Page 41 of Caleb

Her mother’s smile widened slightly. “You two look good together. There’s something there, even if you’re both too stubborn to admit it outright. Are you falling in love with him again?”

The question hit Taylor like a jolt, her breath catching. She looked down at her coffee, her thoughts spiraling.

“I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice barely audible.

“Don’t lie to yourself, sweetheart,” Grace said, her tone kind but firm. “You’ve been falling for him since he came back into your life. I can see it plain as day.”

Taylor’s hands tightened around the mug, her heart aching at the truth in her mother’s words. “I’m fighting it,” she admitted. “Because I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

Taylor swallowed hard, her voice breaking. “Of losing him again. Of letting myself hope, only to have it all fall apart. I can’t go through that again, Mom. And I won’t put Liam through it, either.”

One thing was certain—she would never let her son feel that kind of pain. Never.

Liam deserved stability, love, and the childhood she’d once dreamed of giving him with Caleb by her side. She’d do whatever it took to protect him, even if it meant guarding her heart and keeping Caleb at arm’s length. Because Liam’s happiness came first, and she wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.

Grace nodded, her expression softening. “You’re protecting yourself and your son. That’s what a good mother does. But, Taylor, don’t let fear keep you from something that could be wonderful.”

Taylor blinked back tears. “How do I trust him, Mom? After everything?”

Grace gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you build step by step. And from what I’ve seen, Caleb is trying. He’s here, Taylor. He wants to be part of Liam’s life—and yours. Let him prove himself.”

Taylor exhaled shakily, her mind swirling with emotions. Her mother’s words made sense, but they didn’t make it easier.

“Take it one day at a time,” Grace continued. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Just give him the chance to show you who he is. And give yourself the chance to see it.”

Taylor nodded slowly, her grip on the mug loosening. “One day at a time,” she repeated, the words feeling both daunting and comforting.

Grace smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Taylor’s face. “That’s all any of us can do.”

As her mother stood to refill her coffee, Taylor leaned back in her chair. Her thoughts were still tangled but slightly less overwhelming. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she didn’t have to face it alone.

CHAPTER19

Caleb stood on Taylor’s porch, holding a small, carefully wrapped package in each hand. The late morning sun cast a warm glow over the yard, but the burden of his guilt made it hard to appreciate the day’s beauty.

After last night, Caleb couldn’t shake the question gnawing at him since he’d woken: how would Taylor accept him today?

Would she still be angry at him?

Her anger had been justified—he knew that. Learning the truth about Liam hadn’t been easy for either of them, and their argument at the hospital had only poured salt into old wounds. But Taylor was fierce, guarded, and fervently protective of their son. Caleb had seen her love for Liam written in every action, every word.

And now, he was stepping into their lives, into a role he should have taken on years ago. Was it too late?

He didn’t blame her if she was still upset. Hell, if the roles were reversed, he’d be furious too. But Caleb wasn’t the same man who’d left her all those years ago, and he was determined to show her that.

Today was his chance to start fresh, to show Taylor he could be the father Liam deserved—and perhaps the partner she needed.

He glanced down at the gifts he’d brought—a stuffed dinosaur in one box and a bright red toy truck in the other. They seemed so small, so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they were the best he could think of to bring a smile to Liam’s face.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened, and Taylor stood there, her expression a mixture of surprise and wariness.

“Caleb,” she said, stepping back slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“I want to see Liam,” he said, holding the packages. “And... maybe start making up for yesterday.”

How did they move past this? How did they find their way back to where they’d been just yesterday—before everything shifted, before the truth unraveled everything?

---