Chapter 36
Arare break in Wade’s schedule granted him the chance to meet some of his brothers—Nate, Rohan, and Logan—for lunch in San Francisco. Logan, whose wife was expecting in less than three months, spent most of the meal stifling yawns.
“Sera’s not sleeping much lately.” His grin stretched thin beneath the dark circles shadowing his eyes. “I’ve been waking up with her. But, man… I’m in love with this baby, even though we haven’t met yet.”
Bella’s toothy grin popped into Wade’s mind. He could almost hear her giggles through their nightly routines. He’d held her, bonded with her. Yet, here was Logan, already fiercely connected to a baby he hadn’t even seen. What was wrong with Wade?
“Flying out to Dubai tomorrow.” Rohan lifted his water bottle and sank back in his chair. “Gotta set things in order before Theo’s wedding. The guy’s got me playing best man of the century and wants me to show up a week early to plan.”
“Plan what?” Nate raised a brow.
“Who knows?” Rohan rolled his eyes. “Just an excuse to have me babysit his nerves.”
“You’re single.” Logan smirked. “You can swing a week in Brazil.”
“And if I’m not mistaken, Wade’s back on the market.” Rohan’s gaze sharpened on Wade.
The comment made Wade squirm in the padded cushion. He gripped his glass a tad tighter.
Logan, oblivious to the change in mood, was midbite, but his knowing eyes as he lowered his forkful of salad meant he’d figured it out. “What’s going on? Does Eric know? Mom? Dad?”
Wade’s throat tightened. “Not unless Claire told them.”
Logan pointed the fork at him. “I saw a clip of you at the Golden Globes. When the press asked about Claire, you said—and I quote—‘She’s busy keeping our family together and focusing on her business.’ What on earth does that junk mean?”
Yeah, Wade had stuck to the script. Could he walk the Oscars’ carpet in March without her? “I missed Bella’s first steps.” That hit hard. “I failed as a guardian, a husband.”
Nate sank back in his chair, studying him. “What actually happened anyway?”
“For Bella’s safety.” Wade traced the condensation trailing on his glass.
“The incidents haunt me, mostly Bella’s black eye and the choking scare on Christmas morning.
” Each one a testament to his failures, but worse, each day without Claire, he lost another piece of himself.
It was for the best, though. Better to step back than risk failing her and Bella. “FaceTime calls were a comfort.”
He stayed on longer than he should, desperate to soak in Claire’s fleeting smiles and Bella’s giggles.
“But now, Claire’s avoiding me.” The silence between them?
It was eating him alive. Three days. It had been three whole days since their last call, the one she’d ended abruptly.
“Joy saw her at The Gift Garden, so she’s fine.
I was okay as long as we talked daily.” Her not returning his calls made their separation real. It stung. Why was she avoiding him?
“You have my blessing,” her goodbye the day after Christmas replayed in his mind. Was this her way of letting him go?
“Hold up. Rewind that a bit.” Logan clattered his fork onto the empty side of his plate and raised a hand. “You’re telling me those were the reasons? A black eye? A baby choking? Wade, you know better than anyone—accidents happen. With or without keeping a close eye on the child.”
“Exactly.” Rohan gestured with his bottle. “Remember when Eric’s kid broke his arm on my watch? Nobody blamed me.”
“That’s different,” Wade shot back. “You’re an uncle, not a dad.”
“You’re in love with your wife. Now a part of the team.
” Logan narrowed his gaze. “I mean, remember when Sera had to be rushed to the hospital, and we thought we’d lose the baby?
” His voice caught for a second. “I was terrified. But you guys being there gave me the strength to support her. We’re not meant to go through life alone. ”
“That’s what I’ve got you guys for.” Until Claire, his family and Albert had been his closest friends. He rolled the ring on his finger, a glaring reminder of the commitment he’d made.
“You’re married now.” Logan refocused on his salad. “Claire and Bella are your inside team. We’re the backup.”
Nate cleared his throat. “In other words, Claire and Bella are your priority. Imagine Bella gets hurt or sick and Claire has to deal with it alone. Is that what you want?”
Wade flinched but stayed quiet.
“Feeling alone is brutal.” Rohan capped his water bottle. “Take it from someone with no girlfriend and no prospects.”
“You need to go to your wife.” Logan didn’t let up.
“You’re going to have to show her—not tell her—that you love her,” Nate added. “Something that proves you’re not going to run again.”
“I’ll apologize.” Would that be enough?
“For a rom-com writer, you can do better than that.” Rohan scoffed. “Words won’t convince her now. She thinks you’re flaky.”
“Make it real.” Logan wagged a finger at him. “You have more imagination than all of us. Now is the time to use it.”
Would he even know where to start?
Claire wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
She was vivid, vibrant, and irreplaceable, and he wanted her back.
He wanted them to be a family, raising Bella together.
Yes, fear still almost paralyzed him—the fear of something happening to Bella.
