“I’m glad you came to check on her,” I say. “She’s okay. I promise.”
Madison wipes her face and looks back at Ellie one more time, love and grief tangled together in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she says.
I squeeze her once more. “Sure.”
I glance toward the bay door just as the firetruck pulls up out front. A couple of the guys hang back, pretending not to stare, giving space in that quiet, respectful way they do when they know something big is happening.
Ollie comes through the door a second later, eyes already searching. He stops the second he sees Madison kneeling down by the carrier, Owen watching over them as if he’s Ellie’s personal bodyguard.
She stiffens, and her face crumples when she sees Ollie standing there. “I’m sorry,” she says, the words breaking apart as they come out. “I didn’t know how what to do. I tried to tell your dad, but he said he wanted nothing to do with her. I knew you were his son, and I just told the hospital to call you.”
Ollie takes a deep breath. He looks steady, grounded, like he’s holding himself together when I know he’s angry that she didn’t tell him, and he had to find out as he did.
“We’re keeping her,” he says firmly.
Madison nods immediately, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Okay.” She wipes at her face. “Can I… can I check in from time to time? To know she’s okay?”
Ollie doesn’t hesitate. “Yeah. But we need to do this theright way. I need to know how to reach you so we can handle everything legally. I have a friend who can help us, and we’ll take care of everything. You just need to sign.”
She nods again. “Okay.”
Relief fills me that she’s not going to fight us on any of this. I can see it in Ollie’s eyes, too.
Then she hesitates, voice dropping. “What’s her name?”
Ollie smiles, soft and proud. “Ellie.”
He glances over at Owen, who’s perched on a stool guarding, then at me. He checks us both, as he always does, to make sure we’re okay.
I give him a small smile and nod.
Madison hands him her contact information, fingers shaking. He takes it, nods once, and that’s it. She takes one last look toward Ellie, then turns and leaves. She looks relieved and exhausted.
Ollie crosses the shop in three long steps and pulls me into his arms. He holds me tight, forehead pressed to mine.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “Were you guys freaked out?”
I shrug a little, honest. “Yes and no. I was worried she would change her mind and try to take her.”
“Weston says she can’t,” he says firmly. “But hopefully she signs everything and moves on. No hard feelings. I just don’t want Ellie to be confused growing up. I will keep her updated, but she’s not going to be in her life.”
I nod against his chest, relieved.
He kisses my hair and holds on a second longer, like he’s grounding himself again. “She’s ours.”
Out in the bay, the guys pretend very hard not to notice. Owen hops down from the stool and wanders over, waving at the guys.
“So,” he says casually, “is it spaghetti night?”
Ollie smiles and squeezes my hand. “Yeah, buddy. We came to see if you guys wanted to come down and eat with us.”
“Yes!” he says, excited.
“Obviously,” I say, because this is my life now. Surprise babies, CPS pop-ins, bikers, firefighters, and spaghetti night like it’s the most sacred tradition we have.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
