Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“You know I do. But what happened to keeping things normal?”
I paused. This was a little excessive, but the thought of having Willow’s calming presence nearby for the birth really relieved some of my fear. I was terrified of labor pain and worried my vagina would be ruined after passing a human through it. Honestly, a C-section and heavy drugs seemed like the Cadillac way to go, but that wasn’t an option right now.
“I want this one bougie thing. I’m giving you a child, so I think you can give me this.” It wasn’t like Hale didn’t give me everything I wanted anyway. We all knew he’d say yes. He was just having a hard time understanding that Reiki was more than an energetic scam job.
“Fine. I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Thank you.”
The following day, Hale arranged brunch for our guests. I insisted on inviting Remington, Miles, Alphonse, and Raoul since they weren’t included in the baby shower.
Willow fluttered to Remington like a moth drawn to a flame, and plucked at the air around his head. “Your aura has some darkness to it.”
He shot me a look and growled, “Meyers.”
“Willow, I don’t think he likes that.”
“Negative energy pollutes the soul. You should let me help you unblock your chakra.”
“For pity’s sake, where do you pick up these strays?” He glared at Willow. “I like my aura just as it is. Put back anything you took.” Taking his fruit plate to the table, he grumbled, “Worse than a Roman pickpocket.”
I chuckled and ate my French toast.
After brunch, Alphonse drove Tyler and Willow to the airport. My mom stuck around to spend the day with me. We watched some of our favorite movies like Overboard and The Princess Bride, then topped off the day with some trashy reality television—the kind Hale hated but was secretly invested in.
Every time he entered the living room, he stared at the screen, watching the drama unfold until he caught himself watching. Then he would shake his head and mumble how ridiculous our shows were. Yet he always conveniently needed something from the living room whenever there was drama with the characters.
“You’ve got yourself a good one there, Ray,” my mom said, after Hale brought me a cup of tea. “You’re very lucky.”
My mom never complained about raising me as a single parent. My dad had been around when she was pregnant, but I couldn’t imagine him being anywhere near as supportive as Hale.
“I guess Dad was nothing like Hale.”
“No, but I’m not just thinking about your father. Hale’s special. He truly cares about your well-being.”
We rarely spoke about my father, mostly at my request. After the wedding, I wanted to forget my Dad existed—much like he’d forgotten I’d existed for most of my life. But becoming a parent changed my perspective about a lot of things.
“I was scared at first.” I kept my voice low so Hale wouldn’t overhear me.
My mom frowned. “Of what, sweetie?”
This wasn’t an easy confession for me, but it felt good to get it off my chest. “I sometimes think that’s why I didn’t get pregnant immediately. I was afraid of doing it alone. You made it look so easy, Mom. Even when we were barely making it, you made sure I always had everything I needed.”
“Oh, honey, Hale would never abandon you.”
I believed that too, but there was still that deep seated fear that no man could tolerate me forever. “Sometimes dads leave.”
She squeezed my hand. “And sometimes they stay and break the cycle. Hale loves you and Elara with all of his heart. He’ll love this new baby just as much. You’ll see.”
“I hate that his abandonment left such a prominent scar.”
She paused the television and turned to fully face me. “Honey, your father didn’t abandon you. He left because I threw him out.”
“What?”
She wrung her hands. “You have to understand. I only wanted to protect you. I always tried to make the right choices, but you see now there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook for parenting.”
My mind was reeling. “Hold on. You’re saying Dad never actually left?”
She scoffed. “Believe it or not, getting him out was quite the chore. But I knew it would be for the best.”
“How was that for the best?”
“Rayne, a mother’s love is so overwhelming and all-encompassing, I don’t know if men can fully grasp what we feel as mothers. Fathers are different. You were precious and perfect and I would have done anything to protect you. Even if that meant protecting you from a lousy father.”
A few years ago, I would have questioned my mom’s assessment of the man who shared my DNA. But today I was wiser. My father would have continuously let me down and hurt me. I believed she protected me from that, even if it was sometimes lonely and confusing not to have a dad around. “You did a good job, Mom.”