16. Rendal

CHAPTER 16

Rendal

I wake up with a start, the weight on my chest feeling like a physical presence. The memories of yesterday flood back, and I groan, rubbing my face with my hands. Chloe's hurt expression, Valeria's smug smile, and Zola's oblivious joy all swirl in my mind.

Sitting up, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. The clock reads 6:30 AM, but I know sleep won't come again. I need to fix this mess.

As I shuffle to the kitchen to make coffee, I can't help but think of Zola. My little girl, caught in the middle of this adult drama. She loves having both her parents around, and I can't fault her for that. But at what cost?

The coffee maker gurgles, and I lean against the counter, lost in thought. Valeria's words echo in my head. "Zola's been asking when we're all going to be together again." It's a low blow, using our daughter like that.

But then there's Chloe. Sweet, patient Chloe, who's been nothing but understanding through all of this. I remember her words from last night. "I don't know how much more I can take of Valeria being around all the time." The pain in her voice was unmistakable.

I take a sip of my coffee, grimacing at the bitterness. Or maybe it's just the situation leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I know I need to talk to Valeria, set some boundaries. But the thought of that conversation fills me with dread. Valeria's never been one to back down easily.

My phone buzzes, and I see a text from Chloe.

"Hope you slept well. Thinking of you."

A small smile tugs at my lips, but it's quickly replaced by determination. I can't let this continue. For Chloe's sake, for Zola's sake, and for my own sanity, I need to confront Valeria.

I finish my coffee and head to the shower, my mind racing with how to approach this delicate situation. As the water washes over me, I try to find the right words, the right approach. But deep down, I know there's no easy way out of this.

I just finished getting dressed when I hear the familiar knock on the door and my stomach tightens. It's Valeria, here to pick up Zola. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the interaction ahead.

"Zola, sweetie, your mom's here!" I call out, forcing a cheerful tone. I open the door to find Valeria standing there, a practiced smile on her face.

"Hey, Rendal," she says, her voice soft and familiar. "How's our little girl doing?"

Before I can answer, Zola comes bounding down the hallway. "Mommy!" she exclaims, wrapping her arms around Valeria's legs.

"Hey, baby," Valeria coos. "Go grab your things, okay? Mommy needs to talk to Daddy for a minute."

As Zola scampers off to her room, Valeria turns her attention back to me. Her eyes soften, and I feel the familiar tug of our shared history.

"Remember when we used to do this together?" she asks, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "Getting Zola ready, I mean. We were quite the team."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Valeria takes this as encouragement and continues.

"You know, Zola seems so much happier when we're together," she says, her eyes never leaving mine. "She lights up when she sees us in the same room. Don't you think that means something?"

I feel the weight of her words, the implied accusation. Am I depriving my daughter of happiness by not being with her mother? The thought makes my chest tighten.

"I just want what's best for Zola," I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. "That's all that matters."

Valeria's face lights up at my response, and I can see the satisfaction in her eyes. She thinks she's won this round, and maybe she has. But as I watch her smile, all I can think about is Chloe and the pain this will cause her.

Zola returns with her backpack, and after a quick goodbye, they're gone. The house falls silent, eerily so. I sink onto the couch, my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind.

My eyes fall on a framed photo on the coffee table. It's of Zola and Valeria, taken during happier times. They're both laughing, their faces alight with joy. I pick it up, running my thumb over the glass.

Is this what's best for Zola? To have her parents together, to give her that complete family she deserves? The thought of making my little girl happy is tempting, so tempting it hurts.

But then I think of Chloe. Chloe, who's brought so much light into my life. The thought of losing her, of giving up the happiness we share, makes my chest tighten with anxiety. I set the photo down, my hand shaking slightly.

I stare at my phone, watching it vibrate on my desk. Chloe's name flashes on the screen, and my stomach twists into knots. I let it ring, telling myself I'm too busy with work to answer. The call ends, and a text message pops up moments later.

"Hey, haven't heard from you in a while. Everything okay?"

I swallow hard, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. I type out a quick response, hating myself for the lie.

"Sorry, swamped with work. Talk later."

I hit send and toss the phone aside, burying my face in my hands. This isn't fair to Chloe, and I know it. But every time I think about calling her back, about explaining everything that's going on with Valeria and Zola, I freeze up.

