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“I do care for her, more than anything in the world. Melinda, tell me what to do. I’ll do anything. Please, just tell me what to do to get her back.”
“You need to fight for her,” she said. “Fight for your baby. Amelia is so close to our father, and she can’t fight for herself right now, not with his disappointment hanging over her. She’s terrified of hurting him, but I know that if she sees you’re there for her, that you’re willing to fight for her and for the family you could become, she’ll be able to face our parents. Amelia will be stronger with you by her side. I know it.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll fight for her, and for the baby. Iwillfight for her, even if it means standing up to your father.”
“You’re a good person, Nathaniel. I know that your age difference makes some people uncomfortable, but I don’t think it’s wrong, and neither does Larissa. We know you’re a good man. If you weren’t, my father wouldn’t have befriended you and Amelia wouldn’t care for you so deeply. I know you’ll support her and be there for her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here with you right now.”
“Your father will come around. I know it will be hard for him, but he will understand eventually. And I want you and Larissa to know that Amelia means everything to me. She deserves the world, and I’ll do anything in my power to make her happy.”
“I’m glad. She’s my little sister. More than anything else, I just want her to be happy. If you make her happy, then I want you to be in her life.”
Hearing Melinda speak so lovingly of her sister and so forcefully in support of our relationship heartened me. I had been desperate for even a shred of hope to hang onto, and now I had it.
“Thank you, Melinda. You have no idea how much it means to me that you reached out. I owe you everything, truly.”
She nodded with a small, caring smile.
I paid the tab, and we walked out of the cafe, sharing a brief but warm hug before going our separate ways. Rushing to my car, I headed to Point Loma with a fire in my belly and hope in my heart.
I needed to show Amelia how much I cared for her. I needed to prove to her that I was willing to stand by her, to fight for her, to be there for her and our baby, no matter what. I needed to hold her in my arms and tell her everything would be alright, that we would get through this together and that I would defend her from any disappointment she feared from her parents.
I had to tell her that I loved her.
Chapter 27
Amelia
So, this was what grief felt like.
I had lost my grandparents when I was too little to remember, and I had never experienced the loss of anyone important to me in my life.
Until now.
Letting Nathaniel go had been painful beyond what I had imagined. The sense of emptiness and loneliness was overwhelming. I had been so sure, so determined that it was the right thing to do, but after each passing hour, my doubts grew larger and more numerous.
I tried to distract myself, but it was no use. The most I could do was shower, then I was back in bed, gray light filtering in through the blinds as the morning rolled into afternoon and clouds darkened the sky, threatening rain.
Curled up under my bedspread at dusk, I got a phone call.
Dad.
I couldn’t answer. Not right then. I let it go to voicemail, then listened to his message right away.
“Amelia, sweetie, it’s Dad. Hey, honey. Just calling to see how you’re doing, how you’re feeling. And to invite you to dinner tomorrow, just the two of us. Your mother will be in Newport, and I’d, uh… Well, I’d really love to talk with you about this whole baby thing now that I’ve had a little time to wrap my head around it. I hope you’ll say yes, sweetie. Please call me, or just send me a text and let me know. It would be nice to see you. I love you, kiddo. Always will.”
For the first time all week, I felt hope. My father did love me; I knew that. Maybe there was a chance he could accept the situation if I told him about Nathaniel. Maybe he would eventually come around. It was still scary to imagine confessing who the baby’s father was to him, but my dad might be more understanding than I had expected.
Or maybe he would be devastated at the news.
Either way, I had to find out, and that meant facing him.
I texted him that I would meet him for dinner, and he replied saying he was glad I said yes. Now, I had something to look forward to. Some hope to cling to, even though my life felt like it was coming apart at the seams.
Everything had been weighing down on my heart so heavily. I needed to clear my head. Larissa always suggested a walk whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, so I decided to spend a few minutes outside and circle the block before the rain started.
I pulled a thick blue sweater over my leggings, got my sneakers on, tied my hair in a ponytail and made my way downstairs to the street, starting down the block. When I got to the corner and turned, my feet froze in place.
Nathaniel was running up toward me, stopping just a few feet short of where I stood. He was winded, and I didn’t see his car anywhere; he must have had to park far away since all the nearby spots were taken, then jogged all the way up the hill to my block.
