Page 60 of Broken Boss Daddy

I knew what I had to do. And it irked me it took Paul showing up for me to finally realize what had to be done. Not only that, I loathed the fact that Grant’s father thought it washisduty to confront me.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be,” I said, pushing past him.

I left Paul Adams standing alone in the school parking lot.

Everything threatened to burst out of me. All the built up sadness, the guilt, happiness… love. It all wanted to rip open my seams.

Before I knew it, I was pulling into my driveway with tears just behind my eyes. Walking into the house, I found my mom walking through the living room with a smile on her face.When was the last time I smiled?

“Jess, honey. How was your day?” she asked, fixing a misplaced picture frame. When I didn’t answer, she looked up and her smile instantly dropped. “What’s wrong? Is it Abby?”

Shaking my head, I felt the first tear slip out. “It’s not Abby, Mom. It’s me.” And just like that, I broke down.

My mom’s comforting arms embraced me as she led me to a sofa. The sobs wracked my body. I was tired of all the crying, but nothing I did stopped it. It just came and came, flowing out of me and onto my mother.

“What’s going on, honey?” she asked in a soothing voice.

“Grant,” I coughed out. I didn’t think I’d be able to answer her any further. But once the first word came out, the rest followed. “He got another job in another state, and he’s seriously considering taking it. I don’t know what I’m going to do if he does. We were just… just finding our footing with Abby and us. But I know what I have to do. No matter how much it’s going to kill me, I need to do it. But I don’t want to.”

Confessing everything to her was a relief I needed. We sat there for some time, riding out my breakdown. My mom held me, soothing me until the last of my tears dried up and all that was left was the ghost of a shriveling mess.

“Honey,” she said, tucking a wet piece of hair behind my ear. “Do you remember what your gran used to say?”

I shook my head and sniffed.

“She used to tell everyone that if you love something, set them free. She lived off of that, and it’s helped me a time or two. Then she’d say that if it really loved you, it would come back to you.”

“Gran was wise.”

“That she was. Keep that in mind when you decide on what to do. You’re stronger than anything life throws at you. Always remember that.”

Looking out the window, I watched a bird flutter away, almost like it was my gran saying the exact thing my mother just said.

I already knew what needed to be done. But having my mom confirm it simultaneously made the heartbreak more real, yet easier.

Because I was heartbroken—for myself and the man I loved. But more so for my daughter, who wouldn’t get the opportunity of growing up with her father.

A while later, and after I had calmed down—mostly—it was time for me to fetch Abby from Grant’s, and make good on my decision.

The ride was unremarkable, barely memorable, but the waves of emotions that crashed over me when I got there weren’t easy to forget. Gearing myself up with a confidence that seemed foreign to me, I knocked on the door.

I was greeted with two identical smiles. Despite the long day, I smiled back. We went through the motions of gathering Abby’s things and buckling her into her car seat. Grant looked generally pleased with himself when he strapped her in with no help from me. Even I was proud of him, never mind how briefly that lasted.

Closing the door and facing Grant, I could see that he picked up on the shift in my mood.

He grabbed my hand, giving me a questioning look. “There’s something on your mind.”

It wasn’t a question, rather a statement. And when I just nodded, he inhaled deeply.

“Grant,” I grasped out, clinging to his hand. “You need to take the job.”

“What? Jess, where is this coming from? I thought you wanted me to stay?”

“I do.”

“Then why are you telling me to go?”

“Because you have to.”

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