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“Fine,” I concede, just to get this meeting over with. “When the DNA test comes back stating this child is mine, I will start attending classes and doing a weekly call. Not a second before.”

Veronica’s mouth tightens, but she doesn’t argue. Her lawyer jots something down and nods once, like she’s checking off a box.

Mark closes his folder with a quiet snap. “Then we’re in agreement on the amniocentesis. We’ll schedule it for two weeks from now. Simon covers the cost. Results in three days. Once we have confirmation, we move forward with the agreed upon terms. Until then, the no-contact order stands.”

Her lawyer looks to Veronica, who gives a short, reluctant nod. The tension in the room hasn’t eased, but at least we have a path forward.

I push back from the table. “We done here?”

Veronica’s lawyer stands. “For now.”

Veronica doesn’t look at me as we file out, but I can feel the resentment rolling off her. She got some of what she wanted, more than I wanted to give her or feel she deserves.

***

I push open the front door, the familiar creak announcing my arrival, and the first thing I hear is Theo wailing from the corner of the living room.

His little body is hunched in the time-out spot, knees tucked against his chest and face buried in his hands. Every sob shakes his shoulders, his breaths coming in those awful little broken gasps that make every instinct in me want to cross the room and pick him up.

The second he hears the door, his head snaps up. “Daddy!”

His face is soaked with tears.

My stomach twists.

Blaire appears from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her hair is pulled into a messy knot, and there are dark circles beneath her eyes. She looks tired in a way that has nothing to do with missing a night of sleep.

“Hey,” she says quietly. “You’re home earlier than I thought you’d be.”

“I wrapped up sooner than I expected.”

Theo scrambles to his feet. “Daddy!”

“Sit back down.” Blaire snaps at him.

His face crumples all over again. “But Daddy—”

“If Mommy put you in time-out, you're staying in time-out.” I tell him.

That earns me another wail, but he drops dramatically back onto the floor like I've sentenced him to life in prison.

I cross toward Blaire instead. “What happened?”

She lets out a long breath and presses her fingers to her forehead.

“He's been driving me crazy all day.”

I glance toward Theo. His crying has quieted enough that he's clearly listening.

Blaire notices too.

“He's having a rough day,” she corrects, lowering her voice. “Everything has been a fight. Getting dressed. Lunch. Picking up his toys. I asked him to clean up his blocks before he got something else out, and he screamed at me. I told him he wasn't getting anything else until the blocks were cleaned up, so he threw one of his trucks at me.”

My jaw tightens. “He threw a truck at you?”

Theo starts crying harder again. “I didn't mean to!”

I look over. “We're not talking to you right now.”