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HANNA
"Babe, do you have the program?" Eric asks, adjusting himself into the theater seat.
Ellie has her first dance recital today, and she was literally beaming this morning as I pulled her hair into a slicked-back bun. She was so excited to wear her dance outfit and twirled around the house pretty much all morning.
"Yeah, here." I hand it to him, his eyes focusing intently on reading the order of the dancers.
I search the crowd, hoping that I don't spot Jameson, even though I know he said he wasn't coming. He had a busy week, carrying a heavy workload. It kind of makes me wonder what comes next for him. I know that they can move around a lot. I know he was in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy, then in Mississippi for Flight school. He's been tugged around for the last 5 years by the Air Force. He doesn't go into much detail about it, but I can tell that it's important to him. Those guys, the brotherhood, it's like taking care of the kids at school for me. I thrive off of it. So does he.
As much as I adore seeing Jameson with Ellie, I haven't told Eric. I've failed miserably at every given opportunity. I planned on telling him last week, but every time the opportunity presented itself to blurt it out, it didn't seem like the right time. Unfortunately, I don't think there will ever be a "right time" to dump that on him. So I decided that tonight, I have to tell him. I have to before Ellie piques his curiosity about all the time Jameson has been spending with her. Which has technically only been about four visits but still enough to warrant a reaction from Eric when he finds out.
It's almost time for Ellie's group, and just as the lights dim back down, Eric grabs my hand. He squeezes it gently, a gentle way to tell me he loves me, and he does. He loves me. He loves Ellie.
Eric was the first guy I ever entertained the possibility of a relationship with after Ellison was born. It was, of course, three years after she was born, so I wouldn't exactly classify him as a rebound. He is great. Pretty much everything my parents ever wanted for me. He's an Anesthesiologist at the hospital here in town. Ellie had to have tubes placed in her ears when she was three, and that's when we met. He came in like a wrecking ball and wouldn't take no for an answer.
He's still in his residency and spends a ton of time at the hospital, so we've taken things at our own pace, and Ellie and Eric have developed a relationship.
After the recital, we meet Ellie in the hallway outside the auditorium. She speeds up, immediately clinging to Eric as he twirls her around in circles, her giggles and squealing filling up the room.
"Ellie, you did a fantastic job! Those pirouettes are some of the best I've ever seen!" Lexie's voice fills the air, followed by Ellie reenacting her twirling. Carter and Carson stand next to her, Carson buried in his phone. I can't stop my inward eye roll… Teenagers.
I spot Blakely making her way through the crowd, and Ellie's voice almost reaches pterodactyl screech level, "Jameson!"
She rushes up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Judson follows close to his side. His eyes lock with mine before falling to his brother, his little girl wrapped around his neck. Pride beams off of him as we approach.
Jameson's voice fills the awkward silence, his hand stretched out to Eric, "Jameson, nice to meet you."
Eric immediately glances at me, and I can feel my cheeks turning pink. Eric's jaw tenses up, anger beaming off of him, as he reluctantly grabs Jameson's hand. "Eric."
Ellie grabs the flowers from Jameson, pulling her nose down to sniff them, "Did you see my spins? I tried to jump really high. I've been practicing."
"Yeah, they were great spins! You looked exactly like a ballerina."
"I am a ballerina, duh!" She skips over to JC, and as Jameson's eyes finally tear away from Ellie, they lock with mine.
"Excuse me," Eric growls, pushing through the crowd and forcefully pushing the door open outside, nearly taking the door off the hinges.
I can feel my heart sink, and I try to fight the tears welling up in my eyes, "Blake, could you keep an eye on Ellie? I'll be right back."
She gives me a sharp nod as I frantically make my way to the door. I can feel Jameson on my heels, so I turn around quickly, nearly causing him to run me over, "Hanna, I–"
"No. It's okay. Just stop," I sigh, realizing how badly I've messed this up, "I'll be back."
He rocks back onto his heels before making his way back to Judson. I turn around, softly pushing the door open. It nearly guts me to see Eric sitting at the bottom of the stairs, his head buried in his hands.
I quietly sit next to him, trying to find the right words, anything to make this better. His head turns to me, an indescribable sadness behind his eyes. "That's Ellie's father, isn't it?"
I blow out a breath, "I was going to tell you. I was–"
"You were what, Hanna?" He interrupts.
"I was trying to figure out how to tell you."
"Judson's brother is Ellie's father, would've been sufficient," He snaps, "You let me believe this whole time to Ellie's father was some guy that walked away and never came back. Instead, you let Judson become one of my best friends. You put me in a shitty position, Hanna."
"Does Jameson coming back change anything for us?" I whisper.
"Does it?" He asks, "I saw the way you looked at him with Ellie. You've never looked at me like that."
