Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Bellamy asked me a few weeks ago if I hated Ethan for what he did, because she did, and my answer was no. I don’t hate him. I don’t really feel anything for him. He’s a part of my past. One I’d rather leave behind me.
“And dinner, I wish you would let me pay you back.”
He chuckles. The sound is deep and sexy. “Not happening.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’ve already thanked me. I should be thanking you. You saved me from a night of sitting alone in a big, empty house, working.”
“The draft’s coming up, right?”
“Yeah, next week. It’s here this year, so no travel, which is good.”
“You don’t like to travel?”
“I used to live for it, but now that I have something at home more than just an empty house, it’s lost its appeal.”
“Aw, Grandpa Will’s going soft,” I tease.
That earns me another chuckle. “Nah, just realizing where I messed up all those years ago. I didn’t push to see her as I should have. I thought letting her choose was the right thing to do, and it wasn’t.”
“She gets that now. Besides, she can see the changes you’ve made. A few years ago, you would have called me an Uber and handled the towing company from the conference room, never missing a beat.”
“I’d love to tell you that you’re wrong, but that would be a lie.” Mia is resting on his shoulder, snuggled up to him, and he gently traces his large hand up and down her back, soothing her. She’s almost asleep. “I know I can’t go back, but if I had to do it over, I’d definitely do things differently.”
I nod. He’s been nothing but sincere, and I’ve spent more time with him in the last couple of years than ever before, and the sincerity bleeds from him. His actions, his words, the look on his face when he’s with Bellamy and her family. It all says, “I’m here. I’m present, and I will continue to be.”
“You showed up for me,” I tell him, my voice soft. More vulnerable than I usually am with anyone other than my best friend. “My parents don’t agree with my choice to adopt Mia on my own. They think it’s my fault that Ethan cheated on me, so I’ve removed them from my life. She’s my everything, and not a day will pass that she doesn’t know that.” I pause.
Mia saved me. She doesn’t even know it yet, but she did. In the wreckage of betrayal and whispered judgments and the suffocating disappointment in my parents’ eyes, she was light. She was my purpose. She was the one choice that was wholly mine.
“Well, you’ve got my number, and you’ve got me.”
His gaze holds mine, unwavering. There’s no flicker of doubt there. No impatience. Just quiet insistence. Like he’s willing me to step forward, to test the promise, to let him carry some of the weight when needed.
“I know how busy you are,” I say automatically. It’s a defense. A preemptive retreat. If I lower the expectation now, it won’t hurt as much later.
“Not for the two of you,” he says without hesitation.
The certainty in his voice knocks the air from my lungs.
For the two of you.
Not just me. Mia and me. A package deal. A life that comes with early mornings and sticky fingers and bedtime stories and the kind of responsibility most people politely sidestep.
He doesn’t.
I search his face for cracks. For signs of pity or unease. I find neither. Just warmth. Just intention. Just Will.
It would be so easy to lean into that. To let myself imagine what it would feel like to not carry everything alone. To have someone who shows up without being asked. Someone who stays. I don’t know if that’s in the cards for my little girl and me. What I do know is that Will’s words make my chest tighten with the unfamiliar weight of hope.
“We’re doing okay,” I tell him.
“I know you are, Mandy, but it’s okay to ask for help. To lean on those who care about you.”
I nod and swallow past the lump in the back of my throat. “She’s out.”
“Should I put her to bed?” he offers.
“Oh, I can do it.” I unfold my legs from beneath me and stand from the couch.
“I’ll do it. The less we jostle her, the better. Lead the way, Momma.” He grins, and I can’t help but smile back at him, before turning on my heel and leading him upstairs to Mia’s room.
Standing back, I watch as Will kisses the top of her head before he turns to me. I do the same before he gently lays her down in her crib. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he whispers.
Will steps back, and I take my turn, kissing my girl goodnight, even though she’s already sound asleep. His eyes find mine, and without a word, he places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the room.