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Chapter Twenty- Nine

After dinner, Halley and Joey went in the backyard to talk, while Adam and I cleaned up. It was quiet while we picked up the dishes from the dinner table.

"I know.." He didn't look up. He looked like he wanted to say something but he was really struggling about what to say. "This is- I don't-" he took a deep breath and shut the faucet off. He turned his body to face me, then stared at the floor. "I don't want Harry around anymore."

"You're kidding? He's their father, I can't-" I furrowed my eyebrows at him, annoyed and frustrated at him for continuing to bring it up.

"You say that a lot, Taylor. Is that the only reason he's been around so much lately? " He looked up at me. He clenched his jaw and both fists tightened.

"Adam!" I snapped.

"You keep saying it. You say it so much, it's starting to sound fake."

"You're not home, I needed some help with the girls." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Don't make that excuse, Taylor." He said calmly. "I'm here now, and you still manage to be with him more than you're with me."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

He took a breath and relaxed his body. "I'm tired of fighting with you, Taylor."

"Then stop pissing me off." I thought I'd take some of the tension away by joking with him. Instead of getting lighthearted laughter, he just looked at me like his heart had just broken into sand-like pieces. He walked out of the kitchen in silence, leaving a cold wind behind.

"Tay?" Harry walked in, holding Avery.

"Mama," she called. Harry gave her to me, telling me that he has to go home.

"Harry," I said, glancing at Avery for a minute. "Hey, Ave, why don't you go play for a minute okay?" I set her down and watched her run into the living room. "I think it's time that we get back to the way things used to be. I appreciate you helping me with mom's things, but it's time we get back.." I trailed off quietly. It felt awkward and sad. I am sad.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that." He nodded his head. "Um, speaking of that. I thought I'd start dating again..." he rubbed the back of his neck.

I'm not going to lie, a part of me wanted to cry, maybe throw things, I don't know. Part of me hurt. But it was a small part. Like a knee or something?

"It's just that, you know how I feel about you. Seeing you with Adam and knowing that you are going to marry someone like him...it hurts. And I'm tired of hurting, so I thought I'd try to find..." he stopped talking.

"I understand, Harry. I'm happy for you. Good luck." I forced a smile and then walked with him to the front door.

Avery and I said goodbye to him and then walked into the living room, looking out the glass door, at Halley and Joey. They were sitting on a swing set talking and smiling at each other.

"Are you okay, mommy?" Avery asked, sleepily.

"Why do you ask, sweetheart?" I ask her, walking to her bedroom.

"You don't smile a lot anymore." She says. I lay her in bed, tucking her in.

"Mommy has had a lot on her plate honey." I sit beside her bed.

"AC says that you should share. If you wanna mama, you can share what's on your plate and put it on mine." She smiles. I laugh and kiss her forehead. "I love you, mommy." She says, then grabs her Barbie doll.

||shoutout to you guys for being amazing and giving me feedback about this story❤️❤️❤️ next chapter will be a Christmas special kind of. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas so I'll probably do a double update but I hope you have a good weekend!||