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“Hey, Ladybug.”

She rolls her eyes at the nickname. They were her favorite when we were little. I’ve called her that for so long now that it would be weird to call her anything else.

I sit down next to her, my feet dangling over the edge of the dock. It’s been dry enough the last few weeks that my feet aren’t even close to touching the water. Twisting off the top of a beer, I hand one to her and then open a second for myself. A big swig cools my nerves a bit.

“I need to⁠—”

“I have news.” Her interruption stops my confession.

“You go first, Ladybug.”

She sets the beer to the side without taking a drink, turning her body to face me directly. I turn toward her a little more, taking in the way the silver moonlight shines off her hair.

Kylie squeezes her fingers together. “Okay, I’m just going to blurt it out.”

I hold my breath, waiting for the words I’ve been longing to hear come out of her mouth.

“I’m pregnant.”

A record scratches in my head. I stare at Kylie as everything in my body shatters to smithereens. I can’t even breathe without the pain cracking my chest open. “You’re—” I croak. There’s no way I could get the word out even if I wanted to.

“Pregnant. Yeah. Nobody knows but my boyfriend. I wanted to tell you first since you’re my best friend. I’m terrified and elated…and I don’t even know what else. Chris is great and has been super supportive. We’re going to get married before school starts again in the fall and really give this a shot. I think this baby deserves that. It wasn’t planned, but I’m really happy. You know I’ve always wanted to be a mom.”

Every word out of her mouth is like an icicle stabbing my heart. The worst part is, it’ll melt, and no one will ever know the damage it’s caused. How could she not tell me she was even dating someone? Was he just a passing fancy until she found out about the baby? Maybe it won’t work out between them. Dammit, that’s a shitty fucking thing to wish for, especially if she likes the guy.

I take a long pull from my beer as I tuck away every piece of my heart that belonged to her. It’ll always be hers, no matter what happens in the future, but now I’ll never get a chance to give it to her.

Eventually, I’ll find a way to be okay with that. Eventually, I’ll be able to look at her without my chest aching with regret. But she deserves to be as happy as she can possibly be, and I won’t be the one to ruin that for her.

“Congratulations, Ladybug. You’re going to be the best mom in the world.”

CHAPTER 2

Grayson

Ishould’ve become a backup dancer.

My moves have moves, and everyone needs to bask in the gloriousness of my skills…even if I have to ignore the twinge in my back that reminds me that I’m closer to forty now.

London’s giggle is a cold splash of reality on my daydreaming. I gasp at my four-year-old daughter. “Are you laughing at my moves?”

Her sparkling blue eyes—the same shade of cornflower as mine—hold so much laughter it’s bubbling out of her. “You’re shaking your booty like a goof, Daddy.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not goofy.” I show off my booty shaking again, and London is laughing so hard, she’s bent over.

My little girl has grown so much in the last year. She went from a tiny three-year-old with a baby face to a four-year-old little girl in the blink of an eye. No one told me how heartbreakingly wonderful it is to watch your baby grow into the amazing human they’re supposed to be.

I’ll have to punch my three best friends for their oversight. They all have kids older than London, and not a single one of those fuckers warned me about this chest-aching development.

“If you think you have better moves than your superior father, then show them off, little girl.” I dramatically wave my arm in front of me to say the floor is yours. London bows graciously and moves into the middle of our living room. She strikes a pose, waiting for the next song to play. Unfortunately, it’s a Disney song that was not created for dancing. Damn you, Phil Collins!

“Ugh! The shuffle strikes again!” I groan. London giggles while I search through my playlist of songs. “Oh, yes! Okay, I got it. Ready?”

London sets her face in determination. “Ready.”

I hit play on her favorite Taylor Swift song. She does a happy little dance when the first notes come on before she starts to really get in the groove. The words to “Shake It Off” prompt London to shake her little butt around the room. I start laughing, joining in on her performance. She grabs my hands to dance with me. I spin her around, making her summer dress twirl out the way she loves.

The music cuts out suddenly as a video call pauses our song, and I answer with a frown. “You threw off my groove!”