Chapter 39 Calliope
CALLIOPE
Valentine’s Day dawns with bright sun, a warm blue sky reminiscent of the middle of June, and a hundred red roses delivered by a pink van at nine in the morning.
I stand at the front door, holding a cup of coffee and watching the delivery men grab the last baskets of roses from the back of their van.
“What the hell?” Mom comes down the stairs, rubbing one eye, and immediately stops dead. “Calliope, what the hell have you done?”
“Nothing, Mom,” I sigh softly. “These are a gift.”
“From who?”
Lifting the cup to my lips, I sip slowly as the couriers move past me with a polite smile. “Elijah. For Valentine’s.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she mutters. “I can’t believe you’re thinking of getting back with him.”
“Not thinking,” I correct with another sip. “It’s a done deal. He’s invited me out to lunch.”
“Don’t be so stupid—”
“Mom.” I snap gently and turn to face her. “Stop. This is my decision. I’ve thought about how I feel, and I’m happy. You should be happy for me too.”
“But—”
“And before you start, don’t worry. I’ll have the roses moved to my apartment. Nick and I are moving back home so you’re free to do what you want with your house.”
She gazes at me with her eyes wide with shock. “You’re leaving?”
“We can’t live together, Mom. It’s not working. I love you, but I think if I stay any longer, we’ll both hate each other, and I don’t want that. So Nick and I are going home.”
“We’re going home!” Nick races past me and down the hall with a yell of delight, trailing a bunch of petals behind him as he runs with roses in his hands.
“Be careful!” I call after him. “Watch for thorns!”
“No thorns,” says one of the couriers as they walk back out of the living room. “These roses are thorn-free.”
My smile widens. “Of course they are. He thinks of everything. Is that all of them?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” the second courier replies with a smile as he walks past me. “Have a lovely day.”
“You too!” After closing the door, I turn back to Mom who still stands there staring at me in shock. “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”
“I’m just protective, Calliope. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Mom. I know.” Despite the surprise on her face, I’m certain there’s a flicker of relief in her eyes. If there’s anything to be salvaged from our strained relationship, it can’t happen here.
After a breakfast of cereal and toast, Nick and I head out to the park for a morning of feeding the ducks, admiring a swan that walks so close to Nick he nearly passes out from delight, and a race to see who can swing the highest of the swings.
Nick wins of course because by his logic, he’s smaller and thus, he goes higher because of science.
His explanations bring a warm smile to my face, and it remains all the way to lunchtime. The world feels different.
I feel different.
I had our family lawyer look over the contract Elijah brought and he confirmed that it’s painfully in my favor.
No matter what happens between us, my new job is secure and I have all the protections one could need when having a child with the CEO.
Even if our relationship turns utterly sour and bitter, I’m comfortable knowing my job and income remain secured even if the company goes bankrupt.
In my lawyer’s words, the contract is almost too generous.
I signed on the bottom line immediately.
As the afternoon rolls around, I take Nick to the bistro that Elijah invited me to lunch.
We walk around the corner and I spot him immediately waiting outside.
He wears a light pink top and dark jeans, with his hair slicked back just enough to be smart, but the ends remain flicked and wild, just the way I like.
“It’s Elijah!” Nick sprints away from me immediately, running right up to him and colliding with Elijah’s leg. “Hi!”
“Hey, kiddo.” Elijah’s expression melts from surprise to warmth as he locks eyes with Nick and then glances up to me. “Hi.”
“Hi. I hope you don’t mind that I brought him.”
Elijah’s smile wavers. “Not in the slightest.”
“Are you coming for lunch?” Nick asks, staring up at the two of us with his big eyes.
“If you want me to,” Elijah replies. “I could eat.”
“Yay!” Nick stamps his feet and then turns back to me. “I’m hungry.”
“Then we'd better get you some food before you waste away, huh?” I gently poke his belly and then scoop him up into my arms, carrying him all the way inside.
The waiter seats us in a booth at the back, and we all order toasted sandwiches and shakes, under Nick’s orders since, according to him, he knows what’s best, and we’re happy to play along. Elijah sits across from us and a rosy hue warms his cheeks as he watches us.
Now might be the time.
“Nick?”
He lifts his head from tracing the patterns on the menu. “Mmhmm?”
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say as Elijah suddenly straightens up in his seat. “And it’s really important so I need you to listen to me, okay?”
Nick’s lips purse but he nods. “Okay.”
“Do you remember in the car when we talked about your dad? How he was away?”
His brows immediately pinch. “Mmhmm. On the mission.”
“Well…” Taking a deep breath, I glance at Elijah. “He came home. After a very, very long trip, and now he’s here to see you.”
Nick’s eyes narrow slightly and he starts toying with a loose thread on his pants. “To see me?”
“Mmhmm. I’ve been telling him all about you and he’s actually really shy because he’s worried you might be mad at him. Or me.”
“Why?”
“Well… he was away for a long time. He missed a lot.”
