Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
T he afternoon was picture-perfect, the sun casting a warm glow over Taylor’s backyard as Liam laughed and ran circles around Caleb. She leaned against the porch railing, a cold glass of iced tea in her hand, watching them with a soft smile.
If things kept moving forward, she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever. She would have to tell Caleb the truth about Liam. The thought of that conversation made her stomach twist in knots, a heavy dread settling over her. But it was inevitable—one way or another, the truth would have to come out.
Right now, though, things between them were good. Really good. For the first time in years, Taylor felt like she could breathe like she didn’t have to carry the weight of everything alone. Caleb had been patient, kind, and fully present in a way she hadn’t dared to hope for.
Caleb seemed different—calmer, more grounded as if the years apart had forced him to grow in ways she hadn’t expected.
But they hadn’t touched on the heavy topics yet, mainly his reason for leaving the first time. He was hesitant to talk about it, but before they could ever be serious, she would need to know. Right now, they were just testing the waters, wondering whether the old spark still flickered between them and whether there was a chance they could make things work.
One bad sign, though—one glimpse of the man who had hurt her so deeply—and she’d be gone. She wouldn’t hesitate to walk away this time.
And yet, so far, it almost felt too good to be true. The way he laughed and seemed so patient and attentive like he wasn’t just hearing her words but truly listening—it tugged at something deep inside her, something she wasn’t quite ready to name.
But if he learned the truth? She didn’t doubt for a second that he’d be angry—furious, even. And she couldn’t blame him. She’d kept Liam from him, made choices without him, and no amount of justifying it in her head made it easier to face what she’d done.
If she had to go back and face the same reality, she’d make the same decision. At the time, she and Caleb were done. He’d made that clear with his silence and his parting words. She wasn’t about to tie a man to her with a child, especially not one who didn’t love her.
It had been painful, agonizing even, but it was the right choice. For her, for Liam, and, she had told herself, for Caleb too.
Now, though, with Caleb back in her life, the truth about Liam loomed like a storm cloud on the horizon. She’d wait as long as she could before she told him. Not out of malice, but because she needed to be sure—sure he wouldn’t run, sure he’d want to be part of their son’s life for the right reasons.
Because if she was going to open that door, she needed to know Caleb was ready to walk through it.
For now, she clung to the fragile peace between them, savoring it while she still could. Because once that conversation happened, everything would change. And there was no guarantee it would be for the better.
The past two weeks had felt like a dream—a delicate balance of tentative steps and growing trust. Caleb had slipped seamlessly into their lives, showing up with little gifts for Liam and lending Taylor an easy companionship she hadn’t realized she missed.
“All right, buddy,” Caleb said, crouching to Liam’s level. “You’ve earned a treat. How about one of these?”
Taylor glanced over, her smile faltering as she saw Caleb holding a bright red strawberry. Liam’s eyes widened as he took a big bite, his tiny teeth sinking into the juicy fruit as he chewed happily.
Caleb said, straightening up. “He loves it.”
But just as the words left his mouth, Liam coughed—a small, dry sound that made Taylor freeze.
“Mommy, my throat feels funny,” Liam said, his voice faint and raspy.
Taylor’s heart plummeted, her iced tea forgotten as the glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground. She rushed forward, scooping Liam into her arms.
“Caleb, something’s wrong,” she said, her voice trembling.
Caleb’s expression shifted from confusion to alarm as he stepped closer, his eyes scanning Liam’s flushed cheeks and the small red rash beginning to spread down his neck.
“Damn it,” Caleb muttered, grabbing his truck keys from his pocket. “We need to get him to the ER now.”
The drive was a blur of panic and fear. Taylor sat in the backseat, holding Liam close as Caleb sped toward the hospital.
“Breathe, sweetheart,” Taylor whispered, her voice shaking as she stroked Liam’s hair. “You’re okay. Mommy’s got you.”
Liam whimpered softly, his breathing labored, and Taylor’s chest tightened with each shallow breath he took. If only she could breathe for him.
Caleb’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw tight as he navigated through traffic. “How could you not know he was allergic?” he asked, his voice strained but controlled.
Taylor’s head shot up, her eyes narrowing despite the tears pricking at the corners. “I didn’t know, Caleb. He’s never had strawberries before.”
Caleb muttered something under his breath, but Taylor ignored it, too focused on the little boy in her arms.
Hours later, the hospital room was quiet, save for the soft beep of the monitor tracking Liam’s vitals. After the doctors administered treatment, his breathing had returned to normal, and he now slept peacefully, his face pale but calm.
