Page 6 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

Summer stood and walked to the far side of the room, motioning for me to follow. I did, keeping my expression neutral, though I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, her voice low but furious.

“I’m just making conversation,” I said calmly.

“No, you’re fishing,” she snapped. “And you need to stop.”

I crossed my arms, leaning slightly against the wall. “Summer, you can’t seriously expect me to ignore the fact that she looks like?—”

“Like what?” she interrupted, her tone icy. “Like a kid? Like a patient you’re supposed to be helping?”

“Don’t do that,” I said quietly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “This isn’t the time or the place, Enzo. Ava needs a doctor right now, not… whatever this is.”

I studied her face, the stubborn set of her jaw, the way her eyes darted toward Ava every few seconds. She was hiding something, and I couldn’t let it go.

“I’m not trying to make this harder for you,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “But I deserve to know the truth.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t get to demand anything, Enzo. Not after all this time.”

“That’s not fair, and you know it,” I said, my voice rising slightly.

“Fair?” she shot back, her voice a harsh whisper. “You want to talk about fair? You have no idea what I’ve been through, what I’ve had to do to protect her.”

“Protect her from what?” I asked, genuinely confused.

She hesitated, her eyes darting toward Ava again. For a moment, I thought she might tell me, but then she shook her head.

“This conversation is over,” she said firmly. “Focus on Ava’s surgery, Enzo. That’s all you need to worry about.”

I wanted to push further, but I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere. Not now.

“Fine,” I said, stepping back. “But we’re not done with this, Summer. Not by a long shot.”

She didn’t respond, just turned and walked back to Ava, her posture rigid.

I stayedfor a few more minutes, going over the surgery prep with Summer and answering her questions, though she kept her tone strictly professional. Ava, blissfully unaware of the tension between us, showed me her finished drawing before I left.

“It’s amazing,” I told her, genuinely impressed. “I think you might be the next great artist.”

She giggled, her cheeks turning pink.

As I walked out of the room, my thoughts were a mess. Summer was hiding something—something big. And every instinct I had told me Ava was the key to it.

I didn’t know how, but I was going to find out the truth.

4

ENZO

It was early afternoon when I saw Summer and Ava again. They walked into the waiting room, Ava clutching a small stuffed bunny in one hand and Summer’s hand in the other. Ava’s knee was bandaged, but she moved with a cautious bounce, her curiosity shining brighter than her discomfort.

“Dr. Pearson!” Ava called out when she saw me, her face lighting up.

I grinned, stepping toward them. “Hey there, Ava. How’s my favorite patient today?”

“I’m good,” she said, holding up her bunny for me to see. “This is Bunny. He came with me to help.”

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