Henry helps me navigate the chaos of getting him ready, holding Milo’s toothbrush while I wrangle him into his pajamas and shepherd him through this nightly routine. I tried to tell Henry he didn’t have to help, but I was too tired to fight him tonight.
By the time I tuck Milo into bed, his head is nestled besidehis little blue cast, and he’s already half asleep. “G’night, Mommy,” he murmurs, his voice quiet with exhaustion.
“Goodnight, sweetheart,” I whisper, pressing a tender kiss to his forehead. “I love you.”
He hums a sleepy response, and I linger in the doorway, watching him drift off before turning off the light and pulling the door closed behind me.
When I walk back to the main area of the apartment, Henry is in the living room, tidying up stray toys and folding a blanket. He probably has no clue how incredibly sexy that is.
When he sees me, he straightens up and offers a small smile. “He was out like a light, huh?”
“Completely,” I say, crossing the room to sink onto the couch. “It has been a long day.”
Henry sits beside me, and our thighs bump together when his body weight creates a dip in the couch. A few days ago, I probably would’ve crawled to the other side of the couch, but I was tired of denying how much I loved being touched by Henry Castillo.
“Did you have people over earlier?” Henry asks.
“Yeah,” I say, leaning back into the couch and tucking my feet beneath me. “My mom and Nana stopped by.”
Henry’s brow furrows slightly, his head tilting in curiosity. “I thought you said that you didn’t talk to your mom anymore?”
“I don’t,” I answer quickly. “I’ve been ignoring her calls, and until yesterday, she didn’t know where I lived. I never really told her I was cutting her off, I just decided to stop talking to her.”
Henry’s gaze lightens, and he shifts closer. “Today must have been difficult for you then.”
I nod, my fingers absently twisting the hem of my shirt. “It was. It still is. The hardest part is my nana. She’s pushingme to keep a relationship with my mother, but I can’t keep letting her come in and out of my life like it’s nothing.”
Henry doesn’t say anything right away, but his hand gently brushes mine, a quiet support that feels so effortless. “That sounds exhausting. I get why you’d need some space.”
I exhale slowly, relieved by the simplicity of his response. “It is. And now, with Milo, I can’t—won’t—let her do that to him.” I shake my head, my decision feeling more valid than ever. “He needs stability. He needs someone who stays.”
Henry watches me with an intensity that makes me feel like he’s not just hearing my words but actually absorbing them, trying to understand the depth of what I’m saying.
“You’re doing what’s best for him,” he says, his voice reassuring. “And for you. I think you’ve made the right choice.”
I glance at him, meeting his steady amber gaze, the feeling of his words sinking in. He doesn’t judge, doesn’t question. He just listens. It’s a rare thing, and for the first time, I feel a flicker of relief in sharing this pain with someone.
“It doesn’t always feel that way,” I admit. “It feels like I’m being selfish sometimes. Like I’m denying Milo the chance to know her.”
He slides his hand over a few inches until it’s resting firmly on my thigh. The weight of his hand feels comforting against the material of my leggings, almost like a second skin. “I don’t think that’s selfish. You’re protecting him. There’s a difference.”
I chew on my lip, staring down at my hands. I feel the tiredness press firmly against my shoulders as they droop lower. “I just wish it was easier. I wish I could figure out how to make it all work.”
Henry tilts his head slowly, analyzing my words before answering. “It’s not easy. It’s never going to be easy. But it sounds like you’re doing the best you can.”
I reach out and grab his words, using them as a life raft. “Iknow. I just don’t know if she’ll ever understand. And maybe that’s what hurts the most.”
He doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he presses his palm firmly into my thigh and stares into my eyes with empathy and concerns swirling in his irises. In that moment, I felt like I could tell him anything. Iwantedto tell him everything.
“You don’t have to have all of the answers, Emma. You don’t owe her anything. Parents feel like they are guaranteed a spot in our lives no matter what, but that’s not true. They have to earn that spot. You’re doing what’s best for Milo, and that’s the most important thing right now.”
The silence stretches out, and I feel an unexpected calm settle over me after a day that felt like an endless rollercoaster ride. Finally, I glance up at him, breaking the silence. “Is that how you feel about your dad?”
Henry looks at me and his eyes drop to the floor before popping right back up to mine. When I look into his eyes, it’s like looking into a mirror. “Yes and no. I was the one that pushed my dad away. This is going to sound very juvenile, but after he and Crystal had Knox, I felt like a burden. I know now that I wasn’t, but at the time, it was like I was a mistake from my dad’s past and he was starting over with his new family. It’s taken me a very long time to come to terms with the fact that I was blaming my father for my own insecurities. I know he didn’t intentionally mean to make me feel that way, but it was hard not to feel like a stranger in that house as a kid.”
“Knox actually played a huge part in me coming back here for the summer. I’ve been slowly trying to reconnect with my dad, but it was Knox’s idea for me to stay here while I finished the ghostwriting gig. He may annoy the shit out of me ninety-nine percent of the time, but he has a huge heart. I’m lucky to have him in my life.”
“So, what you’re saying is I have Knox to thank for youcoming into my life?” The question is lighthearted, but it feels powerful. There’s a sharp pang in my chest when I think about never meeting Henry. This connection between us was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It makes my toes curl, and my heart twists with anticipation.
