Elle stepped back in shock. “Does Caleb know?”
I shook my head.
“You still want the baby after what he did?”
“I still love him,” I admitted quietly. “As hurt as I am, I can’t imagine not having his child. And I don’t want anything from him. He lost the right to know when he chose to stay with Caroline.”
She hugged me again, her voice filled with concern. “What happens if you run into him someday? How will you hide your pregnancy?”
“I’ve moved,” I said. “I don’t live in that apartment—or even in this city anymore.”
Her eyes widened. “Where?”
“Cowichan Bay.”
“Cow what? Where in God’s name is that?”
“Vancouver Island.”
Elle groaned. “You’re trying to give me a heart attack today.”
“I’m sorry,” I said gently. “Save my new number. If anyone asks about me, tell them you don’t know anything. Just text me, and I’ll call you back.”
As she entered my number into her phone, Caleb’s words echoed in my mind.Trust me, if you were to ever disappear… I’d find you.
Would he really look for me?
I doubted it.
His mother, on the other hand, might try to make sure I stayed far away from her son, and I needed to protect my family from her.
“I can’t believe you won’t be here anymore,” Elle whispered.
“You have to trust me,” I said, handing her tissues. “Promise me you won’t say anything.”
“I promise.”
She walked me to the car, then paused. “You said you changed your name when you came to the city. What was your name before Nyah?”
No one had ever asked me that before. “Jiya Flores.”
“Jiya,” Elle repeated with a small smile. “I like it, but I’ll call you Jiji. Best friend privileges.”
Snapping back to the present, I made sure sightseeing was at the top of my weekend plans with Elle and her family. I wanted to explore the village properly and understand everything it had to offer—especially now that I was a business owner.
Over the next two days, we visited several tourist spots around the village. Elle captured countless pictures of all of us along the way.
It felt wonderful having them there.
Cooking meals together, watching the children play, and sharing stories from the past brought back memories that I cherished deeply. It almost felt like life had returned to the way it once was. There was still a sadness beneath it all, a shared awareness that too much had changed for any of us to truly go backward.
When the weekend ended, Elle promised to send me copies of all the pictures she had taken. Karl stood beside her, comforting his weeping wife, while I reassured her that we would see each other soon.
Lucas and I stood at the end of the driveway waving goodbye as their car pulled away.
He looked up at me with his lips turned downward. “Will they come again to visit us?” he asked quietly.
I knelt beside him and wrapped my arms around him. “They will, honey. I promise you. They will come soon.” I lifted him into my arms and turned around.
