She felt completely ganged up on. Which was exactly what was happening and Sioni had planned it that way. "I am not worried about my daughter's weight." She scoffed. He knew full well what she meant. He knew she meant the harm of the two of them being so close together. Her constant fear that Kaleb would some how manage to figure out that Charlie was not his. She was trying very hard to keep Sioni out of her life. Spending time with him would only make it worse. It was already worse.

"Hot chocolate is mostly milk" Grace agreed. At least her daughter had the excuse of not understanding the situation for wanting to continue spending time with the self described Uncle.

"Well you may have one. That's how long we can stay. Charlie is too little for Hot Chocolate. And I don't want any." Of course what she actually meant by I don't want any was I don't want you.That was a lie too.

"Ferch pert." Grace giggled again.

He asked to carry Charlie. She wanted to let him. She really did. Espa wanted them to be able to have a normal relationship with a daughter they could raise together. But that was not the way things were. Charlie was his, but she couldn't be. There was no point in making it worse than it already was. "No. You can't. I've got her." There was a small chance Charlie would not go to Sioni anyway. He was a stranger to her. "And Charlie will mind not getting her nap on time. She gets fussy if she doesn't get sleep." And he would not be the one putting up with that. She would. And then Kaleb would come home and be upset that Charlie was fussy. Then she would have two babies to deal with not to mention the broken heart.

This had to be why he told her he loved her so often. So she would forgive the things he did in between. She let him pick up her blanket and the things she'd brought for Grace and Charlie to play with. Grace held on to the red stuffed dragon tightly whispering things to it that Esperanza could not quite hear as she stood, arms wrapped tightly around Charlie, half afraid Sioni was going to take her.