So I had to be a grownup and get on with it.

I was digging through my makeup tray trying to find the lipstick I was looking for when my phone on the bathroom counter rang.

I looked to it and my heart stopped beating.

It was Conrad.

He’d never phone unless something was wrong with the kids.

I snatched it up, sucking in breath, took the call and put the phone to my ear.

“Conrad?”

“I’ll thank you to phone your brother and tell him to stop badgering me.”

I shot straight and looked unseeing into the mirror.

“I’m sorry?” I asked.

“He’s phoned twice, laying into me about turning my children against you, and I’ll not have it, Amelia.”

“Our children, Conrad.”

“What?” he clipped.

“Our children,” I repeated. “And if Lawrie’s calling you and you don’t want to hear from him, don’t answer the phone.”

“If this is your latest tactic—”

“Right,” I cut him off. “We’re not doing this,” I declared firmly. “I had no idea Lawrie was calling you but he’s a big boy. He does what he does. I can’t control him. I’ll phone him to ask him to stop. If he doesn’t, you be a big boy and don’t take his calls. Problem solved. What I won’t do is have you blaming me for something I didn’t do. And, I’ll ask, since I didn’t do it, that you don’t bitch to our children about their uncle badgering you when calling twice is hardly badgering, and doing that bitching blaming that on me. Truly, Conrad, with all that’s happening, you should man up and not complain to our children about the situation you created.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked hostilely.

“Think on it,” I answered. “Now, I’m late preparing for a date and I have to get going. But I’ll say one last thing and that is, you made it clear that communication between us should be curtailed completely. I’ve had you communicating with me twice while I’ve been in Maine, and twice it was unpleasant and unnecessary. So that goes both ways. I’ll leave you to your life. You leave me to mine. And in between, we share our children. Now, have a good evening, Conrad.”

“Amel—” he started.

I hung up and when I saw his name pop on my screen when my phone started ringing again almost immediately, I ignored it and kept digging for my lipstick.

* * * * *