Chapter 31
CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE
Alie
I’m dragging at work today after a bad night’s sleep. I just couldn’t stop thinking about his voice and how upset and miserable he’d sounded. And angry.
What he said wasn’t wrong necessarily. I’m just … I don’t know. Unsure. Scared. Which is making all of this worse. And Aaron’s words have weight because of our history.
But Liam’s words have truth.
Then somewhere between those two things is my daughter.
Our daughter.
And that’s the part that has been keeping me awake the last few nights. I’m not choosing between two men. I’m protecting my child.
My phone buzzes, breaking me from my thoughts.
Presley.
I answer the FaceTime call and see her standing on the field, wearing a T-shirt, track pants, oversize sunglasses, and an expression that says she’s not here to bullshit.
“Hi,” I say cautiously.
She pushes the sunglasses up onto her head.
“Where’s Sera?” she asks bluntly.
“Huh?”
Presley looks at her watch. “She in the nursery?”
“Yes,” I draw out.
“Okay, good. So, you’re alone?”
I hold out my hands. “Yes, Pres. What’s up?”
She huffs, “You want to tell me what the hell you’re doing?”
I sit up straight. “Excuse me? I’m not doing anything.”
“Uh-huh. And that’s the problem.”
I get up and close my open door.
“Presley—”
“I spoke with Liam.”
I take a seat and slump in my chair.
“Okay, and?” I ask carefully.
“And he’s trying really hard not to lose his mind while he’s stuck in a state that he can’t leave to go see his daughter and the woman he loves.”
Guilt rushes through me.
Presley tilts her head to the side, staring hard.
“Aaron showed up.”
She huffs a laugh. “Yeah, I know. And now you’re doubting Liam.”
I exhale sharply. “It’s not that simple.”
“Actually,” she says flatly, “it is.”
Now, I love my sister, but sometimes, she’s so blunt and honest that it’s unsettling to me. Like I’m getting in trouble in the principal’s office.
“You think Aaron is doing this because he’s noble?” she asks.
“Well, I mean, he was there. For everything.”
“For you,” she corrects. “He was there … for you.”
“And Sera.”
“Because it kept him close to you.”
I flinch.
“You really think he was changing diapers out of pure altruism?” she continues. “Alie, you know I love you dearly, but you’re not that naive.”
My throat tightens.
“He told me Liam didn’t want to be involved.”
“And you never, not even for a second, thought that it was convenient?”
I hesitate.
“Let’s line this up,” she says, ticking points off on her fingers.
“You run out on Liam after your amazing night together. Liam goes back to New Orleans. You’re heartbroken and feel duped.
You find out you’re pregnant. You’re scared.
Aaron walks in and takes over. And you…let him. Because he’s familiar.”
“He was safe.”
“He told you Liam didn’t want the baby, Alie.”
“I know. And?”
“And that meant you didn’t have to risk confronting Liam yourself.”
Her words land like a slap.
“Say how you really feel, Pres.” I shake my head and continue, “I was protecting myself.”
“And he knew that.”
I swallow.
“Alie, I’m really not trying to be a dick again, but you didn’t ask Liam yourself. Not once.”
“I wasn’t going to beg him to be a part of her life,” I say defensively.
“You didn’t want to be rejected. I get it. I really do.”
I look away from the phone.
“And now, Liam shows up, not knowing he has a daughter, devastated that he’s missed two years. And Aaron shows up to ‘protect’ you again?”
The pattern starts to take shape in my mind. Slowly. Uncomfortably.
“Who are you going to believe?” Presley mimics. “That’s what he said, isn’t it?”
My head snaps up.
“How do you know that?”
“Because, Alie, that’s classic manipulation and gaslighting. Frame it as loyalty. Frame it as history. Make you feel like you owe him something.”
There’s a burn in my chest.
“He told me he loved me.”
Presley doesn’t look surprised. “Of course he did.”
I stare at her.
“You don’t help raise someone’s child without hoping it leads somewhere,” she says evenly. “And if he can’t have you? Then he makes sure no one else can.”
I think about what she’s saying. Realizing that she’s not wrong. Pieces start to click into place.
Little comments that Aaron would make over the years. Like the way he always questioned every guy I dated. The way he’d step in quickly when I was heartbroken. The way he positioned himself as irreplaceable.
I drop my head, holding my forehead.
“Fuck.”
Presley releases a breath. “You see it.”
I nod faintly.
“He made me feel like I couldn’t trust my own instincts when it came to guys,” I whisper.
“Yep, that’s the point,” she says. “If you doubt yourself, you cling to the person who knows better.”
I lift my head and cover my mouth. “Oh God. He kept her from her father. Intentionally.”
Presley nods once.
The realization hurts worse than the original lie because it wasn’t for protection.
It was control. Selfishness.
Before I can fully spiral, I hear a knock on my door, and then it opens.
“Mommy!” Sera runs into my office, Miss Sandy behind her.
“She wanted to come see you. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
I stand and pick Sera up and kiss her. “It’s never a bad time for my baby.”
“Just call me when you want me to come get her.” She backs out of the office.
“Thank you, Miss Sandy.”
I sit back down and turn Sera on my lap to face my phone.
“Is that my favorite princess?” Presley asks.
Sera waves at my sister. Then turns to me and puts her tiny hand on my face.
I hold her a little tighter than usual.
