Page 43 of Caleb

He nodded, standing stiffly as she led the way. He glanced back at Liam, who was already engrossed in rolling the truck back and forth with his new dinosaur riding on top.

In the kitchen, Taylor leaned against the counter, crossing her arms as she studied him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, though his voice didn’t carry the conviction he hoped it would. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just... I didn’t think about how yesterday might’ve affected him. I didn’t mean to?—”

“I know,” she said softly, cutting him off. “Kids pick up on more than we think, but he’s fine. He’s happy you’re here.”

Caleb let out a slow breath, her reassurance helping but not erasing the knot restricting his breathing.

There was so much Caleb didn’t know about being a good parent, but he was willing to learn. He had to.

Had his father ever tried to learn what it meant to be a parent? To understand what he should or shouldn’t do? Caleb doubted it. The man had been too consumed by his selfishness, too caught up in his anger and control to care about the damage he left behind.

No, his father hadn’t cared. And that was the difference. Caleb cared deeply about Liam and being the kind of father his son deserved. The kind of father who showed up, who loved unconditionally, and who put his child’s needs above his own.

Taylor watched him for a moment before speaking again. “Why don’t we figure this out together? We’re both new to this, Caleb. There’s no handbook for co-parenting.”

He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I want to do this right, Taylor. I want to be there for him, but... I’m scared I’m going to screw it up.”

Her expression softened, and she stepped closer, her voice quiet. “You’re already doing better than you think. You’re here. You’re trying. That’s what matters.”

Her words steadied him, and he met her gaze. “Thanks,” he said. “For letting me be part of his life.”

Taylor hesitated, then nodded. “You deserve to be. You’re his father.”

He let her words settle briefly before clearing his throat and shifting gears. “I was wondering... would you have dinner with me? Just the two of us? We need to talk about Liam—about everything—without him overhearing.”

Taylor blinked, her expression flickering with surprise. “Dinner?”

“Yeah,” Caleb said, his voice firm but tinged with uncertainty. “Nothing fancy. Just a chance to figure out where we go from here. I’d like for him to know I’m his father,” Caleb said, his voice steady but laced with vulnerability.

Taylor stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable as she absorbed his words. Finally, she let out a deep breath, her gaze softening. “You’re right. We need to figure out how to handle that.”

“Plus,” Caleb added, his voice firmer now, “I want to pay child support.”

Yes, Caleb was determined to make it clear to Taylor and himself that he intended to be the kind of father Liam could depend on.

He wasn’t just going to write checks for child support and call it a day. No, he wanted to be there for Liam, to help raise him, to be the dad who showed up for every scraped knee, every school event, and every bedtime story.

He refused to be the kind of father who dropped in every other weekend, treating parenting like an obligation. Caleb wanted to be a full-time dad who was fully present in Liam’s life. He’d already missed so much, and he wouldn’t miss another moment if he could help it.

Taylor blinked, clearly caught off guard. Her arms uncrossed, and she studied him for a moment before nodding slowly. “Okay,” she said quietly. “We can talk about that too.”

She hesitated, glancing toward the doorway to ensure Liam was still out of earshot. Then she looked back at him, her gaze steady. “Dinner sounds... reasonable.”

Caleb exhaled, relief washing over him. “Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow?”

Taylor nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Tomorrow.”

Leaning in, he brushed a quick kiss against her lips. It wasn’t the kind of kiss that stole breath or made the world tilt, but it carried something deeper—a quiet promise, a hint of the care he still held for her, even after all this time. As he left the kitchen to join Liam again, a tiny spark of hope began to grow inside him. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

And for now, that was enough.

CHAPTER20

Taylor sat across from Caleb in the quiet corner of the restaurant, her glass of wine untouched as she watched him carefully. The flickering candlelight softened the lines of his face, but it couldn’t hide the tension in his jaw or the way he tapped his fingers lightly against the table, a restless rhythm that betrayed his nerves.

She wasn’t sure what to expect tonight. After everything that had happened—the hospital, the revelation about Liam, and the shock that came with it—this dinner felt like uncharted territory.

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