Seth approached slowly, his own smile tentative. “You, too.”
Her hair had darkened, her hips had rounded, but her face—those eyes—they were achingly familiar.
For a split second, he was transported back to that summer, to the restaurant where they’d worked together, huddled in the dark after closing, driven to take shelter during a nasty storm. Now, here they were, seventeen years later, deciding the fate of the son Seth hadn’t known he fathered until a short month ago.
Laura closed the distance between them with an awkward little laugh and pulled him into a hug. Seth froze for a heartbeat, surprised, but then he returned it. They’d been friends before they’d been anything else, and that friendship had always been easy. This felt like an unexpected icebreaker. He hoped it was a good sign for what came next.
“Good to see you,” he murmured.
“You, too.” When they stepped back, Laura gestured to the man beside her. “Seth, this is my husband, Ted. And our daughter, Emma.”
Ted nodded, his expression stoic as he stuck out his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“Same,” Seth said as they shook.
Hudson gave Ted a quick wave, then leaned toward the baby, his face softening. “Hey, little Emma girl.”
She smiled. Then he made exaggerated faces at the infant that had her giggling and kicking her little feet.
Hudson’s grin widened. For just a moment, the kid looked like he’d missed his baby sister. Seth hoped like hell he was doing the right thing for his son. But Hudson wanted to be with him—had hopped on a plane as a fucking minor without telling anyone to find the father he’d never met. Since then, he’d insisted in every way possible that he didn’t want to go back to Connecticut.
Seth could make that happen.
If he didn’t fuck up this reunion.
In the ensuing silence, Laura’s gaze drifted to Heavenly and Beck, who stood near Seth. Her brow furrowed slightly, curiosity flickering across her face. She probably wasn’t surprised that he’d brought his fiancée to their custody discussion. After all, from Laura’s perspective, Heavenly would be helping him raise Hudson.
But she was probably very confused about why he’d brought another man to this meeting.
Seth resisted the urge to scrub a nervous hand down his face and fastened on a smile as he gestured toward his angel. “Laura, you’ve spoken on the phone to my fiancée, Heavenly.”
She stepped forward, hand extended. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You, too.” Laura shook it, her smile polite.
But her attention strayed to Beck, the predictable question all over her face.
Seth cleared his throat, nerves jangling. “And this is Dr. Beckman. Beck to his friends.”
Recognition crossed her face, and Seth saw the moment she relaxed, as if she thought she had the proper context to understand why Beck had come along. “The doctor you share a house with. Nice to meet you.”
Beck nodded, his expression locked down as he shook Laura’s hand, then Ted’s. “Good to meet you both.”
But Seth saw a muscle tick in Beck’s jaw. He hated being the third wheel, and he’d been shoved into that role too much these past few days—a situation Seth needed to change.
Starting this morning.
Another silence fell. The moment stretched on, everyone standing in the middle of the diner, not quite sure what to do next while other patrons gave them curious side-eyes. Finally, Ted gestured to the big table in the corner. “Should we sit?”
“Yeah.” Seth forced a smile, grateful for the redirect.
Fuck, this was awkward.
They all shuffled to the back. Laura slid into the seat next to the high chair after she strapped in a happily babbling Emma. Ted took the seat on the other side of the baby, at the foot of the table. Hudson hesitated, then sat on Laura’s right. Immediately, she reached over and squeezed his hand with a strained smile, her eyes glassy.
Seth took the chair at the head of the table, gesturing Heavenly to his right. Beck flanked her, sitting directly across from Laura and the baby. As everyone focused on their menus, the tension around the table continued in a silent hum.
The waitress appeared carrying a tray of water glasses and a carafe of coffee, her cheerful greeting temporarily filling the stilted silence.
