Cameron

After Izzy's outburst at Maya's salon last week I told Maddie that I could watch her on the days she works there. It's only three days, and I've got everything Izzy could possibly need here now. I'm finally prepared to take her for a day by myself.

I'm busy cleaning up the apartment, double-checking every possible surface of the floor to make sure there's nothing Izzy could put in her mouth. I even made sure to put child locks on all of the cabinets, and I put outlet protectors on every single outlet in sight.

Maybe I'm being too cautious, but I don't think that's a thing when it comes to a baby. You should always be cautious about their safety, right?

My phone starts to buzz on the counter, so I quickly answer it, assuming it's Maddie. She's supposed to drop Izzy off at any minute.

"Hey. Are you almost here?"

"Uh..." A male voice chuckles, so I pull the phone away from my ear and see that it's my agent Thomas that has called me, not Maddie. "Not sure who you were expecting, but it's your agent. Did you forget me already?"

"Oh, shit. Sorry," I mutter quickly. "What's up?"

"Well... I actually have great news. I was contacted by GQ. They want you to be on the cover of next month's issue."

"They do?"

"Yep. I've got all of the arrangements set up for this weekend. Your flight leaves at noon on Friday."

Fuck.

This weekend?

"Can I get back to you on that?" I ask.

There's silence for a few seconds, and I hold my breath as I wait for his response. "In all honesty Cameron, what is there to think about? It's a multi-million dollar cover here. You're one of the youngest bachelors to be featured. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

I'm not a bachelor. I've never thought I was a bachelor. Mainly because my heart has always belonged to one person.

So that's why I decide to just blurt it out.

"I have a kid, Thomas. I just found out right before the season ended."

More silence.

Nothing but silence.

"Are you still there?" I clear my throat from the awkwardness. "Did you hear me?"

"I did. Sorry. I just..." He sighs. "Did you contact your publicist about this yet? Before any stories start?"

"Stories? What possible stories could come about from this?"

"Cameron." He sighs again, and I can picture him putting his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "I get that you're new at this, alright? But once the media finds out about who this woman is they'll come up with all kinds of things. Using you for money, fame... You name it."

"They have nothing to come up with. She's been in my life since I was a kid."

"But the world doesn't know that. You have to be smart about this, Cameron. Just promise me that you'll get in touch with your publicist as soon as possible so that you can release this information yourself before it gets twisted."

"Okay, okay." I laugh. "Will it make you less mad at me if I agree to the photo shoot so that you can get your cut?"

"Cameron, that's not what this is about."

"Will it make you less mad?" I repeat.

Finally, after about another ten seconds of silence, he laughs and says, "Slightly, yeah."

Knocks on the door sound off. Maddie and Izzy must be here. Just the thought of seeing them both again makes me in a much better mood.

"Okay, then I'll be there. I'll leave on Friday and figure it out. I have to go though, okay?"

"Contact your publicist please!" He warns before I hang up.

Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I open up the door and immediately reach my hands out for Izzy. I haven't seen her in two days.

"Baby girl!" I exclaim, pulling her close to my chest. "How are you? Are you ready for your first day alone with daddy? Can you say daddy?"

She giggles, those bright green eyes shining just like mine. It's an indescribable feeling whenever I look at her.

"We'll work on it." I chuckle when she does nothing but stare up at me with a smile before I pull Maddie into a hug. Her hair is straightened, and her makeup is lightly applied with a blazer on. She looks so professional, and also incredibly hot. "Hello to you too," I murmur into her ear but refrain from kissing her. After last week in my apartment-- and in the car-- I don't know where that exactly leaves us. She said she wanted to go back to healthy co-parenting, so that's exactly what I'm doing.

"Do you have everything you need for today?" She walks in and glances around the apartment, almost as if she's looking for something to be unsafe. I appreciate that she cares about Izzy's safety so much though. "Thanks again for offering to do this."

"You don't have to thank me," I remind her. "I want to spend time with her. It's fine."

"Okay." She forms her lips together in a thin line before she smiles. "I should probably get going. I'm running late today."

Giving Izzy a kiss goodbye on the cheek, she looks like she wants to give me one too, but instead, she gives me my forearm a squeeze. "Alright, see you."

I take Izzy's hand and wave it. "Say, bye mommy."

"Bye, baby." She smiles, her eyes catching mine for a little longer than they should.

"Oh! Maddie." I call her name before she walks out the door and she slowly turns around. "Uh, listen. This is stupid, but my agent wants me to release a statement that I have a child with you. I'm not going to put Izzy's picture or anything out there, but if I don't and someone gets a photo of me with her then the media will run wild with different stories. I don't want you to get caught up in that."

I can see her think it through, looking from Izzy to me before she shrugs. "If that's what you think is best."

