We Just Need Us (Second Generation Book 5)

Chapter 16

CLEMMY

“So when does the asshole get here?” Jace doesn’t seem to see an issue in already starting shit today as he rocks his infant daughter in his arms.  

I loudly put down the container of sour cream and look over at my mom with begging eyes, “Mom, you promised me!”

She points her finger at Jace, “Stop it, now. We already had this conversation.”

“You said that we had to be nice TO him, but he isn’t here and I’m not talking to him, so technically, I’m not disobeying any of the rules.”

“Yeah, well your round-about way of getting your insults in is annoying. You and all your fucking jerkfaces need to keep your comments to yourself while he is here.”

“Geez, check out the mouth on this one, Aunt Brielle.” Jace remarks.

“Jace, I will have your mother use a wooden spoon on you like she used to back in the day. Get out of this kitchen before you get in trouble.” Mom has my back and Jace leaves the kitchen, but I still feel the anger running through my blood.

I stir the ranch dressing mix into the sour cream a little harder than I have to in an attempt to get the anger out of my system. My mom walks over next to me and lays her hand on my forearm. ‘Breathe, Baby.”

“I can’t, Mom. I can feel the tension in the air and he isn’t even here yet. Even when Daddy dropped by the house this morning to pick up the decorations I had, I could just feel the difference in him.”

“You’re smart enough to know that this was a risk that you took inviting him to come today. I know that Robbie is in town now and he is desperate to make up for lost time, but that doesn’t mean all those men out there are as quick to forgive as you are.”

“I’m not saying that I have completely forgiven him and I don’t expect everybody to just forget what he did, but they should at least be able to set it aside for Vivienne. Isn’t that what is the most important thing?”

“Vivienne’s happiness IS very important, but you know how all these men are. They’re going to do whatever they want to do at the end of the day. I promise that all us women will do what we can to keep them under control. You just focus on your little girl’s birthday party, okay?”

“I’ll try, Mom. Thank you for everything and for letting us have the birthday party here at the ranch again.” 

She leans over and kisses my temple. “I love you, Clemmy. Today is going to be a good day, I promise.”

Today is Vivienne’s birthday party, even though her actual birthday isn’t until Wednesday. We’re having the entire family, plus a few friends from school, over for a birthday party. The biggest news of the day is that Robbie is going to be here. We both went back and forth on whether he should come, but at the end of the day it was all about Vivienne and not about any of the other petty bullshit that may exist in the family right now.

He was in St. Louis for about a week tying up loose ends and then packed his truck and moved down here. I thought he was kidding about sleeping in his truck, but he literally slept in his truck the first night because he got here too late to get a room at the hotel. I was half tempted to tell him he could sleep on the couch, but I’m trying to keep clear lines drawn between us. I know there are still emotions between us, but I’m not in a place right now to even be thinking about that. Right now my focus and Robbie’s focus needs to be solely on Vivienne.

He’s been staying at the hotel, but he did sign a six month lease on a studio apartment above the furniture shop on Main Street. It is practically the size of the hotel, but it will be his and he’ll be close by. I will even feel safe letting Vivienne go there and spend some time with him. She’s absolutely loving her daddy being around. I almost want to cry anytime she tells somebody that her daddy came back home.