Chapter 20
EMMA
I find some pancake mix and syrup in the pantry and start whipping up breakfast while Liam’s in the shower.
I’m drowning in one of his giant Reapers jerseys and a pair of gray joggers I’ve had to roll at the waist six times just to keep them from falling off.
Not that I’m complaining. After all these years, wearing his clothes is still one of my favorite things to do.
We eat fast, like we’re racing the clock, and I keep checking the phone, my stomach twisting, already bracing for the inevitable showdown with my sister.
“My sister is going to kill me.”I sigh and groan.
Liam raises an eyebrow, sipping his coffee. “You think she’ll go full homicide or just maim you a little?”
I shoot him a glare as I text. “Honestly? I’m betting on stroke. I just told her I’m picking up Laddie and I’ll be home in an hour, so… countdown’s on.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Want me to write you a doctor’s note?”
“Only if it says I was being held hostage by a very persuasive naked man.”
Liam flashes a sinful smirk. “That’s not inaccurate.”
He grabs his phone. “Let me call you an Uber.”
“That would be great, actually. Normally I’d take the train, but…” I lower my voice, leaning in just enough. “I’m not wearing any underwear.”
His eyes darken instantly.
“That’s cruel information to give a man before he has to go to practice,” he murmurs. “That visual is going to ruin me all day.”
Liam walks me to the door. He steps outside first, scanning the street in that protective way of his before gesturing me forward. Then he pulls me in for a kiss that nearly melts my bones.
I pull back with a breathless laugh. “I really do have to go.”
“I know.”
“If you know, then you also know that kissing me like that won’t make me want to leave.”
His eyes spark. “Would you rather I insult you instead?”
I roll my eyes and smack his arm. “Smart-ass.”
“I’m happy we...” he trails off as the car pulls up.
Sighing, he says, “There’s your ride.”
I reach up on tiptoes and press a quick kiss to his lips. “We should talk soon, Liam. Really talk. I have something significant to tell you. And I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but I do know how I feel.”
His brow furrows slightly. “Yeah? And how’s that?”
Before I can answer, the driver honks impatiently. Liam lifts a hand, signaling him to wait.
I squeeze Liam’s hand. “I’m glad the universe brought you back into my life. After all this time, I don’t know what comes next, but… it feels like we found our way back for a reason.”
He doesn’t say a word—just stares at me like he’s trying to read my mind. His gorgeous green eyes are full of questions he’s not ready to ask.
I give him one last smile, force myself to turn, and slide into the car. As we pull away, I look back.
He’s still standing on the porch, hands in his pockets, brooding as only Liam can.
I can feel his eyes on me, and the weight of everything unspoken hanging in the air between us.
I pick Laddie up a little after ten, and the second he sees me, his face lights up like the sun.
He barrels into me with his backpack bouncing and bedhead in full bloom, arms flung around my waist like he hasn’t seen me in a week instead of just overnight.
“Hi, Mama!” he shouts, breathless. “I missed you.”
I hug him back just as tight. “I missed you, too, bud. A lot.”
He pulls back and grins. “Well, I didn’t miss you too much, ‘cause we had so much fun!”
Tristan’s mom, Rachel, smiles from the doorway.“He was an angel, by the way. And he’s got great manners. You’ve done a great job, Emma.”
“Thank you, Rachel. I guess I’ll keep him.”
“Sure thing,” She laughs. “He’s welcome anytime.”
Laddie grabs my hand as we turn to go. I give him a little squeeze and remind him, “What do we say?”
“Thanks, Miss Rachel! You make the best chocolate chip cookies!”
She laughs again, waving us off. “Come back soon, Laddie!”
We make it out to the curb, climb into the Uber, and before my seatbelt’s even clicked, he launches straight into a rapid-fire recap, not stopping for air.
“We stayed up soooo late! Like, almost ten! But don’t worry, I brushed my teeth. Tristan’s mom made nachos with cheese and sausages—soooo yummy. And guess what? They have this talking speaker thingy. I asked it to play fart sounds, and it did, and we died laughing. Well, not died, but almost.”
I smile, listening to him recount every hilarious detail, doing my best to ignore the guilt twisting in my chest.
He had a blast. Meanwhile, I was… well, having a very grown-up night with Liam.
Several times over.
And loving every minute of it.
It’s always just been the three of us—me, Laddie, and Talia. Our little unit. Imperfect, but unbreakable.
And now I’m caught up with Liam again, letting myself want more.
A family.
A future.
But what if Liam doesn’t want Laddie? Or worse, what if Laddie doesn’t want Liam?
What if adding someone else ruins the balance we have?
What if I’m dreaming up a life that only works in my head—and not in reality?
“…and Tristan’s little sister spilled juice on my sock, but it’s okay because I took it off and wore one of his Spiderman ones. Wait.”
He freezes mid-ramble, eyebrows furrowing as he looks at me more closely. Then his nose wrinkles.
