Page 42 of Fighting Fate

“He said I already have a dad.” He lets out a disappointed breath. All I can do is tug him to me and give him the tightest hug ever. “But I don’t have a dad. He’s dead.”

“I know, Dani, but just because your dad is gone, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have one. If you didn’t have a dad, you wouldn’t be here…it’s just how things work.”

“Because of sex?”

“Uhhh…what? No. How? Who told you that?”

“Tristan said that’s how babies are made. A boy and a girl have sex, and they make a baby.”

I’m speechless. The conversation has gone from heart-breaking to What. The. Actual. Fuck?

“It’s fine. His brother is learning about it in school, so it’s okay.”

“Have you spoken to your mum about it?” I can’t imagine Dorian having this conversation with him and not telling me about it. She’d freak and ask me about it because when it comes to sex-natured conversations, she’s always come to me. Mum would go overboard, and I just say it how it is and be done with it.

“No.”

“Have you spoken to your mum about your conversation with Jake?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to upset her. She’s always happy now, and I don’t want to make her sad again.”

“You could never make her sad.” I give him my best smile as I take him into the formal dining room with me.

We never really use this room. It’s always been reserved for special occasions like Christmas and guests. When we’re both sitting down, I take a moment to get my thoughts in order. If I was looking to take my mind off that shitshow of an interview, this is will do the trick.

“Apart from the fact that your dad isn’t around, why else do you want Jake to be your dad?”

“Because he’s good to me, and we do a lot of things together. Jake is cool.”

“Well, he’s always been and is going to be good to you. What you do together doesn’t depend on a title or a label. Jake loves you, and nothing is going to change that.”

“What happens when he has a baby with Mum?” Deep-set worry draws his face into a grimace. “Richard and Jenna have a baby, and now Molly says that they don’t love her and Pippa anymore.”

“That’s not true. You know I don’t like Richard or Jenna, but I know that they still love the girls. Their baby was very poorly when he was born, and now he needs a lot of attention. That’s all.”

“And what if that happens with Mum?”

“Your mum loves you, Daniel, as does Jake. They adore you, and if they ever have a baby together, they’ll love you and that baby even more. We all would. Babies do special things to hearts. They make them grow so that they have a lot more love to give.”

“Everyone has a dad that’s alive except for me.”

“Yeah, but do you know what it means?” Daniel shrugs at me. “It means that you are super lucky to have three parents that watch over you. Phillip might be dead, but I’m sure that he watches and loves you from heaven. And you have your mum and Jake here. That makes you the luckiest of us all, not to mention that you’re the champion when it comes to being loved.”

A smile grows on his lips, cutting his face into the biggest, goofiest grin that has my heart squeezing tight.

“Come on now, you handsome devil. You can help me set the table, and I’ll give you my ice cream after dinner. What do you say?”

“Sounds good.” He nods, getting up and waiting for me to lead the way to the kitchen. We’re almost there when he asks, “Auntie Willow?

“Ahhh, yeah?” Fuck, what now?

“Please don’t tell Mum about our chat.”

Even though I know I have to, I nod. “I won’t.”

Everyone is already sitting at the table when we get in the kitchen. All eyes turn to me as I take my usual seat by the window. I’m not quite sure what’s happened here, but it’s obvious they’ve been talking, and when I look at Jamie, I know he’s opened his big fat mouth.

“Really?” I glare at him.

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