"Is it okay with you though?"

"I think it's inevitable that it's going to come out sooner or later, so if this is the best way to go about it then I think you should."

Maddie isn't fond of the fame. I know this. I could see it written all over her face the night we went out to dinner and that girl interrupted us. It's not easy. I just hope she won't resent me because of it.

While we're on the track of irritating her, I figure I should come clean about the rest.

"And I won't be able to hang out Sunday. I have to leave for the weekend. Apparently, I'm going to be on the cover of GQ."

"Wait, really?" Her eyes widen in shock. "Are you serious? That's the magazine where all of the covers look-"

"Incredibly pretentious?" I raise a brow and nod my head. "I'll probably be shirtless and oiled up, but I'm getting a pretty paycheck for it, and I have more to think about than myself now." Then I take Izzy's hand and kiss her cheek. "If daddy has to take a shirtless picture so that you can be set for life then so be it."

Maddie laughs, and the sound is like music to my ears. She's not annoyed, or upset, she's just standing there looking at the two of us looking happy as ever.

"Well, daddy needs to make sure mommy gets a copy of that magazine," she teases, and I get breathless from the way she's clearly flirting with me.

Do I flirt back?

Hell, I'm going to.

I take a step closer to her and grab her by the waist, a smoldering expression coming over me. "You don't need a magazine," I say mischievously. "You can see the whole thing whenever you please. All you have to do is call."

"Oh yeah?" She peeks up at me through her eyelashes, and I swear I'm about to kiss her until Izzy coos, interrupting the both of us.

I clear my throat and take a step back, trying to calm myself down. "Healthy co-parenting. Easier said than done."

***

I'm three hours in and I haven't been able to get her to stop crying. It's like whenever Maddie left she freaked out. I don't blame her, I know that she's never had a day alone with me before, but I seriously don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.

"Izzy," I repeat, letting out a frustrated sigh. "What is it, baby girl? Do you want a banana? Are you hungry?"

Bouncing her on my hip, I grab one out of my fruit bowl and start to un-do it, but she wails and smacks it out of my hand. The banana falls to the floor with a thud, smearing all over the hardwood.

Inhaling another deep breath, I fight the urge to call Maddie. I've literally tried everything at this point. Her diaper has already been changed twice, I've given her multiple options for food, and I've tried milk, juice, water, you name it. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

But I want Maddie to have a stress-free day. She hardly ever gets time to herself, especially at the salon. I want to be able to do this by myself.

Izzy continues to wail, and it finally gets to the point where I hit a mental break, laughing in disbelief. The anger subsides, the irritation vanishes, and all I can do is give up.

"Okay, you win." I laugh again and sit down with her on the play mat on the floor. Encanto is playing in the background, and I collapse onto my back, running my hands over my face.

Izzy sits on her butt and stares at me, and suddenly the crying seems to come to a stop. She smiles as she stares down at me, and I figure it must be weird seeing someone as big as me staring up at her.

"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief, but there's so much relief. I did it. I don't know how the hell I did it, but I did it. Daddy fixed it. "Is this all you needed? For me to be on the floor with you?"

She giggles and picks up her turtle, making a swooshing sound as if she wasn't just having a meltdown for the past three hours.

"Parenting is weird," I say out loud and grab onto her hand. "It's just me and you though, kid."

I'm exhausted. I'm so tired. It just makes me appreciate Maddie that much more. She seriously handles this every day all while working three jobs. What in the actual hell?

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I let Izzy watch Encanto as I remain on the floor. I don't want to do anything that will make her more upset than she already is.

I do send a text to Maddie though.

Hey, just a thought, but how about I watch Izzy for the night? Give you a day to yourself? 

While I wait for her response I send a text to Ethan.

Please send me Maya's cash app.

Within seconds Ethan responds with a username, so I quickly send Maya three hundred dollars and send her a text as well.

Please let Maddie get off an hour or two early today if possible to get her nails, hair, or whatever she wants done and give her the money, please. She'd refuse it from me, and I know you won't let her say no to you. Thank you :)

Maddie texts me back while I wait for a response from Maya.

Are you sure you're okay with watching her for the whole night? You don't have to do that.

I'm fine, I text back. You deserve a night off. I'm realizing just how much you deal with on a daily basis. Please, have a relaxing day today, drink some wine when you get home and let me do this for you, okay?

Then I move closer to Izzy and snap a picture of both of us. She's smiling with her chubby cheeks, acting like a completely different kid than she was earlier.

I send the picture to Maddie just to reassure her that we'll be fine, and as I do that I get a text back from Maya.

Will do ;) She writes. Keep this up and you'll be back with her in no time, Holden.

Man, I really hope so.