance, will you?”

Fletcher and I laugh.

Seeing Mom sitting there reminds me that I want a word with her. Dad’s always been an outlier on these things. He’d never say a word, but I want Mom to know exactly how betrayed and hurt I felt when I found out about Violet.

Violet is still running circles around my legs and then grabbing onto me.

Lifting her high in the air, I say, “Little One, give me a smooch.” She does and it makes a resounding smack. The grandparents laugh and so does she. “Hey, can you go and play with your papa?” She zooms toward my dad and he snatches her up like a “sack of taters,” as he always says.

That gives me the opportunity I need to grab Mom’s hand and take her into one of the bedrooms.

Not one to waste words with her, I jump right in and say, “I can’t believe you sided with Andi.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, son. I did not side with anyone, other than my granddaughter.”

“Yes, you did. You said she did a wonderful job.”

Mom grins at me. I’m incredulous. And pissed. The heat of my anger nearly explodes out of me. Then she has the nerve to say, “Why don’t you just tell that girl how much you still love her?”

“What?”

She points at the bed and says, “Sit down,” using her mom tone.

It’s not in me to refuse. After I’m seated, she says, “Why are men so blind and stubborn? Can you not hear yourself? If you didn’t care a thing in the world about her, why are you so angry?”

I nearly spit my reply, “Because she never told me about Violet, that’s why!”

“And she didn’t tell you, why? If she had, what would you have done?”

“I would’ve made her come to Italy with me.” I sit and cross my arms in satisfaction, then grin.

Mom laughs. She fucking laughs at me.

“Made her come. You don’t make anyone do anything, Chase.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mom laughs again. “Son, you have a lot to learn where women are concerned.”

“So, you think Andi was right in not telling me?”

“Did I say that?”

“No, but you seem to think everything I do is wrong.”

“Because you act like a dictator.”

I scratch my cheek and think for a second. Maybe she’s right.

“Chase, honey, think about what it was like being in Andi’s shoes. And think how it takes two to tango. She got pregnant. You were partly responsible for that, you know. She was young. You were established in Italy already. She didn’t want to ruin your career. She loved you. She didn’t want you to resent her. What would you have done?”

“I didn’t think about it that way. I only thought how I’d missed out on seeing my daughter’s birth and the subsequent two years of her life. But Mom, I would’ve come back if I’d known.”

“What’s done is done. You were both in the wrong. And two wrongs never ever make a right. Stop all this ridiculous acting out and start behaving like adults. Move forward in your daughter’s best interests,” Mom says, grabbing my hands. “That’s what’s important.”

“Yeah, you’re right, as usual.”

“Now sit here and come up with a plan. I’m going out there to play with my granddaughter.”

I watch her leave and think about whether or not my plans to take them back to Italy are the right ones. Realistically, it’s the only way I can spend time with Violet. If they stay here, there isn’t any way to do that. My season is about to kick back up into high gear and there will be no way for me to travel back and forth. I could ask Andi to do that, but I’m not sure how much vacation time she has.

My mind made up, I head out to find her. When I do, she’s still talking with Mark. I don’t care if I interrupt. I grab her wrist, saying, “We need to talk.” Then I take her into the room where Mom and I just were.

“Please sit.” She eyes me with uncertainty, but does as I say.

“I just had a chat with my mom and she pointed some things out to me. Made me see things in a different light. I need to apologize for being overbearing. I won’t apologize for being angry with you though, because I wish you had come to me about your pregnancy. Moving on, I would like to ask you to come to Italy. It’s not a demand, and it’s not an ultimatum. Here’s the thing. I have a contract that I can’t get out of, so the only way I can see Violet is if you were to come with her. I really don’t relish the thought of separating the two of you. Flying back and forth isn’t an option either, because my schedule is too demanding, with practices and games. Plus, I have to travel often for games. I’m not sure if you have enough vacation time with your job to do it either. So, I’m asking, Andi. I don’t want to be separated from Violet either. Will you do it? Can you take a leave of absence or something? Will you come to Italy with me?”