“That’s okay,” Nick replies confidently. “You said it was important. And I… I know Sarah’s mom goes away all the time on important stuff in other countries.”
“Yes, she’s a soldier. Your dad isn’t like that, but it was definitely not his choice to be away.”
“I’m not mad,” Nick says, although I’m not sure how much I believe him.
“Do you want to meet him?”
Suddenly, Nick shakes his head and my heart sinks. “No.”
“Why not, baby?”
“Because he won’t like me.”
I immediately reach for him. “Baby, that’s not true. I know he likes you!”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do! Because he’s already met you and I know he thinks you’re the most awesome little dude on the planet.”
Elijah’s chewed his nail all the way down to his finger as he sits there, staring.
“He’s met me?” Nick pulls his head away from my chest and gazes up at me.
“He has, baby.”
“Who?”
My heart immediately skips a beat and suddenly, I’m more nervous than I ever have been in my life. “He’s right there, baby. Elijah… he’s your daddy.”
Nick turns his wide eyes on Elijah and time seems to freeze. Elijah doesn’t move or speak. He looks far too terrified to even breathe, but he eventually smiles slowly. Neither of them speaks so I try to fill the silence.
“He would have told you earlier, but I was scared he was going to leave again so I kept it a secret. I’m sorry, Nick.”
He continues to stare at Elijah and then he sighs suddenly. “Phew. I thought it was going to be somebody new!”
An unexpected bubble of laughter rises within me that I’m barely able to stifle. “No, baby, not someone new. Elijah is your dad.”
“Hey, kiddo,” he says as he finally finds his voice. “It’s so good to meet you properly.”
“You took your time,” Nick sighs. “You missed all my birthdays.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“With presents?” Nick suddenly starts rubbing at his eyes.
“With presents,” Elijah promises.
“Nick, baby, are you okay? It’s okay if you don’t know how you’re feeling.”
He looks at me and large tears flood his eyes, even as he tries to hide it. “I’m fine,” he chokes out. “I’m fine.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
My heart shatters as his face crumples. “D–Does this mean I can have a dad for the dad race at sports day?” he asks, his voice trembling violently even as he still fights his tears.
“Of course you can! Oh, baby, of course you can! Your dad would love to, wouldn’t he?”
“He would,” Elijah replies thickly, his eyes misting over. “I would be honored to.”
“Yay!” Nick cheers even as he bursts into sobs. “I always wanted one.”
I can’t hold back on my tears any longer as Nick sobs into my arms. The rest of the bistro fades to the background as I cradle Nick and let him cry out his delighted yet confused feelings while tears roll down my own cheeks.
Elijah gets out of his seat and comes around to join us in the same booth, unable to hide his own tears.
“It’s okay, baby,” I gasp, kissing the top of Nick’s head. “You’re gonna be okay.”
We hold him together and Nick cries for a good ten minutes even as he admits he doesn’t understand why. By the time all our tears dry, the waiter is nearby with a concerned look and our food. As he sets it down, the tears turn to laughter at how awkward the waiter looks.
“Mommy?” Nick gazes up at me with his flushed face.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Can I have cake instead?”
I don’t have the heart to say no right now. “Of course you can. Do you want to go pick one out?” I’ve barely finished talking and he’s wiggled out of the booth, slipped under the table, and rushed away.
“Wow,” Elijah gasps. “When you said you wanted to tell him, I thought he was going to be mad.”
“He might be mad later,” I admit. “He’s a good kid but it will take some work. You have to be prepared for that.”
“I’m prepared,” Elijah replies, and by his tone I can tell how committed he is.
“I’ve never seen you cry before.” I reach up and gently brush my knuckles against his damp cheek.
“Surprised I have a heart?”
“Maybe.” I smile, one eye locked on Nick as he gazes at the cakes.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Elijah murmurs in my ear, taking my hand. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Thank you for not giving up on me when I told you how crazy my mind was. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“I could never give up on you,” he replies. “I love you far too much for that and I have so much time to make up for.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss just under my ear.
“I love you too.” My voice quavers as he kisses up my neck to my jaw, then captures my lips in a sweet, tender kiss filled with promises I never thought I’d have.
We finish lunch together like a real family, with Nick devouring a slice of chocolate cake almost as big as his head. Then we leave the bistro hand in hand with Nick between us.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Is Daddy gonna be for you too or is he all mine?”
Elijah laughs loudly and smirks at me. “Am I being split in half?”
“Maybe.” I smirk. “Of course he’s for both of us.”
“Hmm.” Nick sighs deeply. “Okay, fine, but you’re not getting any presents, right? Because you're grown up and I’m not, so maybe I should get your presents.”
As we walk hand in hand back down the street toward the park, my heart is full and my steps are light. “Sure, you can get my presents.”
“Good.” Nick grins.
I glance at them both, watching Elijah gazing down at his son with such adoration in his eyes.
I don’t need presents for lost years.
I have everything I need right here.