Page 128 of Your Second Chance
I cut him off with a gentle laugh. “Let’s start with the basics.”
Doubt lingered at the edges of my thoughts. I’d seen him be this eager before, so full of hope and plans, only for it to crumble. But as much as I wanted to shield myself from disappointment,I couldn’t ignore the way he looked now—steady, sincere, and desperate to be part of Scarlette’s life.
“Okay,” he said, his voice tinged with relief. “Tell me about her. Tell me about my daughter.”
I managed a small smile. “Her name is Scarlette. She’s four. She loves books, animals, and drawing. She’s got the biggest imagination. And her laugh? It’s the kind of laugh that makes you want to laugh with her, no matter what’s going on.”
I watched him as I spoke, his expression softening with each word. He was hanging onto every detail, piecing together the life he’d missed.
“She’s got your eyes,” I added quietly.
Austin smiled faintly, but I could see the weight of everything sinking in. “Will you be okay if I meet her?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
My mind spun as I tried to process what this would mean—for Scarlette, for me, for all of us. Could I trust him?
Could I risk letting him into Scarlette’s life, only for him to leave again? Or worse, to let her down? The thought twisted in my chest, filling me with dread. But at the same time, there was a flicker of hope. He was asking. He wanted to know her, to be part of her life. Didn’t she deserve that chance, no matter how scary it felt to me?
Ollie’s words from the phone call yesterday echoed in my mind:“Then you’ll protect her, like you always have. You’ll do what you’ve always done—you’ll put her first. But you need to know, Nova. For her and for yourself. You’re stronger than you think.”
I looked out the window, the enormity of the decision bearing down on me. Slowly, I turned back to him. “I think that would be okay,” I said carefully. “And if that goes well, then maybe we can talk to her.”
He closed his eyes, his shoulders shaking slightly. “Yes,” he whispered, and I knew he was crying.
“But Austin,” I murmured, my voice trembling. “If we do this, then we have to do it together. I don’t want her... taken away... from me.” Tears trailed down my cheeks. “I raised her. I’ve been there every single day. I can’t....I won’t let her be taken away from me.”
“I don’t want to take her away. I promise you, we can do this together. As a team. I don’t want you to be anything but happy.”
I nodded slowly, his words settling something deep inside me, even as the pain of the past still lingered. “The team’s bigger than you think,” I said quietly. “I still have Luna. And Ollie... he’s part of that team now, too. He’s a really good guy, Austin.”
“I’m glad you had that.”
I smiled faintly, wiping at my cheeks. “I’m glad you’re happy, too.”
He squeezed my hand gently, and for a moment, we were two people trying to do the right thing. “I’m glad you’re happy, Nova. Truly,” he said, his voice warm and sincere.
I searched his face, surprised by how much had changed—and how much hadn’t. “I was worried there might still be... lingering feelings between us,” I admitted hesitantly.
I studied his reaction, the way his brow furrowed slightly before his expression smoothed out. There was no hesitation, no flicker of uncertainty in his response. And when he said it—“If this were a few years ago, maybe there would’ve been. But as much as I love you as a person, Nova, I love Charlie. My wife”—the words felt solid. Final.
It didn’t hurt the way I thought it might. If anything, it was a relief. A confirmation that the past, while still painful, didn’t have to define us anymore.
Maybe I’d needed to hear that as much as he’d needed to say it.
“I’m glad you have that,” I said softly, offering a small, genuine smile. “You deserve it.”
We sat in silence for a moment. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t unbearable either.
“There’s a children’s museum nearby—it’s indoors. We could meet there tomorrow, say nine?”
His nod came without hesitation, his eagerness clear. “I’ll be there,” he said, his voice filled with determination.
I offered him a small, relieved smile. For the first time, the tension seemed to ease a little. This wasn’t going to be perfect—it was messy, and complicated, and overwhelming—but it was a start.
45
nova
“I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve,” I muttered, stepping back to admire the tree we’d finished decorating.
