“Thanks,” Nyah replied. “Since February.”
I watched them for a moment—Nyah calm, composed; Caroline polite, curious—and felt my shoulders ease. There was nothing strained here, nothing awkward. No reason to hover.
Convinced everything was fine, I excused myself to greet other guests and took my mother with me.
I watchedas Nyah took my father’s arm and walked with him toward the grounds. There was something gentle and respectful in the way she leaned in that made my chest loosen without my permission. They sat on a bench beneath the soft glow of the garden lights, heads inclined toward each other, speaking for a while before eventually returning to the party.
During dinner, I pulled my chair closer to Nyah’s, angling myself toward her. “How was the talk with Dad?”
“It was really good.”
“Really?” I searched her face, wanting confirmation, wanting certainty.
“He asked me if you and I were seeing each other,” she said, “and when I confirmed it, he was very glad.”
“That’s great.” I smiled, warmth spreading through me—until I noticed the slight crease between her brows. “Was that it?”
“He also said that he knows your mother is not very fond of me,” she continued carefully, “but that she will come around.”
“Told you.” I smiled again, easy and assured, brushing my thumb lightly against her knee beneath the table. “You need to stop worrying about my mother. She will come around. I promise.”
I believed it completely. I believed love—ours—would smooth every edge.
When a slow song drifted through the speakers, I stood and held out my hand. She took it, and I led her to the dance floor, drawing her close.
“This is what it’s supposed to feel like,” I thought, drawing her closer around the waist. “You know, it would be great if we had a daughter,” I said softly, the words slipping out before I weighed them.
Nyah nearly choked.
I smiled down at her, amused, fond. “We already have a son… our son, Lucas. It would be nice someday to have a daughter… Emma, don’t you think?”
She kissed my nose, laughing, a little breathless. “Yeah, someday… it would be nice. But for now, let’s hold our horses on that one.”
And we laughed, swaying slowly, surrounded by noise, judgment, and expectations.
In that moment, none of it mattered.
All I knew was this: Nyah was my future, even if she wasn’t ready to say the words yet.
38
NYAH
With Jeremy’s shadow looming over me, I tried to control what little I still could. One of those choices was not telling Caleb about him.
At times, my thoughts had spiralled into desperate directions. I had considered breaking up with Caleb until I dealt with Jeremy. I had imagined disappearing with Lucas—vanishing the way I had once planned. Once, briefly and terrifyingly, I had even thought about finding Jeremy myself… and ending it.
I had taken every step I could to deal with my past if it came looking for me. Jeremy wouldn’t do anything in public. He wasn’t that stupid.
So instead of dragging Jeremy’s shadow into Caleb’s life, I told him about the one problem he already knew existed—his mother.
I had wanted to believe him when he had said time would smooth things over. But deep down, I knew better. His mother had made her intentions unmistakably clear the day she’d walked into his apartment and found me there after the hospital incident.
Caleb had been in the shower. Lucas was at school. I’d been on the floor with the dogs when Eleanor entered like she owned the space.
“Oh,” she said, lifting an eyebrow. “So it has come to this. You’ve already weaselled your way into his house.”
My spine stiffened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Look,” I said carefully, “I don’t know what it is about me that you don’t like, but I’m quite certain I haven’t done anything to deserve this.”
