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When Nick tickles her, she squirms in his arms and lets out a burst of bubbly laughter. As I watch Nick wrestle with Charlotte, I clench my teeth as the simmering pain and anger in my chest reignites. I could have been the dad who picked Samantha up from school and taught her to ride a bike and read her bedtime stories. But I missed it because of a person’s selfishness.
In the past, the thought of having children made me cringe. But my vision of fatherhood changed when Sam came into my life. Now I feel blessed and proud to call myself her father. I swallow as my mind suddenly paints a picture of a pregnant Alisha. My heart rate increases and unfamiliar thoughts and questions flow and occupy my brain. A sudden loud cry floating through the air stops my thought process and makes Nick place his little girl back on the ground. When the sound intensifies in loudness, Charlotte glances at me while covering her ears.
"Liam is awake," she says, "and he’s hungry."
Nick laughs. "Yep, my little man is insatiable."
"Daddy, I’m going to Liam’s room. He will stop crying when he sees me," Charlotte chirps as she rushes out the door.
A moment later, Emma’s voice travels through the hallway. "Nick! Can you get our son out of bed?"
"Yep, I’m on my way." Nick shrugs as he looks at me. "Daddy duty calls."
"Yep, and it’s my cue to leave." I rise, and as I grab the cookie box off the desk, I smile. "You have an amazing family, Nick."
My friend returns my smile while nodding. "Yeah, I’m a lucky bastard. But," he says, placing a hand on my shoulder, "you, Alisha and Samantha form a lovely family too."
I scratch the back of my neck as I mull over the wordfamily. I always experienced that word as loaded and heavy, but when I connect the word to Alisha and Samantha, I sense pride and optimism.
"You’ve got two kinds of family," he says. "The family you were born into, and the family you create as you grow older, containing your partner, children, and friends. Focus on the one that makes you happy, my friend. Come to terms that what happened in the past is out of your control. It happened, and you can’t change it. Focus on the people who enrich your life with love and happiness."
His words resonate through me. I pat him on the back and smile. "Thanks."
"No problem, that’s what best friends are for. Oh, and to come back to my girl’s funny question. Wouldn’t it be cool if you had a child and our children became best friends?"
I roll my eyes. "Brian and I keep our heads in the game. Even during mind-blowing sex."
Nick laughs, and after saying goodbye to Emma and Charlotte, I walk out. As I drive off, I mull over his words.
Focus your attention on the people who enrich your life.
Straightaway, Alisha’s gorgeous face enters my mind, and the urge to visit her takes over. An idea pops into my head as quickly as the abrupt transformation of corn into popcorn.I’m going to surprise her.With an immense smirk on my face, I navigate through the city, searching for a particular store. When I spot it, I park the car close by and step out.
* * *
Alisha
"Okay,we can talk at the coffee place across the street. I’ll take my break if that’s okay with you, Amanda?"
Amanda nods. I snag my purse from behind the counter, and as I pass Brian, he whispers, "Don’t do it, Alisha. She doesn’t deserve it, and Cole will be livid when he finds out."
I give him a side glimpse. "Everyone deserves a chance to explain." And with that, I stride out.
As we cross the road in silence, the sun hides behind a fluffy cloud. Jeremy stops by the small terrace in front of the diner. "I’ll leave you two to talk. I’m going to wait here."
"Okay, but I want to make one thing obvious to both of you. No matter what, I’m on Cole’s side."
Jeremy’s lips turn up, while Carmen calmly nods. "I don’t expect you to take my side. That’s not my intention. I’m only here to explain a few things. Nothing more."
I nod, and as I walk in, Carmen follows. I choose a table by the window right across the store, and as I glance outside, I see Brian leaving. He glimpses at the diner, shakes his head, and takes off. When a server comes over, we order, and the moment she walks away, Carmen speaks.
"First off, thank you for giving me a chance to explain. How are Cole and Samantha doing?"
My eyes trail outside—to the cars and people passing by—as I search for the right words. "Cole is bitter and upset by your betrayal."
We stay quiet as the waitress returns and places our drink on the table. After a while, Carmen lets out a trembling sigh. From the corner of my eye, I watch how she shifts her teacup back and forth on the saucer. My mind drifts to Cole, and when I remember the night he let me into his piano room, the need to protect my man takes over.
"I’m going to be straight with you, Carmen."
