Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
KANE
The past few days have been a blur. I’ve let Timber’s calls go to voicemail, listening to her messages that never say she's coming back, only that she misses me. I meant it when I said she needed to make up her mind, but the uncertainty is like a heavy burden pressing down on me. I'm miserable without her. Her absence haunts every corner of the house, every quiet moment. Hailey keeps asking about her, and each time I tell her we’ll talk to Timber soon, it feels like a lie. I’m just waiting for Amanda to leave so I can pick up the pieces of that as well. I can't force Timber to come back, and I wouldn’t want to. She needs to choose this life, choose us, on her own. But the waiting is tearing me apart.
Amanda visits late one night after a date, her eyes brighter than I’ve seen in weeks. She looks at me and points to the couch. “Take a seat, Kane. I’ve got something to tell you.”
I sigh, bracing myself for the inevitable. She’s leaving. It’s been written all over her face for days now. “When will you go?”
“I truly came back hoping to make a go of it, Kane,” she says in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “But I squandered too much time chasing my dreams. Honestly, I’m not cut out to be a mother. I don’t like babies. I don’t like toddlers. Kids from four to twenty are tolerable, but still not my favorite.”
As her words sink in, a swirl of emotions overtakes me. Relief floods my chest, knowing the chaos she’s brought into our lives will finally end. But there's a sharp edge of bitterness too—she showed up just long enough to destroy everything I’d built with Timber. I can't shake the fear that she'll return again someday, bringing more upheaval.
But for now, I focus on the immediate reprieve. At least now, we can start to move forward again, pick up the pieces, and rebuild what was lost. The path ahead won’t be easy, but it's a path we can finally begin to walk.
“You came back because you said Hailey needed a mother—her mother,” I argue, my anger bubbling to the surface.
Amanda shakes her head. “Not a mother like me. I’m selfish and shallow. She’s got a mother—her name is Timber, and she’s perfect. And if you don’t do everything it takes to get her back, then you’re a knucklehead.”
“You’re the reason she left.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that, but this was good. With her here making it easy, I might have muddled through motherhood for a few more months, but that wouldn’t have been fair to Timber or Hailey. She left so I could sink or swim. I sank like a boat full of holes. I mean, how many times can Hailey watch that show Frigid ?”
“It’s Frozen , and it’s endless, but I’m not sure that’s why Timber left.”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you get her back. You two are perfect for each other.”
I blink, taken aback by her blunt honesty. Amanda, the one who messed everything up, is now telling me to go after Timber. A mix of anger and hope churns inside me.
“It’s not that easy. Timber believes in signs,” I mutter, more to myself than to Amanda.
“Then send her one,” Amanda says. “Maybe I can stop by from time to time and be the aunt who gave birth to Hailey or some shit like that, but I’ll never step into the mother role.”
I stare at her, the bitterness I’ve been carrying suddenly shifting. Her words, unexpected and raw, resonate with a truth I can’t ignore. Despite everything, she’s right. Timber is perfect for Hailey, and she’s perfect for me. And if Amanda, of all people, can see that, then maybe it’s time to act.
“Send her a sign,” Amanda repeats, softer this time, and for the first time in weeks, I experience a spark of hope.
She kisses my cheek and heads for the door. There's guilt and sadness, but also a strange sense of relief. “What about Hailey?” I call after her.
Amanda laughs lightly. “I told her that I was leaving for good earlier today, and she waved and told me goodbye. She’s a smart little girl. She knows who her real mother is.”
With that, Amanda walks out, leaving a silence that seems almost peaceful in its finality. I sit there for a moment, letting her words sink in. Timber is Hailey’s mother in every way that counts. And if I don’t do something, I might lose her.
I look around the quiet house. The emptiness left by Timber’s absence presses down on me. Amanda is right. I need to send Timber a sign, something undeniable, something that shows her she’s meant to be here with us.
An idea starts to form, and for the first time in days, a spark of hope ignites. I need to act, to make my intentions clear. I need to bring Timber back home where she belongs. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. It’s time to stop waiting for the universe and start creating our own signs. Timber needs to know she’s missed, needed, and loved. And I’ll make sure she gets that message loud and clear.
I wake up early and hurry to get Hailey to class. There’s so much to do and so little time. I rush in fifteen minutes early with a grin on my face.
My sister walks over and touches my forehead. “Are you sick?”
“No, I’m motivated.” I lean in and whisper because I don’t want to wake Cody, who’s sleeping in a bassinet nearby, and I refuse to get Hailey’s hopes up if my plan doesn’t work. “Timber is coming back.”
“Really?” my sister squeals, but I shush her. “She doesn’t know it yet.”
Eliza gives me a confused look, but I can see the excitement in her eyes. “What do you mean she doesn’t know?”
“I have a plan to bring her back, but I need a couple of days.”
She frowns, clearly puzzled. “Kane, just tell me when she gets here. I’ve been talking to Matt, and I think we can make it just fine without me working. It would be great if Timber could come back and take over. They say a woman can have it all—a job and a family—but I don't want it all. I'm too damn exhausted to enjoy any of it.”
Her honesty hits me hard. I knew Eliza was struggling but hearing her say it out loud brings a new urgency to my plan. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I love my job, but I love my family more. And right now, I need to focus on Cody.”
I nod, a swell of gratitude rising within me. “In two days, I need you to post the job again.”
She nods, still looking a bit confused. “Okay, I’ll do it. But you better make sure Timber comes back. We all need her.”
“I will,” I say. “I’m not letting her go this time. ”
“Alright, let’s do this,” she says.
With my sister on board, I am more confident than ever. It’s time to set my plan in motion and send Timber the sign she’s been waiting for.