Page 26 of Coming Home for Love

I looked down at whatever game he was playing. “That’s cool. Can I play with you?”

He nodded and passed the tablet to me. He crawled into my lap, and we played the game together.

I looked up at Wynter, and her face lit up as she watched us. I winked at her and then turned my attention to Osiris.

He and I played his game until the food came. I cut up Osiris’s pancakes for him and poured syrup on them.

“Make sure you bless your food first,” I told him when he picked up his food.

“Thank you, God, for this food. Amen.”

“Amen,” Wynter and I said at the same time.

As we ate, I thought about how drastically my life had changed in the span of twenty-four hours. That feeling like something was missing had vanished when I met Osiris. He was the missing piece to the emptiness I felt. Wynter was filling that space as well.

My phone rang in my pocket, and I had a feeling I knew who it was. I hadn’t gotten a chance to call Shannon, but I did send her a message to let her know I would get back to her at some point.

It stopped ringing, then started right back up. Wynter looked at me, but I only smiled at her.

“Sounds like someone is trying to reach you.”

I smirked at the tense jaw, pinched brow, and eye contact she refused to break. The jealousy bounced off her in waves, and that shit turned me on. “It’s not important.”

That wasn’t a lie because it wasn’t as important as being with Osiris. I knew I needed to tell Shannon soon, though. I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do first. I wouldn’t care if she decided she didn’t want to talk to me after she found out, but I would feel some type of way a little. I cared for her, but I knew before coming home that our time was slowly coming to an end. Because I knew she would probably call again, I texted her to let her know I would call when I had time, then I put my phone on vibrate. I didn’t want any more interruptions. I didn’t know what I was doing with Wynter, but I didn’t want her to be uncomfortable around me. Her mood could affect Osiris, and I didn’t want that for any of us.

“So, how did you end up at a fancy restaurant like Taurus?” I asked Wynter.

She chewed the food in her mouth before putting her fork down.

“Well, after I finished school, I applied there and was a waitress for about six months. During that time, I would go intothe kitchen, and the chef at the time would show me different things. When he left, the owner offered me the position, and of course, I jumped on it. The best decision I could have made.”

“I’m proud of you for achieving your dreams no matter what. I just wish I could have been there to see it all and help you.”

Internally, it bothered me that I missed important parts of her life, including her graduation and the birth of my son, but I couldn’t change the past, so I wouldn’t dwell on it.

“Hey.” She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “It’s not your fault. I told you already not to let it get to you. You’re here now, and everything is out in the open.”

I rubbed my finger over the back of her hand. Wynter and I weren’t dealing with each other long before I left, but things with her were peaceful, and I was getting that same feeling again.

Osiris was oblivious to whatever was transpiring between his mother and me as he ate his food.

“What about you? What made you stay in Paris?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I liked the people out there and the atmosphere all together. I missed my family, and I came back a time or two, but Paris was home.” I wasn’t going to mention Shannon, at least not yet. “But to keep it real, lately, I’d been feeling off.”

“What you mean off?”

Our hands were still connected as we talked.

“Like, something was missing, or something was lacking. Now, I know what that is.” I looked down at Osiris. “This whole time, I’d been missing my son, but I won’t let that happen anymore. I have to go back at some point to tie up loose ends, but I think it’s time for me to come back home. I just need you to have patience and understanding.”

“I can do that. I know our son was a secret for the last three years, but I would never keep him from you now that you are here.” She squeezed my hand.

“I hope not. I want to be there for both of you in whatever capacity you need me in.” I looked her in the eyes so she understood what I was saying. Our relationship may not go past anything but co-parenting, but I would always have Wynter’s back. I wanted her life to be as stressless as possible, and I would do what I could to make that happen.

“Okay. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for something I’m supposed to do.”

---