Taylor sat beside him, her hand wrapped around his small one, her mind reeling with the weight of the day’s events. She’d never felt so helpless, so terrified.
Caleb stood by the window, staring out at the parking lot below. His silence was unnerving, and Taylor braced herself for what was coming.
Finally, he turned, his expression a mix of frustration and something she couldn’t quite name. “He’s allergic to strawberries.”
“I figured that out,” she snapped, her nerves still raw. “Thanks for the update, Dr. Burnett.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. “Taylor, I’m serious. I was allergic to strawberries when I was a kid. So allergic that my mom couldn’t keep them in the house.”
The words hit her like a jolt, her mind spinning as she stared at him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying it’s not a coincidence,” Caleb said, stepping closer. “Taylor, is he mine?”
Her heart stopped, the question hanging in the air like a loaded gun. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, her throat tight as a thousand emotions surged at once—fear, guilt, anger.
“Answer me,” Caleb said, his voice softer now but no less insistent. “Is Liam my son?”
The fragile trust they had spent weeks rebuilding shattered in the blink of a single strawberry. The secret she had guarded so fiercely, the one she had convinced herself was for the best, dissolved in the golden light of the afternoon.
And now, Caleb stood before her, his anger barely contained, his eyes demanding answers—answers she knew he deserved but had been too afraid to give. Answers she should have told him long ago.
Taylor looked down at Liam, her fingers brushing his curls. She couldn’t lie—not anymore.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Caleb’s breath hitched, his hands dropping to his sides. For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze fixed on Liam as if seeing him for the first time.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked finally, his voice raw.
All the emotions she had buried—the pain of Caleb’s abrupt departure, the shock of finding out she was pregnant, and the crushing realization that he wasn’t coming back—came rushing at her like a tidal wave. Her throat tightened, her breath catching as the memories threatened to pull her under.
And now, after all this time, he stood before her, demanding to know why she hadn’t told him. The sheer audacity of it made her anger flare, clashing with the guilt she’d carried for years. Did he really think it had been that simple? That she could just pick up the phone and tell him after he had already left her broken and alone?
“Because you left,” Taylor said, her voice trembling as she met his gaze. “You left, Caleb. Without a word, without an explanation. When you finally called me back, it was to end our relationship.”
“I would’ve come back,” he said, his voice breaking slightly.
“Would you?” Taylor shot back, anger flaring now. “You didn’t care enough to stay. You didn’t even care enough to say good-bye. So, forgive me if I didn’t think you were ready to be a father.”
"I deserved to know I had a child," he said, his voice low but trembling with restrained anger. His eyes bored into hers, demanding an explanation, demanding answers that she wasn’t sure she could give.
"And I deserved to know why you left," she shot back, her voice shaking as all the hurt and anger she’d buried for years resurfaced, bitter and sharp, like biting into a piece of fruit gone bad.
"I was heartbroken, pregnant, and alone ," she said quietly, the words heavy with the weight of years gone by. Her gaze dropped to the floor, unable to meet his as the memories pressed against her, raw and unrelenting.
Caleb flinched, the truth of her words hitting him squarely.
“If you weren’t able to talk about why you were ending our relationship, then how did I know you were ready to become a father?”
“You’re right. I wasn’t ready,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “But I’m here now, Taylor. I want to be here. For you. For him.”
Her emotions were a tangled mess of anger, hope, and fear. She wanted to believe him—wanted to believe that he’d changed, that he was ready—but the scars he’d left behind weren’t so easily healed.
“This isn’t something you can fix with promises, Caleb,” she said, her voice steadier now. “Being his father means showing up. Every day. It means putting him first, no matter what.”
“I know,” he said, his gaze unwavering. “And I’m ready to do that. Just... let me try.”
Taylor looked down at Liam again, her heart aching with love and fear for the little boy she’d done everything to protect.
She had seen Caleb with Liam, how he played with him, made him laugh, and treated him with such gentle care. It was impossible to ignore how natural he seemed, how much Liam adored him.
But the question lingered, heavy and uncertain: could he be a good father? Was he ready to take on the responsibility, the sacrifices, the sheer enormity of what it meant to be there for a child— their child? The doubt gnawed at her, mingling with the flicker of hope she was almost afraid to feel.
Finally, she nodded, her voice soft. “One step at a time.”
Caleb’s shoulders sagged with relief, and he nodded. “One step at a time.”