Page 235 of His Sunshine Baby

He sighs and says goodbye to us, giving a kiss to the girls before leaving.

Okay, now I’m left with the two girls. I take a deep breath and turn to Estelle.

“Do you want a hot chocolate, baby? So you can finish eating your crepes with Mommy?”

“Yes! Come, Mommy! Daddy, can we get another one for Mommy?”

“Of course, baby.”

Elena stays silent and follows her to the hospital cafeteria. It’s so awkward. I take a deep breath and follow them. I insist onpaying for the drinks, getting myself an Americano and two hot chocolates for the girls, and we sit down, a bit uncomfortable.

“Do you like it, Mommy?”

“It’s good, sweetheart,” says Elena.

We stay silent a bit longer, and it’s the most awkward we’ve ever been. I really need to say something, now. It’s the time, if I ever want to make things right…

“Are you coming home with us now, Mommy?”

“I think I’ll go and live with Auntie Nora for now, baby star.”

Estelle immediately makes a sad face while looking at us, alternating between her and me, worried.

“But… Daddy has a lot of rooms… and the Disney movies… and he said you liked it at Daddy’s place before…”

She’s almost crying, and I immediately feel so guilty for it! I turn to Elena, talking very seriously.

“You could come to my place.”

“Oh, heck no, Nate. We are done.”

“I’m not asking you to get back together with me. I have a lot of spare rooms, and I can–”

“Your place is not a hotel, and I am not desperate. Nora can host me anytime, and we both know it.”

“Yes, but I want to see my daughter, and we can’t split her between my place and Damian’s all the time. And Nora is pregnant and tired; she can’t host all three of us.”

“I’m pretty sure Damian can lend me a room anytime I ask for it, Nathaniel.”

“Elena, I’m just asking you because of our daughter. You don’t have to get back with me, just consider living in the same place as me.”

“Nathaniel, do you even know what you’re saying! It’s not like we could just be roommates!”

“Why not?” I ask, very seriously. “Elena, you know I want you back. I’ll be very clear right now about that. I owe you ahundred apologies, and we need a good, long talk. I’m asking you to have it now, for Estelle’s sake. But my place would be better than a hospital cafeteria. You… You’re free to go back to Nora’s place with Estelle after that. All I’m asking is… you just give me time to talk to you before that. Please.”

She takes a deep breath, visibly conflicted.

“Nate, we already had that talk about four years ago.”

“You know I didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle, Elena,” I try to argue. “It was unfair. I’m not saying it was your fault, but you can’t… I mean, anyone would have had doubts. You had my medical records and the paternity test–”

“I told you,” she immediately gets furious. “My cousin–!”

“Elena.”

I give her a second to calm down, and she glances towards Estelle, who’s staring at the two of us, anxious and a bit lost. She is holding on to her hot chocolate, trying to grasp what’s going on between me and her mom. I sigh.

“Elena, I’m just asking we go to my place for now to talk. I don’t want to just pick a random place, and Estelle’s stuff is there too, she can just watch a movie while we discuss calmly, like adults.”

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