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Grace sighed. “I’m simply suggesting that you come home with me—Emma will be fine with Lisa for a little bit—and we work out a plan, look at our options. And if we decide to become parents, we find a kindergarten for Emma. We get our house ready for a little girl.” She paused, then said slowly, “And we start proceedings to adopt her…if that’s what we decide we want to do. In the meantime, she’s safe and content here with Lisa.”
He frowned in surprise. “Grace, there is no decision to be made about whether or not we take Emma. The decision is when and how,” he said, his heart surging in his chest as he began to see what was going on here. Grace was worried over things that were easily fixed. “You and I and Emma will be a family. Together we will arrange for everything Emma needs. You will be a wonderful mom.”
Grace’s expression was despondent as she looked at him before turning away. “I am not Emma’s mother. Her mother just died. If we’re to be Emma’s family, if that’s the best resolution for all of us, you and I first have to be together on how we’ll do it. If we’re not, we’ll only make your daughter unhappy. Is that what you want?”
Hurt, like a dull blade, jabbed at his heart. “I don’t want anyone to be unhappy, especially not you,” he said, feeling the situation slip out of his control. Where had he gone so wrong?
“Then come home with me. Call Mr. Knowles and reschedule your meeting.” She took his hand in hers, her skin warm and inviting. “We have so much to consider. If we are to get through all of this, we need to go to counseling.”
“Counseling isn’t necessary if we love each other and want to be a family. Grace, don’t do this to me. I already feel guilty that I had an affair and that I didn’t know about Emma. I could have been here for her, but I wasn’t. I can’t make that right. But I… We’ve got a chance now to do what she needs.”
“Your lack of involvement in Emma’s life was Deidre’s decision and out of your control.”
He clutched her hand tighter. “That’s true. And now I’ve got a chance to make it up to her by being with her. She’s just a little girl. She’s confused and missing her mom. I can help her. You can, too.”
Grace pulled her hand away. “Aidan, it’s clear that you and I can’t resolve this standing here. Please come home with me and let’s work this out between us.”
“I love you with all my heart, Grace. But I can’t leave Emma, not right now.”
She turned her face to his, the look of longing in her eyes cutting straight to his heart. “Is that it? You’re going to stay here with Emma rather than coming home with me?”
Aware that things were going terribly wrong, he fought to make her understand. “Grace, it’s not that simple.”
“It is. Either you love me enough to put my feelings first, or you don’t.”
“That’s not fair! I do love you.”
She stepped away from him. “But not enough. Not enough to make you change your mind. I came here to convince you that we needed to sort things out, for our sakes as well as for Emma’s. It’s pretty clear to me that I’ve wasted my time,” she said, her voice catching.
“You haven’t wasted your time. I do want to talk, but I can’t leave Emma here by herself.”
“She’s not by herself. She’s with the one person in her life she loves best. You said yourself she is shy around you, doesn’t trust you. If you gave her a little time, it would be better for both of you. While she’s adjusting to her life without her mother, you and I could be working out a plan that provides for Emma’s needs.”