But maybe a parenting class or even marriage counseling could help him step into the role he’d been dodging.
His brothers’ words lingered long after they’d parted ways. Had Claire been shielding him from the harder moments with Bella, sharing only the smiles and giggles while carrying the struggles alone? Was she scared? Overwhelmed?
That night, he was sprawled on the library sofa.
He shifted on the pillow he’d swiped from their bed—Claire’s pillow.
Her scent had nearly faded, but he couldn’t bring himself to wash the pillowcase.
It was ridiculous, clinging to something so small, but it was all he had left besides looking at their photos.
Speaking of photos, his accountant had flagged bills for the storage unit where Albert and Claire had boxed up most of their parents’ belongings. Hmm. Wade still had the code to the lock somewhere.
Every inch of the room reminded him of Claire. He couldn’t sit at the desk without replaying their kiss—the fire between them, the way he’d swept the papers to the floor without a second thought. Longing surged, raw and undeniable, but he shook it off. It wasn’t just the passion—it was her.
He rolled onto his side, reaching for his phone. Claire’s name lit up the screen. His thumb hovered over the call button. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pressed it. The line rang. And rang. Until it went to voicemail.
He tossed the phone on the table. He dragged a hand through his hair. “What am I doing?”
His brothers’ voices circled back in his head like a broken record.
“Flaky.”
“Show her you’re not going to run again.”
“Use your imagination.”
Imagination was supposedly his superpower.
He was a writer, wasn’t he? Words were his currency, stories his expertise.
If anyone could create something meaningful enough to fix what he’d broken, it should’ve been him.
But crafting make-believe love stories was one thing.
Fixing his real-life marriage? That was a script he wasn’t sure he could write.
He sat up, staring into the dark. There had to be a way. He’d cast actors for impossible roles and built worlds out of nothing. Why couldn’t he use those same skills now?
Actors—yes. He could call in favors, hire the best, whatever it took. Struggling talents would jump at the chance to work with him, and seasoned professionals might need the work. He could make it fast, make it unforgettable.
But could he make it real enough to undo the damage he’d done? Could the gesture win back Claire’s trust?
His phone buzzed. Mom.
Odd she was calling on their non designated phone day. Ignoring her wasn’t an option unless he wanted her to show up at his door.
“Hey, Mom.” He answered on the fourth ring.
“What happened with you and Claire?”
He should’ve known one of his brothers would rat him out. “I can’t believe those guys.”
“Logan mentioned you seemed… troubled at lunch. Then I put two and two together. Claire hasn’t been returning my calls.”
Wade slumped back onto the sofa and dragged a hand over his face. “Can we keep family secrets in the family for once?”
“Logan was worried about you. But I’ve noticed the silence from Claire too.”
Mom had always been a master at untangling emotional messes. Years of fostering and counseling kids honed her ability.
“I messed up.” The words poured out—the close calls, the choking incident, the black eye, and how those moments shook him to his core.
“You can’t live in the past, Wade.” Her tone softened. “Just because your foster parents neglected you doesn’t mean you’re doomed to repeat their mistakes. Your father and I raised you to know better.”
She was right. Why had he clung to the excuses of his past?
“Oh, darling.” Her warmth wrapped around him through the phone. “Your dad and I were terrified every time we took in a new child. Every single one of you came with your own struggles and got into fights. We dealt with injuries, broken bones, and emotional meltdowns. It was overwhelming.”
He frowned. “You never seemed scared.”
“We didn’t let you see it. But I’ll tell you something I’ve never shared with your siblings before.” She paused. “Our marriage almost fell apart during those years.”
Everything in him stilled. “Because of us?”
“No, honey. Because we didn’t lean on each other like we should’ve. Taking in children who needed so much emotional assurance took its toll. But you know what saved us? Talking through our fears. Praying together. Two are always better than one, Wade. That’s what marriage is about.”
Her words exposed his selfishness.
“You need each other. Running away only makes the burden heavier for both of you.”
“I thought leaving was the right thing to do.”
“That’s what you thought when you didn’t want to leave Pleasant View for LA.”
“That was different.”
“Not really. You wanted to stay on that show and only do movies filmed locally. But when the show ended, you had no choice but to face your fears. Taking that first big movie role? It led you to where you are now.”
“Seems I have to face my parenting fears.” He huffed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Why do you always make sense?”
“I know you’ll do the right thing.” Her voice softened even more. “You made a commitment to love your wife, through the hard times as well as the good. Together.”
He nodded even though she couldn’t see it. His throat was too tight to speak.
As always, she ended the call with a prayer, asking God to grant him wisdom and courage. By the time they said their amens, something shifted in his mind.
The title.
An idea flickered—then flared into something bigger. It wasn’t for the screen. It was for Claire. His wife. It was ambitious and on a tight timeline, but with his resources, he could make it happen.
His heart pounded as he tossed the phone onto the table and moved to his desk. If he could pull this off, it would be proof.
He’d get it right. With God’s help.