Chapter 49 Austin
austin
Six Months Later
“Dad.” Scarlette’s voice carried from upstairs, where she and Charlie had been scheming something together.
My heart swelled hearing her call me that—it still felt surreal every time.
Scarlette was getting ready to leave for a couple of weeks to visit Ollie’s extended family in London since school was out for summer break.
We’d been finding our rhythm. Most weeks, I got to see her for a few days, and she’d spend some weekends with us.
There wasn’t a formal custody arrangement, but Nova and I were co-parenting better than I ever thought possible.
I wanted to respect her choices, and for Scarlette’s sake, we kept things easy.
Sometimes Scarlette would tag along with me to work.
Since I’d gotten hired full-time as one of the coordinators for Ledger’s after-school program, she loved learning to skate with the other kids or just watching the lessons.
Seeing her so at ease in my world made me feel like I was finally doing something right.
I finally had health insurance. The thought still made me chuckle as I ran my hands through my longer hair.
Charlie had just started her summer break, and she’d been spending her mornings planning little adventures for us and Scarlette before her trip, her excitement infectious. Every day with her felt like a reminder of how far we’d come and how much further we had to go—together.
“Are you ready?” Scarlette called from the top of the stairs.
I laughed, settling into the couch in the front room. “Ready as can be,” I shouted back.
“Close your eyes.” Charlie’s voice followed.
I did as I was told and waited patiently for them to come bounding down the stairs.
“Stand up, and keep your eyes closed.”
I pushed myself up, standing still, my hands resting at my sides. The anticipation was killing me, but I could hear their muffled giggles, and I couldn’t stop my smile.
“Open your eyes,” Charlie said softly, and Scarlette giggled beside her.
I opened them, furrowing my brows as I took in the two of them standing there. Scarlette eagerly pointed to her shirt, her excitement contagious.
“Do you see it, Dad?”
I dropped to my haunches, needing a closer look. The words on her shirt stared back at me, and the moment I read them, the air was stolen from my lungs.
My hands trembled as I traced the letters printed across her little chest.
“Do you read what it says, Dad?” she repeated, her voice softer this time.
I nodded, swallowing hard, my throat tight as emotion swelled. Words failed me, and my eyes darted to Charlie, who was smiling, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Really?” I asked her, my voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded, covering her mouth as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Really.”
I was going to be a dad again.
Scarlette beamed up at me, her little face full of pride and excitement. “I’m going to be a big sister.”
I dropped to my knees, pulling her into a tight hug, my voice cracking as I said, “You are. You really are.”
The words echoed in my mind. I was going to be a dad again. My wife was pregnant.
I stood, overcome with emotion, and wrapped Charlie in my arms, holding her as close as I could. “I love you,” I whispered, the words tumbling out over and over, like I couldn’t say them enough.
She reached up, grabbed the back of my neck, and kissed me, her lips soft and full of reassurance.
The front door burst open suddenly, the loud crash jolting us both, and in stormed Luna and Dirks, followed closely by Nova and Ollie.
“Does he know? Are we early?” Nova shouted, her eyes wide as she ran toward Charlie.
Charlie nodded, laughing through her tears. “He knows.”
Nova let out a squeal, pulling Charlie into a hug so tight it looked like she might never let go. “This is the best news,” she exclaimed, her excitement contagious as everyone else started cheering and crowding into the room.
I looked around at the chaos, at this unexpected family we’d built, and felt nothing but overwhelming gratitude.
Luna bounced over. “Congrats, Dad,” she said with a playful wink.
Dirks followed, clapping me on the shoulder. He didn’t say much, just a crooked smile and a quick, “Nice job, man.”
Ollie came over next, extending a hand. “Congratulations,” he said, his tone sincere.
“Thanks, Ollie,” I replied, shaking his hand firmly. “Congratulations to you too.”
Ollie nodded. “Thank you.”
Nova and Ollie had gotten married a couple months ago in England. It was just them when they got married, although Charlie and I cooked them dinner when they got back to congratulate them.
I took a step back, pausing to take it all in. Charlie was surrounded in the living room, Scarlette nestled against her side as everyone chatted excitedly. Laughter and voices filled the space, the kind of chaos I’d never imagined I’d find comforting, yet somehow, it felt like home.
Nova quietly stepped over to me, her smile softer now.
“Did you ever expect this is how our story would end?”
I shook my head, glancing at her before looking back at the chaos of our family in the living room. “Never, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Me neither,” she said honestly, her gaze following mine as she smiled faintly.
I turned back to her, and she looked up at me. “If it wasn’t for fucking up so bad with you,” I said, my voice quieter, “I don’t know if I’d have ever had the push to get help.”
“Eventually, you would’ve hit rock bottom,” she said, matter-of-fact but not unkind.
I nodded slowly. Maybe she was right. Maybe one day I would’ve spiraled far enough down that I’d have had no choice but to claw my way out. It wouldn’t have been the same.
“Maybe,” I said, pausing. “But I didn’t go to rehab to get clean for you. I did it for me. Still . . . without that push, without realizing what I needed to do to be better, to find this . . .” I gestured to the family in front of us. “I have so much to thank you for.”
Nova squeezed my shoulder gently. “I have so much to thank you for too, Austin. I have Scarlette. I have Ollie. I was in a dark place after my mom died and everything happened, but Scarlette . . . she was my light.”
We were two people who had once been so broken, yet found love and healing in ways neither of us could’ve imagined.
“Thank you for everything, Nova.”
“Thank you for everything, Austin,” Nova said softly, giving me one last quick hug before stepping back.
