Because of You
Layla Meets Her Daddy
Later on that night, I was at home with Layla watching 'Rio' when the doorbell rang. Layla was leaned against me as I held her.
"Get up." I said as she moved over. I got up and adjusted my yoga pants.
The doorbell rang again and I rushed wondering if it was Adele.
"Coming!" I yelled as I reached the door through the glass and saw Tom.
"Shit!" I said under my breath. I opened the door and let him in.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey, she's right in the den." I said as I walked away to go get her.
"Nice house." He said.
"Yeah, I worked hard for it. Layla! Baby come here!" I yelled.
She soon came around the corner.
"What's going on mommy?" She asked.
"Baby, this is your father." I said introducing them.
Suddenly she got very shy.
"Baby girl, it's okay. He won't hurt you."
She walked over and Tom got down to her level.
"Hi Layla, I'm Tom, your daddy."
"You talk funny." She giggled.
"That's because I'm British." He said with a smile.
"Did you eat yet?" I asked Tom.
"Not yet." he answered.
"Layla what do you want?" I asked
"Spaghetti." She said.
"Okay, how about you two go play in your playroom and I'll whip up something up really quick."
Layla took Tom's hand and lead him off to her playroom.
40 minutes later,
I walked to Layla's playroom to tell them that dinner was ready. I saw the cutest thing as I stepped in. Tom had her on his lap and they were talking. I crossed my arms over my chest. Tom finally looked up and Layla followed.
"Mommy, daddy named my new doll for me." She said with bright eyes.
"And what name is that?" I asked.
"Hannah." she said.
"Beautiful name." I said with a smile. "Okay time to eat and then you have to get ready for bed."
"But mom!" she whined.
"How about you go to bed and I'll read you a bedtime story." He suggested.
"Okay." She gave up.
"Oh my God, you never agree to go to bed that easily for me but you will for him. Little traitor." I said.
Tom actually laughed a little.
"Alright. Come on, let's go eat." Tom said picking her up.
***
Once Layla was asleep Tom and I sat down to talk about guidelines and rules.
"I have a few simple rules. 1) I really don't like too many strangers around Layla because of bad experience. So unless you are serious about your girlfriend please don't have her around too much."
"What bad experience?" He asked.
"An ex of my cousin's was abusive and decided that he wanted to discipline her and I nearly went to jail because of it but I didn't. 2) Don't make any promises you can't keep because it will break her heart and I will break your face. 3) Last but not least if you hurt her I will not hesitate for full custody without visitations. I'm already willing to share custody with you and if you want to take her out of town I have to go with you." I said.
"Okay. Well I have to go. I'll stop by tomorrow." He got up and grabbed his jacket.
"Wait, I have something for you." I walked over to where I kept the extra party invitations and I pulled one out of the drawer. I walked back over to him.
"Layla's birthday party is a the weekend after the next and I know she wants you to be there." I handed him the invitation.
"Okay, thank you." He said.
"Tom are you still pissed off at me? I never wanted to keep her from you but you didn't come back and when you finally did. I lost all of my nerve and I thought you were would literally kill me when you find out. " I said.
"Liv, I'm not mad. You did a great job with raising her and she's amazing. Let's try to keep things civil for our child." He said.
"Okay." I nodded.
"See you tomorrow." He said.
"Actually I have to work late and Layla will be at the store if you want you can pick her up and spend time with her." I said.
"Sounds perfect." He said.
"See you tomorrow." I said.
"Bye." He walked out of the door as I grabbed my phone and pulled up Layla's number to send a text.
Tom and I are going to be friendly for Layla's sake.
That's good.
I turned off my lights and headed upstairs.
"Get up." I said as she moved over. I got up and adjusted my yoga pants.
The doorbell rang again and I rushed wondering if it was Adele.
"Coming!" I yelled as I reached the door through the glass and saw Tom.
"Shit!" I said under my breath. I opened the door and let him in.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey, she's right in the den." I said as I walked away to go get her.
"Nice house." He said.
"Yeah, I worked hard for it. Layla! Baby come here!" I yelled.
She soon came around the corner.
"What's going on mommy?" She asked.
"Baby, this is your father." I said introducing them.
Suddenly she got very shy.
"Baby girl, it's okay. He won't hurt you."
She walked over and Tom got down to her level.
"Hi Layla, I'm Tom, your daddy."
"You talk funny." She giggled.
"That's because I'm British." He said with a smile.
"Did you eat yet?" I asked Tom.
"Not yet." he answered.
"Layla what do you want?" I asked
"Spaghetti." She said.
"Okay, how about you two go play in your playroom and I'll whip up something up really quick."
Layla took Tom's hand and lead him off to her playroom.
40 minutes later,
I walked to Layla's playroom to tell them that dinner was ready. I saw the cutest thing as I stepped in. Tom had her on his lap and they were talking. I crossed my arms over my chest. Tom finally looked up and Layla followed.
"Mommy, daddy named my new doll for me." She said with bright eyes.
"And what name is that?" I asked.
"Hannah." she said.
"Beautiful name." I said with a smile. "Okay time to eat and then you have to get ready for bed."
"But mom!" she whined.
"How about you go to bed and I'll read you a bedtime story." He suggested.
"Okay." She gave up.
"Oh my God, you never agree to go to bed that easily for me but you will for him. Little traitor." I said.
Tom actually laughed a little.
"Alright. Come on, let's go eat." Tom said picking her up.
***
Once Layla was asleep Tom and I sat down to talk about guidelines and rules.
"I have a few simple rules. 1) I really don't like too many strangers around Layla because of bad experience. So unless you are serious about your girlfriend please don't have her around too much."
"What bad experience?" He asked.
"An ex of my cousin's was abusive and decided that he wanted to discipline her and I nearly went to jail because of it but I didn't. 2) Don't make any promises you can't keep because it will break her heart and I will break your face. 3) Last but not least if you hurt her I will not hesitate for full custody without visitations. I'm already willing to share custody with you and if you want to take her out of town I have to go with you." I said.
"Okay. Well I have to go. I'll stop by tomorrow." He got up and grabbed his jacket.
"Wait, I have something for you." I walked over to where I kept the extra party invitations and I pulled one out of the drawer. I walked back over to him.
"Layla's birthday party is a the weekend after the next and I know she wants you to be there." I handed him the invitation.
"Okay, thank you." He said.
"Tom are you still pissed off at me? I never wanted to keep her from you but you didn't come back and when you finally did. I lost all of my nerve and I thought you were would literally kill me when you find out. " I said.
"Liv, I'm not mad. You did a great job with raising her and she's amazing. Let's try to keep things civil for our child." He said.
"Okay." I nodded.
"See you tomorrow." He said.
"Actually I have to work late and Layla will be at the store if you want you can pick her up and spend time with her." I said.
"Sounds perfect." He said.
"See you tomorrow." I said.
"Bye." He walked out of the door as I grabbed my phone and pulled up Layla's number to send a text.
Tom and I are going to be friendly for Layla's sake.
That's good.
I turned off my lights and headed upstairs.
