22. Liam
CHAPTER 22
LIAM
L iam walked with a brisk purpose he hadn’t felt in a long time. When he’d fled the penthouse, leaving Amelia alone in the living room, he’d planned to go to his office. The office, with its paneled walls and carpeted floor and its policies, had always been Liam’s safe space. When he’d struggled with his parents or with something else in his life, he’d always gone to work. There, he could focus on nothing more than the next task and the one after without thinking about anything else.
Liam’s feet carried him along the familiar route. On autopilot, his mind still far away, he strode across the lobby, rode the elevator to his floor, and made his way to his office. It was quiet now. Most people had gone home by this time of night, probably to be with their families. Liam sat in his chair, the one he’d ordered specially from Norway for its excellent lumbar support and streamlined angles. He ran his hand over the mahogany desk he’d purchased and looked over all the latest technology he’d acquired so that he could do his job as well as he could. He looked out the window at the lights of San Francisco and the dark expanse of the ocean.
For so long, Liam had been proud of the work that had brought him to this point. He’d felt a great sense of fulfillment, sitting here in his beautiful office, far removed from the realities of life taking place on the streets and in the homes far below. He’d been pleased with the work he did to shape young minds and provide the best education possible for the next generation, so that they wouldn’t face the same struggles he had. He’d felt that he’d done everything he needed to in order to be the kind of man he wanted to be.
Yet now, everything here felt dull. Faded. The desk might as well have been a child’s toy built of cardboard and ambition. The chair could have been that old broken desk chair that Liam had brought home as a boy after he’d found it on the side of the road. The view of the city below, as beautiful as it was, was just a reminder that he was distant from all the parts of life that really mattered. Liam’s empire and all the hard work he’d put into it felt hollow without someone to share it with.
Liam had wanted to come here to think and plan. He’d wanted to decide how to handle the situation with Amelia and her pregnancy. He’d wanted to determine the best situation for everything, going forward.
But instead of focusing on logistics or child support or any of the things Liam needed to think about, he found his mind wandering to something else. Someone else.
Amelia.
Amelia, sitting on the couch, her big brown eyes wide and worried as she told him she was pregnant. Amelia, Grace in her arms, spinning as the little girl giggled and Amelia’s beautiful blond hair fanned out around her. Amelia, offering Liam a bite of kung pao chicken from her takeout box. Amelia, her brow furrowed and her arms crossed, as she told Liam off for not being around for Grace. Amelia, a newborn baby in her arms that he knew was theirs. Amelia, laughing, blushing, singing. Amelia, beneath him, her pink lips parted as he leaned down to kiss her.
And Grace. Grace, with her chubby limbs and her big smile and her enthusiastic giggles. Grace, with her love of elephants and ice cream. Grace, with her wise blue eyes and her silly grin. Grace, learning to speak better every day, even learning to sing.
And the new baby, too. A child who wasn’t even born yet, who was barely more than a wisp of an idea, but who already had a place in Liam’s heart. Liam could imagine holding that child in his arms and looking down into brown eyes that looked just like Amelia’s. He could imagine pushing the child in a stroller, introducing her (for he was sure it was a her) to sunsets and chocolate and puppies and all that was beautiful in the world.
Liam wanted to solve the problem of Amelia and Grace and the baby like it was a business issue. He wanted to run a SWOT analysis or sketch a flow chart or weigh probabilities. Yet he couldn’t do it, because Amelia and Grace and the baby weren’t a problem. Not at all. They represented an opportunity — an opportunity Liam would only get once.
Finding out about the baby Amelia was carrying had changed everything. Liam knew he couldn’t put aside his feelings any longer. He loved Amelia. He loved Grace. And he loved the new baby, too.
His heart began to ache. He’d pushed Amelia away so much this week, and today, again, he’d hurt her by leaving in the middle of their conversation. But he’d meant what he told her — that there was one more thing he had to do that was more important than anything else. It wasn’t something Liam could do sitting here in his office, lost between the ghosts of his past and the bright glimmers of his future.
Slowly, he got to his feet. He walked down the hallway towards the elevator, and as he did, he looked up at the posters on the walls. All the floors of Lilypad’s offices were lined with advertisements and posters from the educational products they’d released. There was the phonics game Liam had spearheaded. There was the numeracy-skills curriculum they’d debuted last year. As Liam approached the elevator, the products grew to calculus study guides and a world-history trivia game.
Liam had always taken pride in the work he’d done to provide a good educational future for children around the world. Yet now, he had the chance to shape young minds for real — and he’d run away scared again and again.
Liam’s fears weren’t gone. He still didn’t know if he could be the husband Amelia deserved or the father Grace and the new baby needed. But there was one thing Liam did know: he had built his career from scratch. He’d had to learn and grow every day. Maybe, if he were willing to do that again, he could have a shot at the most important job in the world: as a part of a family. His family was more important than any piece of work. He knew that now.
Liam wasn’t sure if Amelia would take him back. She was probably furious, and rightfully so. He had put her to the side for weeks. He’d refused to even let himself think about — much less talk to her about — the feelings he had for her. Well, he would learn from his mistakes. He would do whatever it took to win Amelia back. And he had a plan in mind.
Liam loved Amelia. He loved Grace. He loved the new baby on the way. And he knew, for the first time in his life, that love was enough.