Red Side of the Moon

XVIII

"Hi, Dan," Phil smiled. He stood up from his seat in the booth to greet me.
"Hi..." I sighed. "Sit, please."
"It's so nice to see you and actually be talking to you... it seems like it's been a thousand years."
"Yeah, time sure flies... how've you been?"
"Fine, you?"
"As good as I possibly can be, I guess. How's America?"
"Lonely."
"Hmm, I'm sure," I hummed.
"Where's Luna?"
"With your mother."
"My mother?" He raised a brow.
"Well, yeah, my parents are busy and Dylan's mum is out of town."
"Dylan? Who's Dylan?"
"My fiancé."

Phil widened his eyes and leaned back in the booth. He pursed his lips and took a deep breath before fixing himself in the seat.

"You're getting married?" he tried to ask calmly. I nodded in response, as if it was nothing. "I'm assuming I'm not invited to the wedding, I guess." He forced out a laugh.
"Yeah, I hope you understand..."
"I do, no worries."
"So, um, I actually have something I need to talk about with you..."
"Which is?"

I reached into my backpack and pulled out a manilla folder with a stack of papers inside. I placed it on the table, clicked my pen, and handed all of it over to him.

"What's this?" he whispered. "Adoption papers?"
"Mhmm."
"You can't be serious," he scoffed. "Luna is my daughter and I'm not fucking sharing her."
"Phil, we could either do this the easy way or the hard way," I warned. "We both know Luna is biologically mine. I have been taking care of her practically by myself since you left. If you want to take this to court and get all technical, I can guarantee that you will lose all visiting rights to her and I will get full custody.

"If you sign these papers, I will let you see her whenever you damn well please, as long as you give me a little heads up. She loves you a lot and I'd just hate to see you phased out of her life–"
"Gee, thanks," he snarled.
"Why the fuck are you being snippy with me? We've been separated for four fucking years. Yes, I moved on. Get over it." I ground my teeth together as I spoke.
"I'm being snippy because you should be with me."
"I told you a long time ago, Lester: as long as you are living in a different country, we will never be together. I thought I made myself clear, did I not?" He didn't say anything. "Sign where the sticky notes are, please."
"I'm not signing this bullshit."
"Phil, I am not leaving here until you sign."
"Then I guess you're not leaving."
"Then I'll see you in court."

He glared at me and went to retort, but quickly stopped himself. He took the pen and started signing Luna away to Dylan. Once he was done, he clicked the pen and practically threw it at me.

"Thank you," I said. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"What makes him so special?"
"His name is Dylan and he is a person—treat him as such. And I don't know, we just clicked, y'know."
"Yeah," he scoffed, "I do know."
"He also has a daughter around Luna's age and they get along really well."
"Wait, wait, wait."
"Yeah?"
"If he's gay, how in gods name does he have a daughter? Was he in a perfectly good relationship then decided to take the kid and leave?"
"No," I frowned, "he was the godfather to his sister's kid, and his sister unfortunately died in a car crash."
"What about the dad?"
"Left before she was born."
"Shit..."
"Yeah, so shut the fuck up."
"Are you his girls dad now too?" I nodded. "What's her name?"
"Piper," I smiled. "She's this cute little strawberry blonde with all these freckles on her nose and cheeks," I gushed. "I adore her."
"You were supposed to be with me," he whispered.
"I never asked you for forever..." I shook my head and sighed.
"Bullshit! You might as well have asked me for the moon!" he shouted.

Everyone in the cafe started glaring at us. I felt tears prickle at my eyes—I shoved the papers and pen into my backpack and ran out into the drenched street. I went to haul a cab, but Phil grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I fought against his grip but eventually gave up and burst into tears.