“What?” he asks, turning back toward me with a raised eyebrow.
“You’re so oblivious.” I tease. “She totally has a crush on you.”
Gabriel chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Really? I didn’t notice. I already have this smoking-hot nanny. She’s just the sitter.”
I laugh into his shirt, shaking my head. “Haha, I’m gonna get Aura ready for dinner.”
Upstairs, I wake Aura from her nap. My heart melts when she opens her eyes and greets me with the brightest smile. She’s almost eight months old now, and it’s hard to believe how quickly she’s grown. I remember holding her as a tiny baby, and now she’s forming her own personality.
As I change her, she babbles in her baby language, cooing happily. Then, clear as day, I hear the word “Mama.”
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. It’s such a small word, but it carries so much weight. My eyes well up with tears as I finish getting her dressed. That she might see me as a maternal figure fills me up with so much love—and so much uncertainty.
“I know, sweets. I love you so much. Never ever forget that.”
I finish getting Aura ready and carry her downstairs, grabbing a few extra diapers for her diaper bag.
I hold her close as I carry her downstairs, my heart heavy knowing that while she’s not technically mine, I want to be that for her. I want to be the one she runs to when she needs comfort, the one who’s there for all her milestones.
When I enter the kitchen, Gabriel’s smile fades when he sees the tear streaks on my face.
“Bumper, what’s wrong?” he asks, concern lacing his voice.
“It’s nothing, Gab,” I say, my voice cracking despite my best effort.
“Baby, please tell me what’s bothering you,” he says, pulling me into his arms.
I shake my head, not wanting to tell him. I feel silly, upset over a simple word, but it’s so much than that. I look at Aura, who is happily playing in her walker, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.
Gabriel lifts my chin gently, his voice soft. “Please. Even if you think it’s silly, tell me. It’s clearly upsetting you, and I want to help you in any way I can.”
I take a deep breath, wiping away a single tear. “When I was upstairs getting Sweets dressed, she called me mama. I believe she cared, but she’s not mine. I love her deeply and want to be a constant presence in her life. Still, I can’t shake the uncertainty of not knowing whether Haley will ever choose to step up someday. Where does that leave me?”
His expression softens as he listens, and for a moment, he doesn’t speak. Then, slowly, he says, “Bumper, first, let me make one thing clear to you. You are more of a mother to my daughter than her own flesh and blood was, even while she was pregnant with her and after she was born.”
I open my mouth to interrupt, but Gabriel raises a hand, signaling for me to hear him out.
“If Aura recognizes you are her mama, I am damn proud of my baby girl’s intelligence,” he says. “I’ve never mentioned this before, but Haley has reached out a few times, wanting to seeAura. I won’t allow it. I know Haley—she won’t stick around. I’m not willing to put Aura through that kind of heartbreak.”
The weight of his words hits me. I didn’t know Haley had reached out. My fear was that she would show up one day and want to take Aura. The thought of sharing her, of handing her over, breaks my heart.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Gabriel,” I whisper, a sob threatening to break free. “I can’t bear the thought of sharing her with someone who abandoned her.”
He turns away from me, rubbing his hands down his face. “Baby, please let me finish,” he begs.
I nod, looking at Aura as she plays with the attachments on the walker.
Gabriel takes a deep breath, pacing for a moment before turning back to face me. “Bumper, I’m filing for sole custody. My lawyer has a damn good feeling that I am going to be granted sole custody….”
I feel my heart stop in my chest. “But?”
Gabriel exhales sharply. “Well, he knows about our relationship. I had to tell him because I was showing up to appointments without Aura. I told him she was with my girlfriend. He supports us. In fact, he suggested we get married to solidify my case.”
I freeze, my hand clutching my chest as the words crash into me. Did he just?—?
Before I can process what’s happening, I turn, grab my keys from the counter, and head straight for the door.
“Millie! Wait,” Gabriel calls out to me, but I don’t stop.
