Page 45 of When Love And Destiny Collide

"She's doing great," I reply, trying to keep my tone natural. "The daycare is all set for opening day. Enrollment starts at the beginning of the month, and she's really excited."

"And how's she doing with Davey?"

"Wonderful," I say sincerely. "Davey's thriving. He’s reading, doing simple math, and can name every flower in the garden. He’s even become an excellent swimmer. His tan is probably as golden as yours. Honestly, he almost looks more like Lily’s son than mine."

The moment the words leave my mouth, I cringe, realizing I probably shouldn’t have said that last part.

"Davey has a mom," Jon says, as if I needed reminding. "I spoke to Marian last week. She'll be here on the first."

"Lily isn't trying to usurp Marian’s role as Davey’s mother," I reply, more defensively than I intended. After a silent prayer, I continue, "Davey’s excited to see his mom. I hope it'll be good for him… for as long as it lasts."

"She's planning an extended stay until Davey starts school," Jon says, and the words hit me like a ton of bricks. A whole month with my past, present, and future colliding all at once.

"Are you still there?" Jon’s voice pulls me back from my thoughts after the prolonged silence.

"I'm here," I say, raking my fingers through my hair. "I wasn't expecting Marian to stay for an entire month."

"Is it going to be a problem?" Jon asks. "Maybe having her here will give you a chance to reassess everything."

"Reassess what?" I ask, still confused.

"Listen," Jon begins cautiously, "Marian spoke with Sharon and said she plans to win you back. I’m telling you this because I want you to be prepared."

"We’ve been divorced for a year," I respond. "I can’t see what she hopes to achieve with this visit, other than taking advantage of the time she’ll have with Davey."

"Is there a chance you two could work things out?"

"Absolutely not!" I exclaim, glancing over at Davey to make sure he hasn't overheard. Fortunately, he's engrossed on a swing, lost in his own world. Keeping my voice low, I continue, "Our issues started long before the divorce. We had problems dating back tobefore Davey was born. The complete collapse of our marriage didn’t happen overnight, and a month-long visit isn’t going to fix anything."

I can hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I struggle to keep my temper in check. I glance at Davey again—my son, my joy, my reason for living. The thought of anything disrupting his peace of mind with this visit and the ulterior motives behind it is deeply unsettling.

"What aren’t you telling me, Noah?" Jon’s concern is palpable in his voice. I honestly don't even know where to begin.

"I tried to make things work with Marian for years," I confess. "We had a son together, and for his sake, I was willing to stay married for the rest of my life, even though I was unhappy."

"What am I missing?" Jon asks, sensing there’s more to the story. "I thought your problems began when Mom got sick."

I swallow hard and decide to lay it all out. "Marian cheated on me throughout our marriage. She's a master manipulator, to the point where I often thought it was my fault. I wanted so desperately for it to work, and after Davey was born, I promised myself I’d stay no matter what."

"Noah, I had no idea," Jon says gently.

"How could you?" I ask. "We were married for fifteen years, and for half that time, Marian had multiple affairs. I never told youbecause I didn’t want you or your family to see her differently. She was my wife and then the mother of my child. I wanted our marriage to work—for us, for Davey. I wanted what you and Sharon have."

"You should’ve told me," he says, his tone shifting to that of the protective older brother he’s always been.

"Mom and Dad knew," I share bitterly. "They begged me to leave her, but we had Davey and the idea of a divorce was daunting. I wanted a lifelong marriage and a big family."

"Geez," Jon murmurs. I can almost picture him raking his fingers through his hair in frustration and disbelief.

"Look," I begin, wanting to reassure him. "It's over. I’m completely past that period of my life. I’m focused on the future, and the only role Marian will have in my life is as Davey’s mom. That’s it."

After hanging up the phone, I return to tossing the ball with Davey, my heart heavy with worry. I wish I could shield him from the storm that’s brewing with his mother’s imminent arrival. Our tranquil existence is on the verge of being shattered, and I can already sense the upheaval that her presence will bring.

Chapter 12

Lily

"What do you think?" I ask Dad, my anticipation clear in every word.

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