He looked back down at the counter and put his head in his hands.
“I, uh, gotta go, Auburn. We’ll call you later.”
She said goodbye, and I hung up, switching it to silent and setting it down on the counter.
Turning back to Austin, I crossed my arms, frustration tightening in my chest. “What the hell is going on?” My voice wasn’t loud, but the edge in it was impossible to miss.
I hated being left in the dark, hated the sense that something big was unraveling right in front of me while I stood there blind to it.
He didn’t look at me. His breathing was uneven, fingers trembling as they dug into his hair. “I—” he started, his voice cracking like the words themselves hurt to speak. “I have to tell you something, Charlie.”
My heart sank, dread creeping in like a cold hand closing around my throat. This was it. This was the moment he’d confess something I couldn’t forgive—that he’d hooked up with someone last night, or that our marriage—fake as it was—was already over. The part of the story where everything came apart.
When he finally looked up, his face wrecked with anguish, it stopped me cold. His eyes held something much deeper.
“I—” His voice cracked. He looked down again, like he couldn’t bear to meet my gaze, clenching his hand into a fist against the counter.
“What is it? Just tell me.”
His shoulders heaved with a deep breath, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper, shaking with every word. “I have a daughter.”
For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The world seemed to tilt slightly, and the air seemed to be sucked out of the room.
“What?” I finally managed, my voice so faint I wasn’t sure he heard me.
“I have a daughter,” he repeated, louder this time but still raw, each word laced with regret. “I didn’t know, Charlie. I swear to God, I didn’t know until yesterday.”
A child? My brain couldn’t seem to process the words. A daughter? What? How?
My thoughts spiraled. He cheated. That’s it—he must’ve cheated.
But wait, that didn’t make sense. No, because this isn’t real. Our marriage isn’t real. But then... Oh my god, how could I have been so dumb? How could I not have seen this coming?
My legs were about to give out beneath me. I gripped the edge of the counter for support, staring at him, trying to make sense of anything.
“Wait,” Austin said, shooting up from the chair. His movements were frantic, his hands running through his hair again as his breathing sped up. “I didn’t cheat, Charlie. I didn’t. I swear to you. I have a daughter. She’s four years old. She—she goes to your school.”
His words hit me like a slap, and my knees nearly buckled. My school? The room was spinning, and I could feel the air leave my lungs.
“My school?” I echoed, barely able to get the words out, my voice trembling.
Austin nodded, his hands shaking as he gripped the counter, holding himself steady. “When I was at the Holiday Song... she was sitting next to Evie. I couldn’t stop staring because she looked so familiar, and I couldn’t figure out why. Then, I saw her.” His voice cracked, and he ran a hand down his face. “Novawas there. She was in the room, Charlie. And then everything hit me. The math, the timing... it all made sense.” He was talking faster now, the words spilling out, barely coherent. “I didn’t realize it was her at first. I mean, how could I? But then I looked at Evie, and the comparison was uncanny. Scarlette has my eyes. My curls.”
He wasn’t making full sentences anymore, his thoughts fractured as he tried to explain. I pieced it together slowly, the realization crawling over my skin until it finally sank in.
Nova. His ex-wife was here.
But... it didn’t make sense. We only had one preschool program, and I didn’t handle it. Austin would’ve recognized her before now during pickup—unless...
“She’s the new girl in the preschool program?”
His eyes met mine, and he gave a small, pained nod.
“It’s Scarlette.” My breath caught. “How could I not see it?”
They had the same piercing blue eyes, the curly hair, and even some of their expressions were similar. My heart felt like it was going to give out. My legs wobbled, my vision blurred. I was going to faint. I was going to pass out right here in this kitchen.
“I can’t... I can’t do this,” I muttered, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