Days pass, and the pattern continues. Chloe calls, I ignore it. She texts, I give short, noncommittal responses. I tell myself it's for Zola's sake, that I'm just trying to figure out what's best for my daughter. But deep down, I know I'm running away from the difficult conversation I need to have.

One evening, as I'm tucking Zola into bed, she looks up at me with those big, innocent eyes.

"Daddy, when are we going to see Miss Chloe again? I miss her and Penelope."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I know she got used to seeing them outside of school, and I've been taking that away from her. I force a smile, smoothing her hair back from her forehead.

"Soon, sweetheart. We've all been busy lately."

As I leave her room, the guilt weighs heavy on my shoulders. I'm not just hurting Chloe, I'm hurting Zola too. And Penelope, who's become such a good friend to my daughter.

The next day, I run into Chloe at the school. I'm there to pick up Zola, and she's just finishing up for the day. Our eyes meet across the hallway, and I see the hurt and confusion in her gaze.

"Rendal," she says, her voice soft but strained. "It's…been a while."

I nod, my throat tight. "Yeah, of course. I've just been-"

"Busy with work," she finishes for me, a hint of bitterness in her tone. "I know. You've said."

We stand there in awkward silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. I open my mouth to explain, to tell her everything about Valeria and my fears for Zola, but the words won't come.

But then my daughter comes running out and I sweep her up in my arms. Instead of facing Chloe like I should, I make an excuse about getting Zola home and turn to leave.

But it sticks with me. All through the afternoon when Chloe doesn't call or text once. And I decide it's time to at least talk to someone about it.

I decide to call Grak, needing someone to talk to who isn't tangled up in this mess. He agrees to come over, bringing Mira along to play with Zola.

As the girls run off to Zola's room, giggling about some secret game, Grak turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, spill it. You look like you've been chewing on a sour lemon for days."

I can't help but chuckle. "That obvious, huh?"

"Rendal, my friend, you've got 'hot mess' written all over your big green face."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "It's Valeria... and Chloe. And Zola. Hell, it's everything."

Grak nods sagely. "Ah, the classic 'ex-wife, new girlfriend, kid in the middle' conundrum. Tale as old as time."

"You're not helping," I grumble, but I can't keep the smile off my face.

"Sorry, sorry. Go on, tell Uncle Grak all about it."

I glare at him. "Don't say shit like that."

He only arcs an eyebrow, and I take a deep breath and launch into the whole story - Valeria's manipulation, Chloe's hurt, and my own indecision.

"I feel like I'm being pulled in a thousand directions," I confess. "I want to do right by Zola, but I also... I'm falling for Chloe, Grak. Like actually falling for her." I swallow back the three words on the tip of my tongue, uncertainty winning out. "And I'm screwing it all up."

Grak listens intently, nodding along. When I finish, he leans back, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, my friend, it sounds like you've got yourself in quite the pickle. Or should I say, quite the orc-ward situation?"

I groan at the pun, but Grak just grins.

"Look, Rendal," he continues, his tone turning serious. "You can't keep running from this. You need to be honest - with Chloe, with Valeria, and most importantly, with yourself."

"But how?" I ask, feeling lost. "How do I balance all of this without hurting anyone?"

Grak shrugs. "You probably can't avoid hurting someone's feelings. But being honest and upfront will hurt a lot less in the long run than sneaking around and avoiding the issue."

I nod, knowing he's right. "So, what? I just call them both up and say, 'Hey, let's have a chat about our complicated love triangle'?"

Grak laughs. "Well, maybe not in those exact words. But yeah, you need to talk to them. Set boundaries with Valeria, be honest with Chloe about what you're feeling. And for fuck's sake, stop ignoring her calls!"

I wince, feeling guilty. "Yeah, that wasn't my finest moment."

"No kidding. You're lucky she hasn't turned you into a toad yet. I hear kindergarten teachers have that power, you know."

I can't help but laugh at that. "Thanks, Grak. I needed this."

He claps me on the shoulder. "Anytime, big guy. Now, how about we grab a beer and you can tell me all about how you're going to grovel for Chloe's forgiveness?"

I nod, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. The path forward is still daunting, but at least now I know what I need to do.