Page 50 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

“I know,” I whispered, pressing my palms to my knees.

“We need to tell her,” he said gently.

I turned to him, my chest tightening. “What if she hates me, Enzo? What if she feels like I lied to her?”

“She won’t hate you,” he said firmly. “You’ve been everything to her, Summer. She knows how much you love her.”

“But I’ve kept this from her for so long,” I said, my voice trembling.

“She’s going to understand,” he said, reaching over to rest a hand on mine. “And if she doesn’t right away, we’ll help her. Together.”

We satin silence for a moment, the weight of the decision pressing down on us.

“When do we tell her?” I asked finally.

“Soon,” he said. “But we have to do it carefully. She’s still so young.”

I nodded, my chest tightening. “How do we even start?”

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “We tell her how special she is. How much she’s loved. And then we tell her the truth.”

My throat tightened, but I nodded again. “Okay.”

Ava peekedout of her room, holding Bunny tightly. “Enzo, are you staying for dinner?”

Enzo smiled, his eyes softening. “If it’s okay with your mom.”

“Of course,” I said, forcing a smile.

“Yay!” Ava said, running over to climb onto the couch beside him. “Can we have spaghetti?”

“I think we can manage that,” Enzo said, chuckling.

As they talked about sauce and noodles, I watched them, my heart heavy with both fear and hope.

We were standing at the edge of a life-changing moment, and I could only pray that we’d get it right.

25

SUMMER

The living room felt quieter than usual, even though the faint hum of the dishwasher in the kitchen provided some background noise. Ava was curled up on the couch, Bunny in her lap, flipping through the pages of a picture book. She was humming softly, a little tune she’d made up, completely unaware of the conversation Enzo and I had just finished in the kitchen.

“We’re really doing this,” I said, leaning against the counter.

Enzo nodded, his expression calm but determined. “It’s time.”

I exhaled shakily, glancing toward Ava. She looked so small, so innocent. “What if she doesn’t take it well?”

“She will,” Enzo said, his voice steady. “She’s smart, and she’s strong. Just like her mom.”

I gave him a weak smile, my nerves still tangled in knots. “Let’s just… take it slow, okay?”

He reached over, resting a hand on my arm. “We’ve got this, Summer. Together.”

I nodded, drawing strength from his confidence. “Okay.”

We walkedinto the living room, and Ava looked up from her book, her eyes bright. “Mommy! Enzo! Are we going to play a game?”

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