The door clicked open again, and before I could process it, a chorus of excited voices filled the room.
“Oh my god, it’s happening!” Jennie, Charlie’s friend from work, burst in, followed by Sara and Maura, their arms overflowing with flowers and gifts.
Charlie squealed, her face lighting up as she ran toward them, throwing her arms around the group in a whirlwind of hugs and laughter. She quickly turned, grabbing Nova by the arm and pulling her toward the maelstrom.
“Come, Nova. You have to meet my friends from work.”
Nova smiled, letting herself be ushered into the circle of Charlie’s friends. Their laughter and chatter filled the room, adding to the already vibrant energy.
The front door opened again, and the house filled with a new wave of chaotic energy as Mom, Ledger, and Evie rushed in. Mom’s face was already streaked with happy tears, and before I could say a word, she wrapped me in a tight hug.
“Charlie called me earlier,” she sobbed, cupping my face as she pulled back to look at me. “Oh, Austin, I’m so happy for you. For both of you.”
Ledger clapped me on the shoulder, his grin wide and proud. “Congrats, son,” he said, pulling me into a hug.
When he pulled back, he looked me in the eye, his hands still gripping my shoulders. “You know,” he said, his tone lighter now, “you’re the best son I’ve ever had.”
I laughed, the emotion welling in my chest despite the joke. “I’m your only.”
“That’s why you’re the best,” he quipped, his smirk softening into something more meaningful as he stood beside me, one arm still draped around my shoulders.
Evie buzzed past, heading straight for Charlie with a bag of something sweet smelling in her hands. “I’m going to be an aunt,” she squealed, her excitement filling the room.
I leaned back slightly, watching as Charlie glowed, surrounded by love and joy.
“Got room for one more?” a deep, familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned sharply, my chest tightening as I saw Jeremy standing in the doorway.
I took a step toward him, my fists clenching at my sides, ready to push him away, when Dirks appeared beside me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
“He’s back from rehab, Hart,” Dirks said evenly. “Hear him out.”
I shook my head, my heart pounding. “You shouldn’t be here.”
It wasn’t anger, not entirely. It was fear. Jeremy being here was bad for my sobriety. It was bad for my peace of mind. It was just a bad idea all around.
Jeremy’s smile faltered slightly, his confidence dimming, but he didn’t shrink away. His face sharper but healthier, his eyes clearer. He looked . . . better.
“It’s been a long road,” Jeremy said, his tone almost resigned. His gaze flicked to Luna for a moment, and I knew this wasn’t just about me. It was about her. It had to be. “I just came to say congrats. Luna invited me.”
“Not today,” Ledger chimed in.
Nova stepped forward, her eyes darting between us, and her expression hardened. “You should go, Jeremy,” she said firmly.
Before I could say anything, Charlie was suddenly by my side. Her eyes swept over the tense group, assessing the situation.
Jeremy nodded slowly, his shoulders slumping slightly, but there was no anger, only acceptance.
“Maybe not today,” she said gently, her voice steady but firm. “Maybe this can happen another time. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”
She knew. I’d told her about Jeremy, about Luna and Dirks, and the complicated knot that tied them all together. Nova had filled in the gaps too. Charlie understood what this moment was, what it meant, and what it didn’t need to become—at least not today.
Jeremy looked at me directly, his voice steady. “Congrats, man.”
His words were earnest, and I didn’t know how to respond. I nodded, watching as he turned and left, the door closing softly behind him. The tension in the room lingered for a moment longer before Charlie slipped her hand into mine, pulling me back into the present, back into the safety of her.
Luna swallowed hard, her eyes darting between all of us, before quickly excusing herself. She walked over, gave my shoulders a brief squeeze, muttering a quick “Congrats” before slipping out the door.
Dirks shrugged, his usual nonchalance masking whatever he was thinking. He followed her without another word, clapping me lightly on the back as he passed.
Nova lingered, her expression strained as she glanced between me and Charlie. “It’s complicated,” she said finally, her voice low. “The three of them. Together.”
Charlie nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn’t ask any questions, though I could tell her curiosity burned. Instead, she walked back to her friends, letting the moment defuse naturally.
Ollie and Nova gathered Scarlette, the little girl giving hugs to everyone as they said their goodbyes. “See you soon,” they promised, and I nodded, watching them head out.
Eventually, Charlie’s friends and my mom trickled out, leaving the house quiet and still. She stepped up beside me, slipping her hand back into mine.
“A dad? Really?” I whispered, the words barely making it past the lump in my throat.
“Again.”
“I love you, Charlie. For everything you are and for the person I get to be with you.”
“I love you too,” she replied, her eyes shimmering as she looked up at me. “For all the mended pieces.”
I leaned in and kissed her deeply, pouring everything I couldn’t put into words into that moment.
“How about we take this upstairs, Mrs. Hart?” I teased, sliding my hands down to her hips and gripping her just enough to make her gasp.
Her laugh came soft and sweet as she rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, I scooped her up into my arms.
“Austin,” she protested, though her arms tightened around my neck.
“Better hold on, wife,” I murmured, already heading for the stairs. “We’ve got some celebrating to do.”
As I carried Charlie up the stairs, her laughter soft and warm against the quiet, I thought about how far I’d come.
Sobriety wasn’t just about quitting—it was about facing every messy, broken part of myself and learning how to live again.
There were moments I thought I’d never make it, but here I was, with a woman who saw the best in me and a family I never dreamed I could have.
The journey hadn’t been easy, but it brought me here, to this love, this life, this future.
For the first time, I wasn’t just surviving—I was living.