Page 59 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

“Enzo,” I whispered, my fingers digging into his shoulders.

He pulled back slightly, his breathing ragged as his eyes searched mine. “Tell me this isn’t just a moment,” he said, his voice rough but vulnerable.

“It’s not,” I said, my voice trembling but sure.

He kissed me again,deeper this time, his hands slipping to my thighs as he lifted me onto the counter. I gasped softly, wrapping my legs around him instinctively as his lips found mine again.

Everything else faded away—the cabin, the lake, the worries that had consumed me for weeks. In that moment, there was only him.

His touch, his warmth, his presence.

And for the first time in a long time, I let myself fall.

Hours later,we lay on the couch, tangled together under a soft blanket. The room was quiet except for the sound of our breathing, slow and steady.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he murmured, his lips brushing my temple.

“Me too,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

He tilted my chin up, his gaze soft but determined. “We can make this work, Summer. For Ava. For us.”

I nodded, my heart swelling with a quiet hope I hadn’t dared to feel before. “I believe you.”

30

SUMMER

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the lake as Ava splashed in the shallow water near the shore. Bunny sat safely on a blanket nearby, perched upright as if watching over her. I stood at the edge of the water, my toes sinking into the cool sand, while Enzo waded out just far enough to keep an eye on Ava.

“Watch me, Daddy!” Ava called, cupping her hands to her mouth as she jumped into the water with a big splash.

My breath caught.

Enzo froze mid-step, the word hanging in the air like a firework bursting in slow motion. Then, a smile broke across his face, wide and full of something I could only describe as joy.

“I’m watching, Ava!” he called back, his voice steady but thick with emotion.

Ava turned, beaming at him as water dripped down her face. “Did you see? I made the biggest splash ever!”

“I did,” he said, laughing. “That was impressive.”

I pressed a hand to my chest, my heart swelling as I watched them. Ava had said the word so naturally, like she’d been waiting her whole life to say it. And the look on Enzo’s face—it was everything.

A few minutes later,Enzo jogged back to me, water glistening on his skin as he ran a hand through his hair.

“She called me Daddy,” he said softly, almost like he couldn’t believe it.

“She did,” I said, smiling up at him.

“I didn’t think I could feel this much,” he admitted, his voice rough. “But she… she’s everything, Summer.”

“She loves you,” I said simply, my throat tightening.

“And I love her,” he said, his gaze locking onto mine. “Both of you.”

The words hit me like a wave, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. Instead, I nodded, my heart full.

After a quick lunchon the porch, the three of us set off on a short hike through the woods. Ava held Enzo’s hand tightly, her other hand clutching a small jar she’d insisted on bringing to collect “treasures.”

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