Page 107 of Your Second Chance
“What about Ollie? You can’t leave him, Nova. You can’t rip Scarlette away from him... or yourself. He loves you both. How could you do that to him?”
A lump rose in my throat, but I smiled, forcing steadiness into my voice. “I’ll talk to Ollie. He can find a coaching job out there. We’ll make it work. We always do.”
“You’re sure he’ll be okay with that?”
I nodded, even though uncertainty lingered beneath the surface. “I know he will. Ollie would move mountains for us. He’d understand. I’ll figure it out.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed the words myself. Could I really ask Ollie to leave everything behind? His job, his family, the life he’d built here? England wasn’t a place for him—it was home. The stadium, the team, the little routines we’d created... it was all so deeply rooted in him.
I tried to push the thoughts away, focusing on Luna’s hopeful expression. I wanted to believe we could make it work, that Ollie would follow me without hesitation. But a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that I might be asking too much. What if I was pulling him away from everything he loved, just to keep my own world intact?
“Do you hate me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No.” I reached out to gently pet her knee. “I could never hate you, Luna. I’m sorry you’ve been battling this alone.”
She leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder as the weight of her decision settled between us. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your life.”
I pulled back and held onto her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “You didn’t ruin my life. You sacrificed so much for me—brought me back from the dead. You stuck around when I needed someone the most.” I shook my head, guilt clawing at me for not seeing it sooner. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize you were unhappy, Luna. I thought... I thought you loved Will. That maybe monogamy had finally called to you.”
She let out a soft laugh, but it was tinged with sadness. “I did love Will. I do love him. But there’s a part of me that’s always felt unfinished, like what I had with Dirks and Jeremy was left hanging. It’s still there, Nova, calling me back. There’s so much I wish I could still experience, things I need to face.”
I exhaled slowly, my mind racing with everything this meant. “I’ll talk to Ollie this weekend. We’ll figure this out together, okay? Just... do me a favor. Please don’t make any big moves until I’ve sorted everything.”
“I promise.”
It was a small reassurance. Ollie was going to understand . . . He had to . . .
I moved to the kitchen and started making Luna tea, the quiet hum of the kettle filling the silence between us. She sat at the table, watching me with an expression that was somewhere between gratitude and regret.
We had a light lunch together, the conversation shifting to easier topics—Scarlette’s antics, Luna’s marketing plans, and our usual teasing.
When it was time for her to leave, she hugged me tightly, whispering, “Thank you, Nova.”
As the door closed behind her, silence blanketed the house. I stood in the middle of the living room, the afternoon light casting a warm glow over the familiar space.
This was where I’d laughed, cried, and rebuilt myself. This was the house that had survived me—my heartbreak, my fears, my insecurities. It was where I’d become a mom, where I truly fell in love, and where I’d found the strength to start over.
I swallowed hard. This wasn’t a house. It was a home—a home that Ollie and I had built together, piece by piece, moment by moment. Could I really leave it all behind? Could I walk away from the place that had given me everything I’d lost and more?
The thought felt like a fissure cracking open inside me, one I wasn’t sure I could close.
I dropped to my knees and cried. Everything felt like it was falling apart and together at the same time. Even as I cried, I knew I couldn’t sink. Sadness was allowed, but despair wasn’t. We’d built a home together, and while this house held so many memories,homewasn’t confined to these walls—it was between us. Ollie, Scarlette, and I. If I was going to keep this family intact, I needed a plan. I couldn’t let myself spiral into thoughts of life without Luna or Ollie. I’d find a way to make it work.
I closed my eyes, and, unbidden, my ex-husband’s voice echoed in my mind.
I’d always be second.
Austin’s fear had consumed him, the idea that he’d always come after Luna in my life. He couldn’t understand that love wasn’t a competition, that one didn’t diminish the other. I refused to let that mindset poison this situation. I wasn’t going to choose between them. I needed both of them—Ollie and Luna—just like they needed me.
I swallowed hard and reached for my phone on the counter, my fingers trembling slightly. I curled up on the floor, knees to my chest, and dialed the number of the one person who could help fix this.
Iris picked up on the third ring. “Nova, what’s going on?”
“I need your help,” I whispered, clutching the phone tightly. “I need a plan.”
By the time I’d gotten off the phone, hours had passed. Iris was announcing her retirement, and I was going to take over her job. It was a little more complicated than that. We’d need the board’s approval, but Iris thought it was all right. I cried when she told me she’d been waiting for this day, waiting for me to take over.
I was still in the kitchen when Ollie walked in. He dropped his workout bag and closed the distance as fast as he could between us. I stood up, and when he saw me, his face fell.
