Skyler froze, Laura in her arms. "Mommy," Laura said, voice small but clear.
Skyler's heart caught. This girl quiet, tugging her sleeve for days had just called her mommy. If Chris weren't standing in the doorway, she'd have knelt down, asked her to say it again.
Chris's jaw dropped. "Dean's kid just called you Mom?" His voice cracked shock, anger, betrayal twisting together. "How long has this been going on? Did you " His face contorted. "Did you have his baby three years ago? Before we married?"
Skyler tried to close the door, one hand occupied with Laura. Chris didn't budge. "We can't do this in front of her," she said, voice low, urgent.
But his eyes burned not at Laura, at Dean. At the ghost of Dean between them. "You're still hung up on him," he spat. "Always were. Therapy sessions, late nights, now this? His daughter calls you Mom?"
Skyler's chest tightened. This wasn't about her. It never had been. It was about Dean. Obsession.
"Laura, baby," she said, setting her down gently. "Go play in your room. I need to take care of something."
Laura looked up at Chris, recognition flickering. Daddy's old friend. The scary one from the restaurant. She didn't say anything, just turned and rushed to her room, door clicking shut.
Skyler turned back, voice low and sharp. "You need to leave. Now."
He stepped closer, invading her space. "Not until you explain. How long have you been lying about Dean? About his kid?"
She backed up. "That's none of your business."
"None of my " His voice rose. "We're married, Skyler. That makes it my business."
"We agreed to boundaries," she said, ice in her voice. "You've had your girlfriends. I don't ask. You don't ask."
His face darkened. "I haven't questioned you once in three months. And now I find out Dean's three-year-old calls you Mom?" He grabbed her wrist not violent, but controlling, pulling her close. "How long? How long have you been playing house with him?"
"Let go of me."
He yanked her closer. "You're my wife. On paper, legally. You wear my ring "
The door burst open.
"Surprise!" Jessi's voice sang, bright and cheerful. She had a spare key, loved dropping by unannounced.
She froze, taking in the scene Chris's hand on Skyler's wrist, Skyler's rigid posture, tension crackling between them.
"Oh," Jessi said, smile faltering. "Sorry, did I interrupt...?"
Chris dropped Skyler's wrist immediately, stepping back, forcing a smile. "Just a disagreement. Married couple stuff."
Skyler's face was carefully neutral, but her hands shook. "Chris was just leaving."
He shot her one last look warning, promise, threat then brushed past Jessi. "We'll talk later," he muttered, disappearing down the hall.
Skyler exhaled, relief flooding through her.
Jessi closed the door, concern creeping into her voice. "Sky, are you okay? That looked—"
"I'm fine," Skyler said quickly. Too quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"Surprise visit! I brought" Jessi' s eyes caught movement. Laura's door creaking open. A small blonde head peeking out.
Laura saw the scary man was gone. She rushed out, straight to Skyler, arms wrapping around her leg.
Jessi's jaw dropped. A little girl. Clinging to her sister.
"Mommy," Laura said, pointing at Jessi, voice cautious. "Who's she?"
The word hit like a lightning strike.
Mommy.
Jessi's eyes went wide, a thousand questions forming on her lips—
A gasp from the hallway.
Jessi spun. "Mom? What are you—"
Their mother stood frozen in the doorway, face drained of color. Chris must have called her, told her to come. Her eyes locked on Laura blonde curls, hazel eyes, tiny hand clutching Skyler's leg.
A child.
Calling her daughter Mommy.
"Sky?" Her mother's voice was barely a whisper, strangled. "You have a... a child?"
Skyler's stomach dropped. "Mom, I can explain—"
"Mommy?" Her mother's voice cracked, louder now. "She called you Mommy."
Silence.
Her mother's gaze darted between Skyler and Laura, between the ring on Skyler's finger and the three-year-old at her feet. The math didn't work. Chris said they weren't trying for children. They'd only been married three months.
"How long?" her mother whispered. "How long have you been hiding this?"
"Mom—"
"Whose child is she?" Her voice rose, shaking. "If you and Chris weren't trying if you've only been married—" Horror dawned on her face. "so whose baby is that ?"
Skyler said nothing. Couldn't say anything without revealing everything the fake marriage, Dean, all of it.
Her mother stared at her. At the daughter she thought she knew. At the lies stacking between them.
Then her knees buckled, and she collapsed.