Page 170 of My Real Love Affair

“So, I was an accident,” I muttered.

“No! You were a blessing.” She looked at me with nothing but love and adoration in her eyes. “Once I found my true love and our lives started falling into place, something shifted. I started craving a sense of home. I wanted to build something incredible with him. And that included you.”

“Really?”

“Really. Motherhood ended up being the best part of my life. You gave me challenges to overcome, which gave me confidence. Resilience. Power. Strength. But also softness. Grace. All of it.” She leaned forward. “Having you made me more of who I was meant to be, not less.”

I felt tears streaming down my face now. “But what if Austin doesn’t change his mind? What if he really doesn’t want kids?”

“Then you cross that bridge when you come to it, Melody. But our wants and dreams for the future can change day to day, year to year. People evolve. Especially when they fall in love with the right person.”

“Your mother is right,” my dad added. “I’ve watched a lot of my friends go through this. The guy who swore he’d never settle down is now coaching Little League. The woman who said kids would ruin her career just made partner at her firm with three kids at home. People change when they find their person. It’s a balance. It’s like getting a new pair of glasses and the world looks just a little different once you find the right one.”

“But what if I’m not his person in that way? What if I’m just the person he loves right now, but not the person he wants to build a life with?”

“Only one way to find out,” my mom said. “Talk to him. Really talk. About your fears, your needs, your timeline. And then listen to what he says. Really listen, not just for what you want to hear. Maybe he truly knows what he wants. You can’t be mad at him for not sharing your dream.”

“And maybe give him a bit more time,” Dad said. “You two just started dating officially, right? Maybe don’t demand he have his entire life figured out right this second.”

I laughed because it was so true to who I was. Cleo had said as much. I didn’t know if I was lucky or really unfortunate to know what I wanted. I could see my future. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get it. I knew it required planning and hard work. I was a lady that liked to make lists. And plans. I set goals. I didn’t know how to fly by the seat of my pants.

We talked for another hour about their trip, about my work, and Cleo’s latest antics. By the time we said goodbye, I felt lighter. Hopeful, even. Maybe Austin and I still had a chance. Maybe people could change their minds about things they thought they were certain about.

Maybe.

I looked at my phone, thinking about calling him. We’d been giving each other space for almost a week now, and I missed him. Missed us. I picked up my phone, ready to call, and saw the notification.

A text message. From a number I didn’t recognize. I groaned when I saw it was another message from the anonymous sender. Attached was the folder titled “Austin.”

Again.

I stared at it, my mind spinning. This was the second time. Email and now text. Two times someone had tried to send me this folder. What were the odds it was spam or malware when it kept coming from different sources? When it kept being about Austin specifically?

It felt intentional. Targeted. Like someone really wanted me to see whatever was in that folder. But why? Who would do this? If they had my email address and my phone number, why not just send me a message? Just say it already. If they actually cared about telling me something important, they would just comeright out and say it. This was nothing more than an obnoxious taunt.

My finger hovered over the link. Just one click. That’s all it would take. One click to see what someone thought was so important that they’d contacted me twice to make sure I saw it. One click to potentially learn something about Austin that would change everything.

No. I deleted the message.

If someone had something to tell me about Austin, they could do it to my face. With their name attached. Not hiding behind anonymous emails and random phone numbers. Whatever was in that folder, I didn’t need to see it. Didn’t want to see it.

Because I would rather talk to Austin directly. Ask him my questions. Hear his answers. Make my own decisions based on the person I knew, not some curated collection of information from a stranger. I knew there were rumors and stories. People loved to stir up shit. And the last thing I needed was more drama between the two of us.

I took a deep breath and called him.

He answered on the first ring. “Melody.”

Just my name, but I could hear everything in it. Relief. Hope. Fear.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” A pause. “How are you?”

“I’m okay. Better. I talked to my parents.”

“Yeah? How are they?”

“Good,” I said. “Tan. Full of unsolicited advice.” I smiled despite my nerves. “Austin, can we meet? And talk? I know I asked for space, but I think we should talk. Really talk.”