Page 54 of Rogue’s Reckoning

I arriveat the small café twenty minutes early, my nerves making it impossible to sit still at home any longer. I choose a table in the corner, my back to the wall so I can see the entire room. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

My hands shake slightly as I sip my coffee, my eyes constantly darting to the door. Any minute now, Rogue will walk through it. The man I once loved, the man who broke my heart and shattered my trust, the father of my child.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I can do this. I have to do this. For Wren.

The bell above the door chimes, and I freeze. There he is.

Rogue looks different yet achingly familiar. His hair is shorter, and there are a few more lines around his eyes. But it's still him. Still the man who haunts my dreams and nightmares.

His eyes scan the café, and when they land on me, I see a flurry of emotions cross his face. Relief, pain, longing, regret. He approaches slowly, as if afraid I might bolt.

"Willow," he says softly when he reaches the table. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me."

I nod stiffly, gesturing for him to sit. "I'm doing this for Wren," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "Not for you."

Rogue sits, his eyes never leaving my face. "I understand," he says. "How... how is she?"

I take another sip of coffee, buying myself a moment. "She's good. She's smart, kind, full of energy. She's everything."

A small smile tugs at Rogue's lips. "She sounds amazing. Just like her mother."

I ignore the compliment. "I need you to understand something, Rogue. I'm not here to reconnect or rehash the past. I'm here to set boundaries and figure out if there's any way you can be in Wren's life without hurting her."

Rogue nods solemnly. "I get it, Willow. I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But I want you to know how sorry I am for everything that happened. I was wrong, so fucking wrong, and I've regretted it every day since."

I swallow hard, pushing down the emotions his words stir up. "Your apology doesn't change what happened, Rogue. It doesn't erase the pain or the fear."

"I know," he says, his voice rough. "I know I can never make up for what I did. But I want to try to be better. For Wren. For you, if you'll let me."

I take a deep breath. "Here's how this is going to work. If—and that's a big if—I decide to let you meet Wren, it will be on my terms. Supervised visits only, at least at first. No talk ofthe club or your lifestyle. And if at any point I feel like your presence is negatively affecting Wren, it stops immediately. Do you understand?"

Rogue nods solemnly. "I understand. I'll do whatever you think is best for Wren."

"And another thing," I add, my voice firm. "You don't get to just waltz in and be 'Dad.' As far as Wren knows, her father isn't in the picture. If we do this, you'll be introduced as a friend first. We'll see how things go from there."

I can see the pain in Rogue's eyes at my words, but he nods again. "Okay. Whatever you think is best."

We sit in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation hanging heavy between us. Finally, Rogue speaks again.

"Can you... can you tell me more about her?" he asks hesitantly. "What's she like?"

Despite my reservations, I find myself smiling slightly as I think about Wren. "She's amazing. She's smart and curious about everything. She loves to draw and she's always making up stories. She's kind, too. Always looking out for the other kids at school."

Rogue listens intently, hanging on every word. "She sounds perfect," he says softly.

"She is," I agree. "And I need you to understand something, Rogue. She's happy. We have a good life. If you come into it, you can't disrupt that. You can't make promises you can't keep or disappear when things get tough. She deserves better than that."

"I know," Rogue says, his voice thick with emotion. "I want to do right by her, Willow. By both of you. I know I fucked up before, but I swear to you, I've changed. I want to be someone Wren can be proud of."

I study his face, trying to gauge his sincerity. Part of me wants to believe him, but the scars from our past run deep.

"I'll think about it," I say finally. "I need some time to process all this. And I need to talk to Wren, see how she feels about meeting new people in our lives."

Rogue nods, hope flickering in his eyes. "Thank you, Willow. That's more than I deserve. I promise, if you give me a chance, I won't let you down. Not again."

As we prepare to leave, Rogue hesitates. "Can I... would it be okay if I saw a picture of her?"

I hesitate for a moment, my finger hovering over the screen. Then, with a deep breath, I turn the phone to show Rogue the photo.

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