Page 9 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

He’s in his normal seat. And my normal seat used to be right next to him. Tonight, though, Oliver’s sitting at his side with Rose in a high chair between them.

Trevor’s eyes shoot up for only a brief moment, his brown eyes seeing through me. He looks away quickly.

I look away too. I can’t linger on how good he looks. It makes it all feel worse inside.

Good looks can’t make up for how much he hurt me. I know I caused the breakup by accepting the job without including him in the decision-making process, but he’s the one who cut it all off, even though we were supposed to get married.

“Here, sit with me.” Red tugs me to two empty chairs at the complete diagonal of the long table.

The Hawthorns had to get this one especially made so that every member of the family could fit around it. Including me.

We take a seat, and dinner unfolds around us.

I keep quiet, only speaking when spoken too, indulging in Ash’s good cooking.

However, its deliciousness is lost on me when I am reminded of all I’ve been missing. Not just Trevor, but all of this.Family.

In Seattle, all I have is a career. Sure, it’s as a lead game designer at Gallant, the foremost gaming company in the country. That’s why I couldn’t give up the opportunity. And I like my coworkers. Some of them I could call friends.

But I don’t have afamily.

I forgot how nice it feels to watch all the parents dealing with their kids. Hearing about how they grew in the last week.

Now I’m playing catch up for six months. The twins, Trip and Danny, both had growth spurts and started pre-school. Piper carries herself with so much poise, leading by example whenever someone starts to throw a tantrum.

Everyone seems more in love than ever, too.

I’ve always heard babies make relationships harder and if that’s true, you’d never know from the way the Hawthorn couples look at each other.

I used to be one of those. Not a Hawthorn by name, but a couple at the table with stars in her eyes for the man she loved.

I can’t help but steal glances at the spot next to Trevor where Oliver sits.

How many times we sat there together, holding hands under the table, whispering to each other, feeling the future unwinding for us without question.

By now, Trevor and I were supposed to have been married for three months. Babies were to follow. Sooner than later.

Now, we’re both single again and can’t even look at each other.

I hate it.

But I hate him more because he’s the one who chose for it to end. Not me. Never would have been me.

When dinner is done, Dara enlists me and June to help clean up.

We collect dishes, me pointedly avoiding cleaning up at Trevor’s end of the table, and carry them into the kitchen.

“Thank you,” June says to Dara once the door is closed behind us. “Ronnie willnotleave me alone.”

Dara smiles. “The clingy stage, huh?”

I wish I could answer something when it came to parenting in a knowing way. I’m just a godparent. A surrogate aunt.

“Yes! I’m so touched out.” June places the dishes in the sink, turning on the hot water. She turns to me and holds out her hands. “Anyway, no mom talk right now. We’re so happy to have you back, Iris.”

I blush, giving her my stack of dirty dishes and cutlery. “Aw, you’re sweet to say that.”

Dara nods. “She means it.”

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