Page 104 of Forbidden Desire

“It’s a slow day. No events. I’ll just be putzing around. Plus, Josie likes Auntie Beth’s flower shop. Don’t you?” Beth smiles past me at Josie who is eating mashed up banana in her highchair. She raises her messy hands in the air in glee.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Of course. I want to help out, at least until you figure everything out.”

I shake my head gratefully. I really didn’t want to take Josie back to that daycare. Someone in there is a rat, and it makes me uneasy to know my daughter is around someone like that. I need to figure out who it is to protect Josie. I just don’t know how to go about it yet. Until I do, I want her out of that place.

“You’re the best,” I say with a sigh of relief.

“How are you?” she asks, settling in a chair at the table while I get her a cup of coffee.

“I’m better,” I say. “I’m slowly but surely figuring out what to do about everything.”

“And?” she asks, taking a sip of coffee.

“I want Marco to be a part of her life,” I say, sure of the words.

“Mah-cooooo,” says Josie, her mouth full.

It makes me laugh. Beth grins at me and I can tell she’s on the brink of tears.

“Oh stop,” I say, feeling my own tears burning behind my eyes.

“I’m just happy, that’s all,” she says.

“Me too. At least, I hope I will be. I really upset him. I just hope he still wants to be a part of her life after the mess I’ve caused.”

“He will. I know it.” Beth nods confidently. “I still can’t believe I haven’t met this guy.”

“One thing at a time.” I laugh. “He may be Josie’s father, but I don’t know whatweare…”

“What do you want to be?”

“I don’t know. I know I miss him. I feel like we’ve never gotten a real shot…”

“Maybe this will be your second chance.”

“Or third…” I laugh softly.

“You’ll figure it out.”

I give her a smile. I hope she’s right.

When I get to work later that morning, I’m surprised to find a bouquet of red roses on my desk, even more extravagant than the first. I know right away they’re from Marco. I smile as I look for a card, feeling like we are already off to a good start. I was afraid I had pushed him away forever after I gave him those papers yesterday.

I find the card nestled carefully in the flowers and unfold it. This time the words are handwritten. I recognize his handwriting immediately. I know he’s placed them here himself. It feels oddly intimate knowing he was here. It’s like I can still smell him. I read what the card says.

I just want to know my daughter. Please give me that chance.

The words settle around me like a warm hug. They are just the reassurance I need to move forward with my decision. I immediately want to go to him and tell him the news. I tuck the card away in my desk drawer and slide the flowers into the corner of my desk. I don’t need anyone snooping around about who the sender might be. The whole tabloid thing has me feeling paranoid. I hate it.

For the first time in a while, I walk toward Marco’s office without a feeling of fear or sadness or anger. I only feel happiness and hope for the future, whatever that might be. We’ve both made mistakes. Yesterday may have been the biggest one of all. I was so scared he would never forgive me for it, which is why finding the flowers and his note was so surprising just now. I feel more than ready to see him now.

I’m about to knock on his office door when his assistant Jessica calls out from behind her desk.

“He’s not in there,” she says.

I lower my hand and look at her disappointedly. “Oh.”

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