Page 93 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

Discovering Bran was my son.

Freaking out about it a little bit.

Okay. Freaking out about it alot.

Then pouring my heart out to Haleyagain, this time in front of an entire audience.

But it had all worked out in the end. Or at least, it wasbeginningto work out. We still had a lot to do, a lot to talk about.

Starting with introducing myself—and who Ireallywas—to Bran.

My son.

As I drove back to Haley’s place, I felt a strange nervousness come over me. It was the same fluttering excitement that had swirled in my stomach driving to the open house. In both cases, I was about to reveal something to somebody, and I had no idea how they would react.

Yet somehow, I wasmorenervous about telling Bran. If he didn’t accept me, or if he hated me for never being there for him before now…

I shivered. It would crush me.

I felt my old instincts battling for control. They demanded I run, that I flee any possibility of rejection before I could get hurt.

But it was a muted voice, no longer influencing me the way it had when I was younger. Being vulnerable was okay. The best, most deeply-satisfying things in life required risk. And I knew the reward was worth putting myself out there.

If Bran accepted me.

I reached their house first, parking on the street and then walking up to the porch. Sara met me at the front door and demanded, “How did it go?”

I flashed her a thumbs-up.

Tears welled in her eyes, and she threw her arms around me. I hugged her back, despite the awkwardness of her belly between us.

When she pulled back, there was a ferocity in her eyes. “Don’t youdarefuck this up with her again.”

“I can’t promise I won’t fuck up,” I said. “But I can promise I’ll try my best.”

Sara nodded. “That’s all any of us can do.”

Haley’s minivan drove up, and she parked behind my car. When I turned back around, I gave a start.

Bran was standing there, looking up at me.

My son.

I’d seen him an hour ago, when I came by looking for Haley. But I didn’t know if I had a place in his life then. I hadn’t allowed my heart to open up.

But now that Haley had forgiven me?

My heart swelled with joy.

I was terrified, too. My entire life was going to change. Yet that joy shone through all of it, like a spotlight banishing the darkness.

“Did you use my speaker?” he asked. “Did it help whatever you were doing?”

“It did help,” I said, doing my best not to get all choked up. “I have a confession. I accidentally broke it. But I promise to get you a new one.”

“Oh,” he said, frowning. “Okay.”

He ran over to the kitchen table, where he had been coloring. Haley came through the door behind us, freezing in place when she saw that we were all together.

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