My chest caves. Knowing he’s more than a coach. He’s a father.
“What happened?” I beg to know.
Eli stands at the foot of the bed, arms crossed tight as if he’s holding himself together by sheer will. His face is pale, eyes rimmed red.
“Jerrod showed up at the rink with Aiden. I could smell alcohol on his breath and I knew he—” He stops and shifts eyes to Aiden, tempering his words. “I guess you could say he wasn’t there to become my new best friend. He wanted Aiden to skate. But he distracted me, we argued, when I should’ve been watching him closer,” he explains hoarsely.
“I climbed onto the Zamboni and fell onto the ice. I know I wasn’t allowed to do that.” Aiden lowers his head, chin wobbling. “I’m sorry.”
Eli shakes his head. “If I hadn’t let Jerrod distract me?—”
“If he hadn’t gone to the rink looking for a fight in the first place, you mean.” Mom cut in, her voice fierce and frank. “None of this would’ve happened.”
“You saved my son. That’s all that matters.” But there’s more he doesn’t know. Oh, God, how do I tell him Jerrod robbed him of the years he could have had with Aiden?
“Coach Eli was really brave, Mom.”
Eli breaks, covering his mouth with his hand.
I nod to my mother, who understands what I need to do. She squeezes my arm and stays with Aiden. I take Eli’s wrist and lead him into the hallway.
Through the glass window, I can see my son.Ourson. And he can see us. My lips tremble so hard, I don’t know how I’ll get the truth out. I worry about Eli’s reaction.
“There’s something you need to know,” I breathe.
Eli looks me over, frowning, bracing for another blow. “Okay.”
“Jerrod was outside. He refused to come in. Said he didn’t deserve to.”
His body goes rigid. “He wouldn’t ride in the ambulance either.”
“I know why. He told me the truth about the night I was drunk. About the pregnancy.”
Eli’s breath catches.
“He lied,” I cry, tears falling. “We never slept together. There’s no way it was him.”
Eli sinks against the wall, blinking rapidly. “What? Does that mean…?”
“Yes.” I step into his space, cupping his face. “Aiden isourbeautiful boy.”
“My-my son?” he chokes, tearing up, and he lets them fall, raw and broken, looking at me like the world shifted under his feet. I see the grief for lost years flash in his eyes—and right behind it, the quick glance at Aiden, and the fierce vow of protection for a little boy he now gets to call his.
“Oh, Eli,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, I swear to you. If I had, I would’ve chosen you every time. If only I’d have done so many things differently back then, I could have spared us all of this. But look—we have such a beautiful boy that isours,and we can celebrate that together. We can be the family we both want.”
“Come here,” he reaches for me and pulls me into him. Our bodies meld together, always perfect, the way they were meant to fit. “I loved you back then, Stella,” he sobs. “I don’t think I everstopped. And I love you even more now. You’re the mother of my child.”
“I love you, too,” I cry. “We have a son. Surprise.”
Our foreheads meet, and we chuckle, breaking the tension. We cling to each other in the hallway, hearts pounding in sync, watching our son with my mom through the glass. They’re watching us, and he’s probably wondering what the heck is going on.
“Mom, don’t cry,” he calls, holding out his hand, motioning for us to come back in.
“Are you ready to meet your son?” I ask Eli. “I have no idea how to tell him all of this.”
“We’ll do ittogether. We’ll figure it out. Everything together from now on. I love you,” he says again, squeezing my hands.
“I love you, too, so much. I want to prove it every day from here on out.”
