Page 100 of Hat Trick Daddies

Ally always has a way of grounding me. If anyone can help me make sense of this, it’s her.

Pushing the door open, I make my way through the corridors. It’s time to face this head-on.

My footsteps echo down the quiet corridor as I head toward Ally’s office. The tension I carried on the drive feels heavier now.

Reaching her door, I knock softly. “Come in,” her familiar voice calls, and I push the door open to find her sitting at her desk, a radiant smile lighting up her face.

“Nick!” she says, getting up and walking over to me. She pulls me into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around my waist, and I shut the door behind me.

Her lips meet mine in a passionate kiss, and for a moment, the weight on my chest lifts.

As I hold her, the soft scent of her perfume grounds me, and her warmth against me reminds me of everything good in my life. But Ally is perceptive.

She pulls back slightly, her hands moving to cup my face, her brow furrowing as her eyes search mine.

“What’s wrong?” she asks gently, her thumb brushing across my cheek.

I try to smile, to shrug it off, but the concern in her eyes makes it impossible to keep the walls up.

Her hand slides into mine, her touch firm yet comforting, as if grounding me to the moment. “Nick,” she says again, her tone softer now. “Talk to me. Please.”

I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair. “It’s nothing,” I try, but the words sound hollow even to me.

Her head tilts, her expression firm, and I know I’ve lost the battle before it’s even begun.

“Fine,” I mutter, sitting down on the edge of her desk.

She stands in front of me, her hands never leaving mine, her gaze unwavering. “It’s just…this whole dad thing. The babies. All of it. I’m excited, don’t get me wrong, but…” I trail off, the words catching in my throat.

“But what?” she prompts gently, her eyes wide with encouragement.

“But what if I mess it up?” I finally say, my voice cracking slightly.

“Ally, Tyler and I didn’t exactly grow up with stellar role models. There were nights we didn’t have dinner. Some winters, we didn’t even have coats. Our parents…they were drunks. The town joke, really. One night my dad…he just kept digging into Tyler and I over and over again. Calling us mistakes, worthless, and I…I just saw red and I punched him. Well, he grabbed me, ready to knock the daylights out of me like he had before, and Tyler called the police. The police arrived and my dad pressed charges against me, to, ‘teach me a lesson’. The state ‘suggested’ I finish my education at an all-boys military school. When I graduated, Tyler came and found me and we ran away. We didn’t look back. We didn’t hear from our folks again until we got drafted into the league, and even then, it was just about the money.”

Her hands tighten around mine. “Nick, I’m so sorry,” she whispers, her voice thick with sincerity. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you both.”

I nod, the weight of those memories heavier now, but her presence keeps me steady.

“I don’t want to be like them,” I admit, my voice trembling slightly. “I’m scared I’ll get this all wrong. That I won’t know how to be the dad these kids deserve.”

Ally steps closer, her hands now resting on my chest, her touch calming. “Nick,” she says, her voice firm yet tender. “You are not your parents. You’re not even close. You’re kind, you’re strong, and you care so deeply about the people in your life. That’s what matters.”

Her words sink in slowly, like warmth spreading through my chest.

I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off. “We don’t have to be our parents,” she continues, her eyes locked on mine.“We get to make our own choices. We can do the things we wish they would’ve done for us. We can right their wrongs in our own lives with our actions.”

I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly. The scent of her shampoo, a faint hint of apples, fills my senses, and I bury my face in her hair, letting her words wrap around me like a blanket.

“You really think I can do this?” I whisper.

She pulls back just enough to look at me, her eyes shining. “I know you can,” she says, her voice steady. “You’ve already proven it, Nick.”

I lower my head, capturing her lips in a kiss that’s filled with everything I can’t put into words.

Her lips are soft and warm, moving against mine in a way that makes the world outside this moment fade.

I deepen the kiss, my hands sliding to her waist, pulling her closer. Her fingers tangle in my hair, sending a shiver down my spine as I lean back against the desk, lifting her slightly so she’s perched on the edge.

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