“I see you, buddy!” I called back.
The playground scene should have been heartwarming – a father bonding with his son on a sunny morning. But all I could think about was Chloe. I’d usually stop by the clinic with lunch on Thursdays if I could get away from the bar. Not today, obviously. She’d take a break between appointments, and we’d eat together in her office, her telling me stories about the animals she’d treated that morning while I made her laugh with bar customer gossip.
I could picture her right now – blonde ponytail swinging as she moved between exam rooms, that focused expression she got when she was working, the way she’d absently push her hairbehind her ear when she was concentrating. Was she wondering why I flinched every time my phone buzzed?
God, I missed her. Even though I’d see her in a few hours, I missed her. Missed being able to tell her about my day without editing out the most important parts.
Man up, Mitchell. Tell her everything.
I’d been telling myself it wouldn’t be fair to drop this on her when she was so worn out. Chloe had this expression – “my brain’s not braining” – that she used when she was mentally and physically exhausted. And it wouldn’t have been fair to have this conversation when her brain wasn’t braining, when she could barely think straight.
But I’d been using that as an excuse. How many times had I told Jack to think about the consequences of his actions? How many lectures had I given him about being a man and facing hard conversations instead of avoiding them?Practice what you preach, Mitchell.
“He loves you already,” Jenna said, her voice thick with emotion. “You’ve given him more genuine affection than David showed him in his entire life. His face lights up when he talks about Sam-Sam. I haven’t seen him that happy ever.”
I turned to look at her sharply. “Wait. You told me at the diner that David was overjoyed when he found out you were pregnant. ‘Pure joy,’ you said. ‘No one had ever been that happy about anything you’d brought to their life.’” I kept my voice low, conscious of Leo nearby. “Now you’re telling me he never showed Leo affection? Which is it, Jenna?”
She had the grace to look uncomfortable. “He was excited about the pregnancy. The idea of being a father. But when Leo actually arrived…” She glanced at her son, her voice dropping. “David was always at work. ‘Building our future,’ he’d say. But he missed first words, first steps, bedtimes.”
“That’s not what you said before,” I pointed out. “You made it sound like David gave you this perfect life. Now suddenly he was a neglectful father who was never around?”
“Both can be true,” she said defensively. “He provided financially. We had a nice house, good schools lined up, security.”
I watched Leo navigate the playground with fearless confidence, and felt that protective instinct surge again. This kid deserved better.
Paternity test first. Before anything else.Arthur’s words echoed in my head. Actually, what he’d said was to tell Chloe immediately. I was doing this all backwards. But today was a day of action. Today we’d be doing the paternity test, and I’d tell Chloe what was going on.
“What do you want from me, Jenna?” I asked bluntly.
“I want what’s best for Leo. A stable home, financial security, a father who’s actually present.” She paused, her eyes never leaving my face. “I want him to have the life I can’t give him alone.”
“And what does that look like, practically?”
“Help me get back on my feet. Find us a place to live, something more permanent than motels. Let Leo get to know his father properly.” Her voice dropped to something that sounded almost vulnerable. “I’m not asking you to choose between him and your girlfriend, Sam. I’m asking you to make room in your life for your son.”
I could tell that Jenna saw “the girlfriend” – another person in my life who took up space and resources. She didn’t see Chloe. Didn’t understand that Chloe was the first person I wanted to tell when something good happened at the bar. The one who could read my mood from across a room and know if I needed to talk or just needed her presence.
I thought about the first time I’d really fallen for her – not the initial attraction when she’d walked into my bar after taking over the clinic, all professional confidence and those incredible eyes. But the moment, about a month into dating, when we’d been hiking, and she’d stopped dead on the trail because she’d spotted an injured bird. She’d carefully scooped it up, talking to it in this soft, gentle voice, examining it with those capable hands. Then she’d looked at me and said, “I know this probably seems crazy, but I can’t just leave it here.”
We’d spent the next three hours driving to a wildlife rehab center, Chloe holding this bird in a makeshift box from my truck, whilst researching the best facility on her phone. Chloe had smiled at me and said, “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
That was when I knew. This woman who cared so fiercely, who acted on her compassion instead of just feeling it, who saw me as someone who’d do the same –thatwas who I wanted to build a life with.
“Hello? Earth to Sam?” Jenna snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Your son needs your attention, and you’re off daydreaming. Focus.”
I took a deep breath, my mind shifting into the methodical planning mode that had helped me build my business. “Okay. Here’s what I’m thinking. If Leo is my son, I want to do right by him. Financial support, backdated to his birth. I’ve been researching what that looks like legally.”
Jenna’s eyes lit up.
“But I need a paternity test first,” I continued calmly.
“A paternity test?” Jenna’s voice rose in exasperation. “Sam, look at him. He’s got your eyes, your smile, your cowlick. It’s obvious he’s yours.”
“Yeah, he does look like me. But before I hand over a substantial sum of money and completely restructure my life, I need legal confirmation. My lawyer–”
“Your lawyer?” Jenna interrupted, her voice sharp. “Why do you want lawyers involved?”
I kept my tone patient, reasonable. “Because I own a business and property. Everything needs to be documented and legal so I can set up a college fund for Leo, establish proper support payments, maybe even help you find a stable place to live. Once the paternity test confirms what we both believe, I can help you build the life Leo deserves.”