“You okay?” she asks in that small, serious voice toddlers use when they sense something’s wrong.
“I’m okay,” I say softly.
She looks at my sister.
“Auntie Pwes sad?”
Presley smiles. “Not at all.”
Sera tilts her head. Then says something that makes me suck in a breath.
“I miss Daddy.”
The words are simple. Innocent. Real.
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “You do?”
She nods. “He read story and make funny voice. He hug me big.”
Tears burn in my eyes.
“Do you love your daddy?” Presley asks gently.
She nods without hesitation.
“He come home,” she says confidently.
That’s all it takes. I feel something settle inside me.
Because children don’t calculate. They don’t strategize. They just feel. And Sera feels loved and secure with Liam.
“There you go, Alie,” Presley whispers.
I couldn’t speak if I wanted to, so I just nod.
“Okay, girls. I have to get back to work.” She turns her head as some of the players jog behind her.
I search for Liam, but don’t see him.
“Hey, Pres?”
“Yep?”
“Thank you.”
“Just doing my job. Making sure you don’t mess up.” She winks, then disconnects.
Brat.
“Do you want to stay in here for a while and play while I work?” I ask and kiss Sera on the cheek.
She nods enthusiastically. “Yes! Blocks.”
I move her off my lap and get her blocks out of the closet.
“Build me something tall,” I tell her.
“Okay, Mommy.”
I sit on the floor and watch her for a few minutes.
My mind drifts and replays Aaron’s words. Then Liam’s.
Accusation. Promise.
One trying to anchor me because of history.
One trying to build something for the future.
Aaron reminded me of what he’d done for us.
Liam said he wanted to stay. That he didn’t want to miss anything else.
Aaron’s words were rooted in debt.
Liam’s in choice.
The difference becomes more obvious, and I feel a flood of emotions. Because I know without a doubt which one feels right.
When Liam calls later that night, I answer on the first ring.
God, he looks good. It hits me how much I miss him.
“Hey,” he says cautiously. Searching my face.
“Hey.”
There’s a pause, and I feel a blush hit my cheeks.
I clear my throat.
“My sister called me today.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, we had a good talk.” I feel like I’m fumbling, nervous all of a sudden.
“And?”
I inhale slowly.
“You’re right.”
I look at him. The silence between us is thick.
“About what exactly?” he asks, eyeing me carefully.
“Aaron.”
Another pause and a subtle nod from him.
“What do you think happened here?”
“He wanted me to doubt you,” I say quietly. “And I let him. For a minute.”
“Alie—”
If he doesn’t let me get this out, I might cry.
“But I see it,” I continue. “I see what he was doing all along.”
He inhales a deep breath.
“You do?” The relief in his voice is obvious.
“Yes. And Liam, I’m so sorry.”
He exhales slowly.
“Don’t apologize. Let’s just try to move forward.”
He says the words, and I believe him, but I also feel like we need to finish this conversation.
“I do need to apologize,” I insist. “Because for a second, I almost let his voice drown yours out. I let him play on my insecurities, and the truth is, he has always been there, and he was a safer bet for me because I didn’t care about him in that way.
He couldn’t hurt me the way you could if this doesn’t work out. ”
I see him swallow.
“Alie, I’m not perfect,” he says quietly. “But I would never lie to you about this or anything. That’s not who I am.”
“I know.”
“Do you though? I don’t ever want you to doubt me again.”
A sound from the hallway makes me turn my head. Sera toddles into the room with her baby doll stroller, her Stallion upside down inside. She’s wearing pajamas, and her hair is still damp from her bath.
“She said she missed you today.”
He goes still, and I know he must be feeling the same way I did.
“I miss her too. And you. I’m not going anywhere, Alie,” he says again, softer this time.
“I know.”
A slow, gentle smile stretches across his face. Something steadier settling between us now.
“I want you to know that I’m going to handle Aaron,” I say firmly. Not wanting the issue to linger over us.
“You’re not doing it alone.”
“Okay.” I nod.
A pause.
“Are we okay?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
He closes his eyes briefly.
“I love you,” I say, emotion thick in my voice.
“I love you too,” he replies immediately.
“Mommy, that Daddy?”
“Where’s my girl?” Liam calls out.
“Daddy!” She knocks her stroller down on her way over to me.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he says, beaming.
“Doing Daddy?” She grabs my phone out of my hand.
“I’m at camp, working,” he explains. “Tell me what you did today.”
As Sera rattles on about her day, I watch him watching her.
Pure love radiates between them. And I’m angry with myself that I could have even entertained Aaron’s lies for a single minute.
After a few minutes, Sera starts to yawn.
“You’d better get some rest, so you can have fun at school tomorrow,” he says.
“Okay, Daddy. Wuv you. Bye.” She hands me my phone and scoots off my lap to grab her Stallion.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” I ask.
“You know it.” He winks. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
After we disconnect, I take Sera to her room and tuck her in. She clutches her football in one arm and her Stallion in the other.
“Daddy call,” she reminds me, even though it was just a few minutes ago that we hung up.
“Yes, baby. Daddy called.”
She smiles and snuggles her Stallion closer.
“He come home.”
I brush her hair back off her face.
“Yes, he will be home after camp,” I assure her.
“Yes,” she mumbles as her eyes start to close.
And for the first time since Aaron came back, I believe everything will be okay.
No doubt.
No fear.