“Nate,” Maggy whispers.
“We tried everything. But it had already spread to his lymph nodes by then. We had no idea.”
I feel her hand first. Then her arms are wrapped around me and mine around her. It’s an embrace that I needed. It’s full of something I hadn’t realized I’ve been missing, maybe for six years. It’s full of love. Care. Understanding. But not pity. I don’t feel that with Maggy. She knows. She gets it. She’s been there with her mom.
We stay like that for a long, long time. We’re so wrapped up in each other, we don’t even care when her phone rings. She stays there, with me. Until I’m ready to continue. I pull back just enough to look into her eyes. “Thank you, Maggy.”
She shakes her head. “I wish you would have told me sooner.”
“Why I didn’t want to have another baby?”
She nods.
“You would have tried to convince me it’d never happen again.”
“I would have understood.”
Maybe. But one hundred percent positive she would have tried to talk me into fatherhood.
“I need to ask you, though. What happened to your wife, girlfriend?”
“Wife. She left. She couldn’t deal with the loss. The divorce was final on the one-year anniversary of his death.” I scoff. “Poetic, right?”
“There’s nothing poetic about that kind of loss, Nate.”
“She lives in San Francisco. She’s remarried, has a son.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrug. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“All I know is, I’m not ready, nor will I ever be ready, to have another child.” I scoff. “To be a father to another child. How’s that?”
“You still don’t want to be a part of this child’s life. Even though we’ve spent time together?”
I stand up suddenly. “There was nothing to this.” I point to her, then to myself. “We ate together. That’s fucking it.”
Stepping around her, I search for my shoes. Spotting them near the door, I reach for them, slide them on, then pat my pockets. “Where’s my wallet?”
“On the counter. With your keys.”
Stomping to the kitchen, I grab my things, shove them into my pocket, and I’m gone.
For good, this time.
I mean it.
For good.
22
Maggy
“I can’t believeyou did all this?” I’m gobsmacked at the sight before me. Robin has done the sweetest, kindest thing.
Shoot. I’m going to cry again.
