AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tom scratches his throat and answers. "He came by the house unannounced, which is weird because Thomas always calls before he drops by. Later on, while I was working in my shed, he asked how I experienced being a father. I thought it was a strange question. He said he was going to Boston to fix a mistake he made. I tried to inquire about the mistake, but he said that he'd tell us later. But he never got that chance."
The silence that falls gives me a moment to reflect. When he stood in my kitchen after six years telling me he wanted to come clean, I didn't believe him. But he died trying to protect his daughter, who he only met and saw for maybe one hour.
God, emotions are weird. But they're the very thing that makes us human. You can have happiness, pride, excitement, relief, or any other emotion considered good. But what would you be if you didn't experience hurt or pain or despair? You can't have the good without the bad because there is no light without darkness. I assume the trick is to balance them, so the bad doesn't seem terrible, and you can appreciate the good.
I don't want to stay mad at Thomas, so I'm choosing to forgive, because forgiveness isn't approving of what happened. It's choosing to rise above it. So I make eye contact with Meggy and Tom and speak from my heart.
"I'm sorry for your loss. Thomas made choices that hurt me badly, but in the end, he did the right thing." A tear escapes my eyes as I consider how he spent the last moments of his life protecting Charlotte.
"He died trying to protect his daughter, and for that, I'll be forever grateful. It showed that within him lived the essence of a true father."
My eyes find Meggy, and we exchange a look of deep understanding. "Charlotte has met her father and remembers him as one of her saviors instead of the father that walked away."
"How… how is she?" Tom asks with teary eyes. "How is your daughter?"
I smile, imagining Charlotte's smile this morning. "She is doing well. Thank you for asking."
"I know we shouldn't be asking this…" Meggy says.
"And we'll understand if you deny our request," Tom fills in. "But we wanted to ask if we could meet Charlotte. Even if it's only once."
My eyes dart to Nick, who places a hand on my shoulder. His eyes tell me he supports me no matter what my answer is, so I turn back and gaze at Meggy and Tom, who are squeezing each other's hands to mush as they wait for my response.
"I have to ask Charlotte when she gets home from school. But if she wants to meet you, you both are welcome to come over and meet her."
Meggy's tears fall as she lets out the breath she was holding.
"Oh, Emma," she says while standing up. "You do not understand what that means to us."
I stand up from the chair and walk over to her to hug her. In reaction, she swings her arms around me and cries.
"It's okay, Meggy. For what it's worth, I have loved Thomas, and he will always have a place in my heart because Charlotte will always connect us."
After offering them tea and coffee, they leave and give me their telephone number. When I close the front door behind them, Nick turns to me and snakes his arms around me. He lifts my chin and places a butterfly kiss on my lips.
"You are a true angel, Emma, and I'm humbled to call you my woman," he says, cupping my cheek in his palm. "What you just gave Thomas' parents shows how altruistic your heart is, my love. You have given them hope and an opportunity to meet a piece of their son."
My eyes tear up as he gazes at me with such love that I have to swallow the upwelling emotions. His lips seize mine with such tenderness that a sigh leaves my lips. When our kiss develops into a more robust and a more passionate one, he stops.
"If we keep this going, we'll never make it to our appointment. And we can't be late for this one."
"Then let's go," I say with a giggle while tapping his chest.
The sun shinesthrough the blinds, casting a shadow onto the desk in the doctor's office.
"Okay, the gel is chilly," the doctor says with a smile. She puts a dot of cold gel onto my stomach and takes the ultrasound device in her hand.
"Breathe, Emma," she says with a smile.
I nod and let out the breath I was holding. She places the stick on my belly while looking at the screen in front of her. Then she moves the device over my stomach and presses in different directions in search of a sign of life. My heart is rushing, and my hands are clammy from nervousness. I glance up at Nick, who has focused his eyes on the doctor while roaming his hair.
"And…?" he asks, now swallowing and stroking the nape of his neck.
The doctor's eyes meet Nick's, and she takes the screen and turns it our way.
"Look here," she says, moving her mouse over the screen. "Say hello to your child."
I let out a gasp of air when my eyes fall on the little bean-shaped figure on the screen. And it activates my emotions. My lip trembles seeing our child, and my eyes dart to Nick, who is watching open mouthed. He's staring with wide eyes at the screen. And when the doctor presses a button, and the room fills with the sounds that resemble water sloshing in a bucket, I see Nick jump up at the sound.
