My mom’s eyes widen, her face paling as my words hit their mark. For a split second, I think maybe—maybe—there’s a heart buried somewhere inside her after all. I always assumed she knew and that she just chose to look the other way. But now, seeing the shock on her face, I wonder if I was wrong.
Maybe my own memories have blurred, tangled up in the chaos of surviving it all. Maybe I never actuallytoldthem what reallyhappened.
Maybe she never reallyknew.
“I had no idea that he’d hit you, Mae, but that doesn’t change the fact that Cody Cameron and you do not belong together.”
“Why? Why is it so hard to think that despite you two meddling in my relationship as a kid, we’ve grown and experienced life separately and have now found our way back together?”
She’s silent as she shakes her head and steps towards me again. “Just trust me. You’ll understand some day when Elsie is older. You'll only want the best for your daughter and the man who she ends up being with.”
“I think you mean you just wanted me to marry the man who got me pregnant to salvage your reputation. And the fact that he happened to be connected to a very affluent family involved in Texan politics, didn't hurt. I, however, could care less about that for Elsie. I want Elsie to marry for love and not money, power, or position. I want her to marry someone who cares for her, protects her, and gives her the space to be herself.”
She shakes her head again like she can’t agree with my words despite know they are right. “What do we have to do to make this little relationship end? Commit to paying for Elsie’s college tuition? Pay for her to go to that fancy private school in Nashville that I've been telling you about? What about paying off the business loan I know that you took out to startSterling Sports PR?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I yell, not even caring any longer that my employees and the entire office can likely hear me yelling at my mom. I know this is unprofessional, and I’m sure I’ll pay for it when I issue an apology to all the people who work for me, but I can only see red now. “I don’t want your money. I don’tneedyour money. You made it clear when you cut Elsie and I off five years ago and left us to struggle to put food on the table and purchase necessities. I only allowed you back in mylife so that you could have a relationship with Elsie for her sake but don’t mistake my generosity as wanting a relationship with you. And don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. If I ever see you lord money over Elsie or try to control her or her decisions in any way, I will cut you back out of our lives instantly. This relationship between Cody and I is happening,” I demand firmly.
My mom’s eyes narrow as she quickly turns on her heel and storms out of my office before slamming the door closed behind her.
My father stands next to my desk and taps his knuckles gently on the wood like he isn’t sure what to do. “Sorry about that, Mae. We had a fun time with Elsie these past two weeks. She’s bright, kind, and all the goodness in her is from you. We can see how much you’ve poured into her and the way she shines. I’d hate for us to lose our place in Elsie’s life because of your mother’s… inability to look beyond the past.” He steps towards me. “I know it doesn’t seem this way, but your mother has always wanted only the best for you. She didn’t want to cut you off financial five years ago. It broke both of us to do that.”
I sigh heavily. “I’ve heard that enough times to believe it, but yet I don’t. I think she wants what’s best for herself and I understand that she loves Elsie and treats her differently, but I don’t get it. What’s her problem with Cody, anyways?”
He sighs. “I always thought it was about reputation and power, but two years ago I found out something that provided me with some deeper insight. Apparently, your mom and Nash Cameron, Cody’s father, dated when they both went to college in Houston years ago. Cody’s father must have broken up with her and she’s held that against him ever since.”
Are you kidding me?
I want to scream.
My pulse races, heart thunders in my chest with nowhere to go.
My mom dated Cody’s dad when they were younger.
I wonder why she’d never mentioned that before though now it makes sense. If he’d been the one to end things, her pride was likely bruised. It must have been a bad break up for her to carry a grudge through almost thirty years of her life.
How sad that she’s taken that out on her daughter.
“That change nothing for me,” I state firmly. “Cody Cameron and I are together now.”
My father nods his head and smiles. “I’m happy for you, Mae. You’re doing an incredible job building this business on your own and taking care of Elsie. If you need anything at any time, reach out to me. I’m here to help. Financially, emotionally, whatever you need.”
He pulls me into a tight hug, and I let myself sink into it, feeling the weight of a decade’s worth of confusion slowly unravel. For the first time in years, it doesn’t feel so heavy. But even as I soak in the comfort, I know the truth—no matter how kind his offer is, I won’t need anything from them.
I’ve built my life without them. I’ve stood on my own for this long, and I’ll keep standing.
Chapter 19: Cody
“Are you nervous?” my manager Victor asks me.
I shake my head no. I’m not. Regardless of the outcome of Harper’s paternity test, I know that what Mae and I have restarted is solid. We’ll find a way to make it work and even more importantly, no matter what happens, if this kid is mine, I’ll be there for them. I’ll be in their life for good.
The past few weeks Mae and I have spent every free moment together, catching up on missed years while Elsie was in Florida with her parents, and then when she returned, finding each other during lunch breaks and dinner date nights as I prepare for my upcoming headlining tour.
It’s something I’ve been looking forward to doing since I entered the country music scene two years ago, but now that Mae has reentered my life like an unexpected fireball of passion and stability, I’m not looking forward to being away from Nashville as much as I thought I would be. Especially since Mae told her parents about our relationship and her father has been surprisingly accepting of it.
Mae’s senior publicist, Leah, steps into the room with an envelope in hand, offering me a polite smile. I hate that Mae couldn’t be here for this, but she had a prior commitment with a client in Las Vegas—where she splits her time more often thannot. Still, she asked me to call her as soon as Leah and I finalized the Instagram post in response to whatever Harper is about to share.
Leah and Harper’s publicist have worked together to draft two versions of the pregnancy announcement. Both posts will express Harper’s excitement over the news, but one will request privacy, while the other will confirm me as the father. The only thing holding us back now is figuring out which version is about to go live.
