Page 45 of Grumpy Ex's Secret Baby

I ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed, hurrying to finish getting ready. Once I was dressed, I woke Trinity up and got her changed before gathering everything I would need and loading her into the car.

The drive to the clinic didn’t take long; Tyson was already outside when I got there. Trinity reached for him when she saw him, and another wave of guilt washed over me.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” I said as I handed her off to him. “It should only be a few hours, and then you can go back to doing whatever you had planned for your day.”

“Take whatever time you need,” Tyson said, grinning as Trinity reached for the bag of diner food. “We’re going to have breakfast, and then we are going to have a great time hanging out in Momma’s office.”

Trinity laughed as he bounced her in his arms before following me inside. More waves of guilt continued to crash over me as I watched the way they took off like partners in crime. My office door shut behind them as I continued down the hall to go talk to the techs and see what we were up against.

Even as I walked away from them, I was fighting the urge to go into my office and join them. A part of me wanted to pretend we were one big family without any trouble between us.

Instead, I kept walking down the hall, trying to give Tyson time alone with our daughter he had missed out on.

This was the first step in letting go and healing our family. I had to do it for all of us.

***

When I came out of surgery, I could hear Tyson’s soft voice behind the door to my office. I had spent a bit of time getting cleaned up before heading back to them. The surgery had been a success, and the dog would be returning to their owner better than before. Without Tyson agreeing to watch Trinity, I wouldn’t have been able to make it in time.

I opened the office door slightly, cracking it as I peeked inside. Tyson was nestled into the big plush chair I kept in the corner of my office. Trinity was in his lap, leaning back against his chest as he held a book in front of them. He was reading to her, pointing at the pictures and the words as he did.

I watched the moment between the pair, nearly turning into a puddle. It was everything that I had ever wanted for Trinity. Her little eyelids were drifting closed as Tyson kept reading. She nestled closer to his chest, and his arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him.

“Hey,” I said softly as I stepped inside the room. “How’s it going in here? She didn’t give you too much trouble, did she?”

Tyson looked up with a smile. “Not even a little bit.”

“Finish the story?” Trinity asked, her voice thick with sleep as she looked up at Tyson.

He glanced at me, one eyebrow raising.

“Only if there’s enough room for me,” I said, walking over to them and scooping Trinity up.

Tyson took my hand and pulled me gently down onto his lap. I draped my legs over the arm of the chair, leaning back against the other arm as Trinity snuggled in against us.

As Tyson started reading, I leaned closer to him, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of his voice as he read.

When he finished the book and Trinity had fallen asleep, I stood up and shifted her weight in my arms, heading for the door. Tyson followed behind me, humming to himself.

“Do you want to come over tonight after Trinity’s gone to bed? I’m thinking about having some wings and a beer to celebrate another successful surgery.”

Tyson grinned and opened the car door, so I could put Trinity in her seat.

“I would love to. What time do you want me there by?”

“Trinity goes to bed at eight, so probably shortly after then.”

Tyson nodded. “Alright. See you later.”

I grinned and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for everything.”

He kissed my temple, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me close. “I’ll be there for you whenever you need me, Haley. You know that.”

“I do know that.”

Tyson hugged me for a moment later before heading to his truck. He didn’t get in until I was leaving the parking lot.

As I watched him in the mirror, I saw the content look on his face, and I hoped there would be more days like today. I wanted him to spend time with Trinity. As much time as possible.

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