Stepping out onto the balcony, I grip the railing and let the cool morning air wash over me. My chest still burns from Anna’s taunts, but I refuse to let them shake me. Iwillbecome the perfect dad for Liala, and one day, the perfect husband for Anna too.
I close my eyes and draw in a long, steady breath. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how much Anna pushes me away, I know one thing with absolute certainty: Nothing will stop mefrom building the family we were always meant to be… the family we all deserve.
Chapter 15
Anna
It’s been almost a month since Liala and I moved in with Landon. Thirty days of watching him be the father Liala deserves, of him stepping into the role I once feared he never could. And thirty days of him deliberately keeping me at arm’s length.
Every morning, I wake to the sound of Liala’s laughter floating from the nursery, only to peek in and find him there crouched on the floor, coaxing her into a game of peek-a-boo. His eyes light up with a warmth reserved for her alone. He knows exactly how to make her giggle, exactly how to soothe her when she cries. Every ounce of him is devoted to her.
When it comes to me, he might as well be blind—and I’m not being dramatic. His actions say it all: he’s just as adept at ignoring me. When I speak, he offers only clipped replies and never meets my eyes. When we cross paths, he just walks past me. And it hurts. I know I brought this on myself, but knowing that doesn’t make the ache go away. The truth is, it’s infuriating to watch him maintain a distance I may have created with my words—but one he now seems intent on keeping.
Even last night, when I stood in the doorway watching Liala snuggle into him, her tiny fingers clutching his shirt as he read her a bedtime story, a pang of longing twisted through me. I should feel relieved, even grateful, that he’s giving her this love and stability, that he’s every bit the perfect dad my little girl needs. But instead, every moment I witness between them only deepens the ache of being left out.
I sit on the couch with my knees drawn to my chest, the same thought looping through my mind: how long can we keep living like this? And if we do, what will it mean for Liala?
“Ma’am?” Christy’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. I blink up at Liala’s nanny sitting across from me on the couch, Liala perched on her lap. She tilts her head and offers me a small smile. “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet for a while.”
I shake myself out of my daze and force a faint smile. “I’m fine. It’s just… work.”
Christy nods, though her eyes tell me she doesn’t believe a word of it. Still, she doesn’t press, turning her attention back to Liala and opening the picture book balanced on her lap. I watch as Liala leans happily into her, listening intently, her little fingers brushing over the pages as Christy reads to her in a soothing voice.
I never thought I’d be okay with someone else stepping into this role. At first, I hated the idea of a nanny, another stranger in our lives, in Liala’s world. But Christy has proven me wrong in every way.
She’s middle-aged, calm, endlessly patient, and somehow knows exactly how to balance firm care with gentle love. Liala adores her, and I can see why. With her warm brown eyes and soft chestnut hair swept into a neat bun, she always looks effortlessly put-together in a simple blouse and well-worn jeans. When Landon and I are buried in work, Christy fills in the spaceswe can’t, giving Liala the steady comfort I once believed only I could provide.
And for that, I find myself unexpectedly and deeply grateful to Christy for being who she is, and also to Landon for choosing her when I never would have.
As if on cue, the front door opens and Landon steps into the living room, his phone pressed to his ear, his expression stoic. But the moment his eyes land on Liala, his gaze softens, the hard lines of his face easing.
“The meeting can wait. Now it’s time for me to spend with my daughter,” he says to someone on the other end and disconnects the phone.
My heart melts at his words, then races as he goes straight for Liala. She giggles when he scoops her up and presses a kiss to her forehead before turning to Christy.
“You can take a break. I’ve got her,” he says.
Christy nods and excuses herself, leaving the room as he settles onto the couch with Liala in his lap. He bounces her lightly, drawing out her laughter until her tiny teeth flash in the sweetest grin.
I try to join the conversation and clear my throat. “I was thinking—”
“Whatever it is, you’ll have to tell me later. Right now, I’m busy with my daughter.” There he goes again, shutting me out without a second thought, his attention locked on Liala.
‘Why does his ignoring me bother me so much?’I mutter under my breath, mostly to myself. But of course, the jerk must have heard it, because his brow arches and that infuriating smirk tugs at his lips, making it impossible not to glare back.
“Something bothering you?” he asks, smug as ever.
“Yeah.” I cross my arms, desperate to end this ridiculous act of his. “The fact that you seem to enjoy pretending I don’t exist.”
His smirk fades, and he settles back slightly, still holding Liala with effortless ease.
“Trust me, Anna,” he says, his gaze locking on mine with an intensity that makes my pulse stutter. “Pretending you don’t exist is the last thing I’d ever do. But I want you to be comfortable, and I assumed keeping my distance was what you wanted. Unless…” His mouth curves the faintest bit again. “…you’re craving my attention.”
My face heats instantly, betraying my thoughts, and I hate it.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I snap, folding my arms tighter across my chest. “The last thing I want is your attention.”
The way his eyes glint tells me he doesn’t believe a single word of it.
