I Left With My Daughter

Cecilia stared at the texts for a while and did not reply.

She opened a delivery app. She ordered a box of extra-large condoms and put Lyon’s name as the recipient.

After placing an order, she set her phone face down on the bedside table, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Isabella woke up very early. She sat on the edge of the bed as she hugged her little bunny doll. Her curls were messy.

Cecilia had just picked out a dress for her when the bedroom door opened.

Lyon walked in. He smelled faintly of tobacco and an unfamiliar perfume.

“Papa!” Isabella’s eyes lit up, and she jumped into his arms.

Lyon lifted her easily. He touched his forehead to hers and smiled. “Today is my little princess’s dentist appointment! Are you scared?”

“I’m not scared!” Isabella said in her babyish voice.

Cecilia stood quietly to the side and watched them.

No matter how terrible he was, Lyon had always acted like a decent father in front of Isabella.

He remembered her dental appointments, what she liked to eat, and which stuffed animal she needed when she was afraid of thunder.

But being a good father could not make up for being a completely terrible husband.

“I’ll take you there.”

By the time the car was about to reach the private children’s clinic, Isabella was asleep in the back seat.

While waiting at a red light, Lyon turned slightly to look at Cecilia and gave her a faint smile. “Last night, I thought you’d storm into the hotel with people. Instead, I only got a box of condoms. Cecilia, this isn’t like you.”

Cecilia looked out the window and did not turn her head to him.

“You wanted me to stop making a scene, didn’t you?” she said calmly. “Well, now you got your wish.”

Lyon seemed momentarily caught off guard. After two seconds, he scoffed. “Don’t pretend to be so calm. I know exactly what kind of temper you have.”

Cecilia said nothing.

She took a stack of forms that needed a parent’s signature and handed them to him. “Dental records and summer camp registration. Sign here.”

The stack of papers also included the divorce agreement.

Lyon did not even look at them. He pulled out a pen and signed them while leaning on the steering wheel.

He sighed and said casually, “From now on, handle these little things yourself. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Cecilia took back the signed documents and pressed down on the page with the divorce agreement in the middle. Her fingers clenched for a moment.

At the clinic entrance, a nurse led a few children through some games before their checkups.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the other side of the lobby. A young woman held a child and argued at the front desk. She said her insurance had not been approved, so she could not proceed with treatment.

Lyon, who was holding Isabella, paused slightly as he noticed the scene.

Cecilia recognized the woman immediately.

She had been one of Lyon’s brief flings.

Cecilia said calmly, “Aren’t you going to step in and help? Aren’t you the best at playing the savior?”

Lyon looked away and adjusted Isabella in his arms. “I don’t have time to deal with other people today.”

After the checkup, Cecilia took Isabella to the children’s bookstore next door to choose picture books.

She crouched by a shelf and picked out a bedtime story when her phone buzzed.

Lyon had sent her a text. [Need to take care of something. I’ll make it up to Isabella later.]

Almost at the same time, photos appeared on social media.

In them, he stood outside the hospital holding the car door open for the woman. He leaned down and spoke to her. He looked patient and almost gentle.

Cecilia looked at the photos and felt too exhausted to be angry.

Isabella tugged on her sleeve and pointed at a pirate picture book. “Mamma, I want this one.”

Cecilia looked down and forced out a smile. “Okay, we’ll get this one.”

When they left the store, Cecilia fastened Isabella’s seatbelt and asked softly, “Isabella, if one day your papa and I don’t live together anymore, would you want to come live with me?”