“Mama… why are you wearing a Reapers jersey?”
Shit.
I keep looking out the window and try to act casual. “Oh, this? It’s just something I borrowed.”
“Borrowed it from who?” he presses, suspicious. “It smells like… boy.”
I choke on a laugh.“What exactly does ‘boy’ smell like?”
He leans in and takes a dramatic sniff, then makes a face. “Like stinky armpits. And hockey.”
He tries to sound out Callaghan, tongue tripping over the syllables, and I bite back a laugh.
“Alright, Detective,” I say, grinning at him, “I think you’ve cracked enough cases for one morning.”
And of course, Talia makes it all worse the second we walk through the door.
She looks me up and down and sneers at me.
“You know, it’s not the co-ed walk of shame up in here, Emma,” she says. “You’re not some college girl who can just hook up with people and come slinking home looking like a sewer rat in the middle of the day. You have responsibilities.”
I glance at Laddie. He’s crouched on the floor, pulling an art project from his backpack. Thankfully, he seems oblivious to the daggers flying between his mom and aunt.
I keep my tone even. “I’ve gone out before, Talia. You’re always the one telling me to loosen up, to have some fun. What’s so different this time?”
She doesn’t answer—just glares.
It’s a macaroni-and-glitter masterpiece that Laddie holds up proudly. I immediately ooh and aah, as if it belongs in the Louvre.
“That is so cool, buddy,” I say, kissing the top of his head. “Go put it somewhere special in our room, okay? And maybe start a bath?”
He skips off, and Talia and I square off again.
“Is it just because it was Liam?” I continue.”He’s the father of my child, Tal. Why wouldn’t I try to work things out with him? Give Laddie a chance to have a relationship with his father? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
“Did you even use protection last night?” Talia asks, ignoring my questions.
Heat rushes to my face, giving me away. Talia’s expression hardens; she throws her hands up in frustration.
“What the actual fuck, Emma?” she hisses, glancing toward Laddie’s room to make sure he’s out of earshot.
“This guy shows up, and suddenly you’re sixteen again.
Out all night, not thinking about consequences, acting as if nobody else exists.
Well, newsflash—you don’t need Liam swooping back in, trying to play father, and you sure as hell don’t need another one of his kids. ”
“I’m not doing this again,” she spits out, her voice trembling with anger. “I’m not stepping in to play nanny while you lose yourself over him. I have my own life to live, Emma. I’m not putting everything on hold for you again.”
Her words sting, humiliating in their accuracy.
“My nanny?” I manage, the hurt sharper than I want to let show. “Talia, that’s not—”
She cuts me off with a dismissive wave. “Whatever. I picked up a shift, and I need to go. And when I get back, I’m looking for another job, maybe in another city, because I can’t keep doing this. I am sick of this shit.”
Before I can reply, she grabs her bag and storms out, slamming the door so hard the artwork rattles on the wall.
I turn, and there’s Laddie, peeking out from our bedroom door, wide-eyed and anxious. I rush over and kneel, pulling him into my arms.
“Why were you and Auntie Tal fighting?” he asks in a small voice.
I press a kiss to his hair and hold him close. “Oh, sweetheart, it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
His eyebrows scrunch together. “Is she mad at me?”
“No, honey. Not at all. She’s not mad at you. She’s just… a little mad at me. But it’s not your fault, I promise.”
“Mama,” he says quietly, eyes wide and serious. “I heard you say something about a father.”
My heart sinks. Tears spill down my cheeks, and I struggle to figure out what to say.
Shit, shit, shit.
I’m not at all ready for this conversation.
“Sometimes life is complicated, honey,” I say. “For adults, especially.”
“I didn’t know I had a father,” he says. It’s just a factual statement, nothing emotional. But it just makes my tears flow harder.
“Everyone has a father, sweetheart,” I say.
“Nuh-uh,” he argues. “Malachi has a mom and a mom.”
I can’t help but smile a little at his logic. “Well, you’re right, families come in all kinds of ways. But everyone has a mom and a dad somewhere...” I stop talking. He’s too little. “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later, when you’re older.”
He considers this. “So… do I have a father?”
I pause, searching his face. If things go well with Liam, and I want them to, I owe both of them the chance to know each other.
“You do,” I say softly.
His eyes light up, the tiniest bit of excitement. “Is he nice?”
I let out a teary laugh. “Yeah, baby. He’s very nice.”
“Can I meet him? I want to meet him. Do you think he likes Paw Patrol?”
I laugh again, brushing a tear from my cheek. “I’m not sure about Paw Patrol, but I know he likes hockey.”
“I don’t know anything about hockey.”
“That’s okay,” I say, pulling him close. “Maybe you’ll like it. Maybe he’ll learn about Paw Patrol for you.”
He looks up, hopeful. “So I can meet him?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. You can. And you will.”