It was Edward who shook his head.
“Annie made us promise that we wouldn’t be in her child’s life. Said our life would destroy Gabriella the same way that she thought we’d… look, we made so many mistakes…” His jaw tightened.
Morgan’s breath hitched, suddenly angry. “Youknewshe was pregnant? Why was she in that bedsit? Why didn’t you do something?”
Margaret’s composure was shattered. She pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes filling. “We only found out she’d had a daughter a day before she passed,” she said, voice breaking. “We tried to help, but we were starting legal proceedings to step in, even though she assured us you were coming home. We tried to contact you, but you were traveling, and we weren’t quick enough to get something in place, and then it was too much.” She stopped and glanced at Edward for help.
“She said she was starting over,” he carried on where she’d left off. “She said her partner was coming home from the army,told us about you, and she built this world that made us believe she’d made a fresh start. We gave her a little money.” Edward looked away. “Which she clearly used to buy the drugs that killed her.” Silence fell heavily in the room. “It’s our fault,” he finished. “All of it.”
“I sent home money as well,” I said, and something unknotted in my chest. “I sent as much as I could. I didn’t know.”
Edward reached blindly for Margaret’s hand and tugged her close. The grief was real. “We had someone in place, watching, keeping their distance, but when he reported back, he said she was… that she’d died. By the time we heard, Gabbi was gone with you, and we didn’t know what to do, but if she loved you, then…”
“We weren’t in love,” Morgan murmured, “it was one time, it was… I’ll never say it was wrong, because it gifted me with the most amazing part of my life, but we were just friends for a few years when I was on leave. She worked part-time at a coffee shop I went to, and… it was just once.” Morgan held Gabbi, staring at the space between them as if the ground had shifted under his feet.
I didn’t move. Didn’t speak.
“We’d like to set up a trust for her. For her education,” Margaret said, “if you’ll allow us.”
Morgan was silent for a long moment then he shifted beside me—not away, not back—just settling. Then he seemed to make a decision. He stood and held Gabbi out to Margaret.
“Would you like to hold her?”
Margaret startled, hands lifting and then hovering, unsure. “Oh—I—are you certain?”
Morgan nodded once. “Yes.”
She took Gabbi as if she were something fragile, awkward at first, then steadier as Gabbi sighed in her sleep and burrowed closer. Margaret stared down at her, her composure crackingcompletely. “Oh,” she whispered. “Hello, sweetheart.” Her voice broke. “I love her already.”
Edward stepped closer, his hand coming to rest on Margaret’s shoulder as he looked down at his granddaughter, eyes wet and unguarded. In the end, it was Edward who spoke.
“We can fund whatever you need next,” he said gruffly. “Do you have somewhere to live? Are you okay here? Do you need doctors?”
Morgan’s hand found mine. He squeezed once. Grounding himself. Then he shook his head.
“Thank you. If Gabbi needs anything, then I will ask, I promise. She will always come first with me, and I would never turn down help for her.” He shot me a glance. “But we’re okay right now,” he said quietly, and I think he was talking to me, too. “She’ll know who you are, though. You’ll always be Gabbi’s grandparents. And I know there’s a whole family she could be part of, and I don’t have a family really, so I want that for her.” He lifted his chin. “But, she’smydaughter, and she’s staying withme.”
Margaret didn’t argue. She just nodded, tears slipping free. “Of course,” she said.
Edward took his turn holding Gabbi, who was waking from her sleep. She blinked up at him, unfocused and solemn, then yawned, her mouth a perfect littleO.
“Oh,” Edward breathed, startled, as if he hadn’t expected her to look back. “Hello there, sweetheart. You look just like your mother.” He glanced at Morgan, uncertain. “I mean?—”
“It’s okay,” Morgan said.
Gabbi made a slight sound, something between a sigh and a complaint, and Edward rocked her, awkward but careful. “She’s beautiful,” he said, eyes shining. “We—we missed so much with Annie because we were so wrong about everything.”
Margaret hovered close, one finger offered. Gabbi’s tiny fist closed around it, a firm grip for someone so small.
Margaret laughed through tears. “Oh. She’s got opinions,” she murmured.
Gabbi squawked, then settled again, cheek pressed to Edward’s chest.
After a few minutes, Edward reluctantly passed her back. “Thank you,” he said to Morgan, voice thick. “For letting us hold her.”
“You’re her grandparents.”
“If we…” Edward squared his shoulders. “If we think she’s in danger, or you can’t provide or?—”
