He shook his head a few times, his gaze drifting out toward the distance before he finally looked back at me. I moved to the other side of the counter, pretending to busy myself, wiping down an already clean surface. Anything to keep from breaking down.
I paused, hesitating for a moment before swallowing hard. “I can’t speak for my husband, but I know Austin really values the relationship you have with Scarlette. He won’t take that away from you. He doesn’t want to.”
Ollie looked down at his hands, turning his glass slowly, his expression heavy. “And I appreciate that,” he said quietly. “But it’s hard. It’s hard to see the woman I love, the one I took care of for years, coming here and now having to share our time. To see the woman who spent so many nights crying over a man who wasn’t there, over a pregnancy that wasn’t planned, and a newborn she was terrified to raise alone. The one who wouldspend hours, days, crying in the bathroom at work. The woman who pushed me away, over and over, because she was terrified of what might happen because of her past. It’s... hard to be here and see him.” He let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle, shaking his head again. “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
“No, but you should tell me.”
Austin walked into the room, and I dropped the rag I’d been holding, quickly bending down to pick it up.
He gestured toward the stairs, a small smirk on his face. “Luna’s got them up there counting thread counts or some shit.”
Ollie chuckled softly and stood, brushing off his pants.
“I, uh, I don’t know what to say to you,” Austin confessed, standing directly in front of Ollie. His voice was quiet, and I froze, waiting to see what would happen next.
Ollie shifted, dropping his gaze to the floor before he spoke. “I don’t mean to come off as a dick. I just—watching Nova go through everything she did, watching her cry over you and Scarlette when she was just a baby, and now feeling like I’m losing her... my baby girl. I feel?—”
His voice cracked, the emotion thick in his throat, and before he could finish, Austin stepped forward, wrapping him in a firm hug.
“Thank you,” Austin rasped, his own voice breaking as he held Ollie. “I can’t thank you enough. I will never take your family from you... ever.”
They stayed like that for a moment, the air heavy with unspoken feelings, and then Austin stepped back, his hand lingering on Ollie’s shoulder.
“Thank you,” Ollie whispered.
“No,” Austin said, shaking his head slightly. “Thank you. For everything. You have every right to hate my guts. I was a horrible person to Nova. To everyone. I can’t change the past, but I’ve spent years working on myself. Trying to fix what I could.”
He looked over at me, and his expression softened. “It wasn’t until I met Charlie that I realized I had actually changed. She made me see that forgiving myself was the final piece of moving forward.” He turned his attention back to Ollie. “I hope I can show you the person I am today. I’m not asking for full custody or to take Scarlette away. I don’t want to break apart your family. I just hope... if you have it in you, both of you, to make room for me—” He paused, his eyes flicking back to mine. “And my wife. All we’re asking for is a seat at the table. That’s it.”
Ollie looked at Austin, his expression softening as he exhaled slowly. His voice was quiet but firm when he finally spoke. “I think we can make another seat. The table’s big enough for all of us.”
The air in the room shifted, a quiet, almost fragile relief settling over us.
Austin’s shoulders eased, and he nodded, his eyes glistening. “Thank you.”
Before anyone could say more, the front door opened, and Dirks walked in like a whirlwind, his blonde hair mussed, his shirt slightly untucked. He looked disheveled but completely unbothered. “Merry Christmas,” he shouted, his voice booming through the house.
Austin walked over and pulled Dirks into a firm hug. “Glad you made it,” he said, his tone light and easy as he pulled back.
Luna came bounding down the stairs, her sequined dress jingling. As she hit the last step, she launched herself into Dirks’s arms, and he caught her effortlessly, wrapping her up tightly.
“Hi, baby,” he crooned, his voice dropping into something intimate and warm as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Nova slid up beside me. “Luna’s in love with Dirks.”
I blinked, still watching as Dirks swung Luna around like they were in a rom-com. “What?”
“And,” Nova continued, holding up a finger like she was revealing a juicy secret, “she’s also in love with another guy. There’s... a complicated history there.”
I stared at her, my jaw dropping. “Wait.What?”
Nova nodded solemnly, her lips twitching with amusement. “Oh, yeah. It’s a whole thing. You’d love it. Very ‘soap opera meets holiday special.’”
I blinked again, completely speechless as Luna clung to Dirks like she hadn’t seen him in years.Jennie is going to lose her mind over this.
“Let’s eat,” Austin announced, and everyone filed into the dining room.
As everyone took their seats, the hum of conversation filled the room. Plates were passed and glasses were filled.
