“I said exactly what you heard, Armie. I didn’t mean that I thought Noelle’s life was easy. That was a manipulation to try to stir up some fire in her. I wanted her to want to prove me wrong.” She wasn’t sure why they were going over this again, but hope sparked through her. If he was willing to listen, maybe they could try again. They would go slower this time. It had been a mistake to move in. They should spend more time together, all three of them.

“But you meant well?”

She hated the fact that he felt like he had to ask her that. “I meant to get her to try something she didn’t want to try, something that could end up being incredibly good for her. Sometimes in therapy you have to be tough, but it’s all about the patient’s best interest.”

He thought about that for a moment. “Okay. I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did. I was upset. I think we both were and we let things get out of control.”

Was it really this easy? “I’m sorry we fought and I’m sorry I didn’t figure out something nicer to say to Noelle. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I can seem cold even when I’m not. I hope we can sit down and talk this out because I meant what I said. I do miss you.”

“I miss you like crazy.” He reached for her hand. “I want to see you again. Maybe I can come by and we can have dinner and talk.”

She would like that more than anything. They had a lot to talk about. “That might be nice. I just need you to promise me that you won’t toss me out the next time Noelle and I clash, because it’s normal and natural to do that. When it happens, we should all sit down and work it out. Or we could find a therapist. Actually, I think regular therapy sessions would help all of us. Especially Noelle.”

She couldn’t walk on eggshells.

He dropped her hand. “I wasn’t going to bring Noelle into it. I think that’s where we made the mistake the first time.”

“Not bring Noelle into it? Not bring her into what?”

“Our relationship. I think we should keep the two things separate. It’s obvious you have a problem with the way I’m raising my daughter. I’ve thought a lot about it, and the solution is to keep the two parts separate.”

A numbness started to creep over her. She needed to be numb or she would crack open again. “So I don’t ever come over to your place? You show up at mine and we fuck and then you leave and go back to your real family?”