Page 56 of Ardent Desires

Just then, my phone rings. It’s from the hospital.

“Mr. Blackwood? This is Nurse Thomas from the hospital. Vanessa Chase is now awake and asking for you.”

I close my eyes briefly. She’s awake, and some part of me feels lighter for that, but I can’t go. “I won’t be coming in, but pleaseensure she has everything she needs. Send me her bills; I’ll handle the charges.”

As I hang up, my mind drifts to Ellie. To our baby.

A few months ago, fatherhood felt foreign, something I had ruled out. My own father was cold, unyielding, more of a drill sergeant than a parent. He taught me to be self-sufficient but left me with nothing soft to hold onto. I was never certain I’d even want kids, for fear of becoming the same kind of man.

But Ellie… she’s changed that. She’s shown me a version of myself I didn’t think existed. And with her, the thought of raising a child—our child—feels like a second chance.

My phone buzzes in my hand, her name lighting up the screen, and it’s as if the universe itself has granted me the one thing I need to feel grounded again.

“Hey, baby,” I say, but my smile fades the second I hear her voice—she’s crying, struggling to speak.

“Ellie, are you hurt?” I grab my car keys, already heading for the door. “Where are you?”

“Can you come, please?” Her voice is so fragile it breaks something in me. I’m out the door in seconds, practically sprinting. “Stay on the phone with me, okay? Just breathe, Ellie. I’m on my way.”

Every tear I hear, every shaky breath—it pushes me faster. I swear the trip feels like it takes hours, but I finally pull up, telling her, “I’m here, baby. Whatever it is, we’re going to fix it.”

I don’t know what to expect when she opens the door, but seeing her curled up in pajamas, eyes swollen and cheeks stained, knocks the air out of me. She barely manages to stand before she falls into my arms, and I scoop her up, settling us both on the couch as I hold her, waiting for her to breathe easier.

“Ellie, talk to me,” I murmur, brushing a tear from her cheek. “What happened?”

She trembles against me, her words barely a whisper. “Deborah… Carolyn… it’s all so much. I don’t know what to believe.” Her voice catches, and she explains everything between deep breaths, as if saying it aloud makes it real—the woman who says she’s her mother, a past she never even imagined, baby pictures she never saw. By the time she’s finished, she’s sobbing into my shirt, completely drained.

“I don’t even know who I am,” she chokes out. “How could Carolyn lie to me like this? I’m nothing like her. My mother didn’t even want me… she handed me away.” Her voice breaks, and it’s like she’s unraveling, this doubt tearing at her. “I don’t know if I should be a mother. I don’t know if I even can be.”

“Hey.” I lift her face, meeting her tear-filled eyes. “None of this has anything to do with you, Ellie.”

Her hands grip my shirt, like I’m her anchor. “But if my own mother didn’t think I was worth sticking around for… what if I’m not enough?”

This needs to stop right now. She deserves to know she’s more than enough, that her worth isn’t tied to anyone’s mistakes but especially not her mother’s. And maybe… maybe it’s time to tell her why I understand better than I wish I did.

“Ellie, listen,” I say, my voice barely steady. “I’m not… I’ve never wanted to be a father. Hell, it’s the last thing I thought I’d ever want. My own dad—he was more of a business partner than a parent, and he treated me like an investment. I spent years afraid I’d end up the same way.”

I take a deep breath, realizing I’ve never admitted this to anyone. “But you… you’re nothing like that. The fact that you care so much, that you’re worried about being good enough? That’s exactly what’s going to make you an incredible mom. Because you already love this baby. You already want to be better.”

Her eyes search mine, and I can see her start to believe it. I brush another tear from her cheek, my thumb lingering on her skin.

“I’ll be here with you, every step of this. You’re not alone in this, Ellie. You never will be. I’ve got you.”

“I have got you too. You know, you don’t talk about your father much,” she whispers. Her fingers play with the hem of my shirt, and I can see her processing my words. “That’s rough,” she says softly, and it hits me how much she really gets it.

“I spent years afraid I’d end up the same way,” I admit, hating the vulnerability in my voice.

She lifts her head, those bright eyes searching mine. “But you’re nothing like that, Alex. You’re so much better.”

I nod, my chest swelling. “Thank you.”

A single tear escapes, and I wipe it away with my thumb, letting it linger on her soft skin.

She studies me, her face softening, and then she smiles. “I love you; you know.”

Those three words hit me like a freight train, but in the best way. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “I love you too.”

She leans in, pressing her lips against mine, slow and sweet, igniting that fire deep inside me. As our kiss deepens, the world outside fades away. It’s just us, lost in each other.

---