She blinked when she realized Paul was asking for her permission. It was completely different from when he’d oftenacted without considering her feelings. “If you’re sure you can still make your flight, that’d be fine.”
He gave a slight nod. “Thank you.”
They continued their meal with the conversation flowing more easily. As Oscar told Paul stories about school, his enthusiasm was infectious. Chloe relaxed, allowing the pleasant atmosphere to wash over her.
After lunch, Paul helped her clear the table. As Chloe loaded the dishwasher, he joined her at the sink.
“Can I help with anything?” he asked.
She glanced at him, momentarily surprised by the offer. “Sure, you can rinse the plates we used.”
He picked up the first plate and held it under the faucet. “I miss this,” he said quietly.
She paused, not meeting his gaze. “Miss what?”
“Sharing something simple like having a meal together,” he replied. “I regret a lot of things, but mostly how I treated you.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve moved on with my life, and so have you.”
“I know we have,” he acknowledged. “And I have no right to ask for anything. But I’m hoping that, in time, you can forgive me and we can find a way to co-parent—for Oscar’s sake.”
She finally looked at him. “Oscar will always be my top priority. He deserves that.”
“I agree,” he said sincerely. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to make any future relationship with him work.”
Chloe took the check he’d given her out of her pocket. “While we’re talking about making things work, I can’t take this, not now. If we can work out a way for you to spend time with Oscar, you can give it back to me then.”
“You still don’t believe why I’m here, do you?”
“This might be hard to hear but, at the moment, I’m having a hard time believing anything you say.”
Paul ran his hand around the back of his neck. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I didn’t give you the check to buy time with Oscar.”
Oscar ran into the kitchen, already bundled in his winter coat and hat. “I’m ready!”
Chloe forced a smile. “That was quick.”
“Can we do the dishes later? We have to build a snowman with Dad.”
Paul sighed as he took the check Chloe handed to him. “Well, we can’t keep the snow waiting, can we?”
Chloe closed the dishwasher and they pulled on their coats and boots. As they stepped outside, she let the crisp air fill her lungs and push away any misgivings she had. For the next half hour, she’d pretend Paul hadn’t broken her heart and left her penniless. That he hadn’t made it almost impossible to trust another man or believe she was worthy of being loved.
She’d try to believe he was here for the right reasons, and not the ones the check represented to her.
Paul laughed at something Oscar said and held his small hand in his. A heavy, familiar weight settled in her chest. Without his lies and the terrible choices he’d made, their lives could have been so much different—so much more than the last few horrible years of their marriage.
“Come on, Mom,” Oscar said excitedly. “We have to show Dad the park.”
Oscar led the way along the sidewalk. In the frosty air, they rolled snowballs, built a lopsided but cute snowman, and had a playful snowball fight.
After the last snowball was thrown, Paul reluctantly looked at his watch. “It’s later than I thought. I should get going.”
Oscar’s bottom lip trembled. “Can’t you stay for longer?”
Paul lifted him into his arms. “I’m sorry, buddy. If I don’t leave soon, I’ll miss my flight. But if it’s okay with your mom, I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”
Chloe nodded and Paul gave a relieved sigh. “See. Your mom said it’s okay.”
