Page 55 of I’m Already Gone

“You will?” She sounds like she expects me to change my mind any second.

“Yeah. Um... text me the address. And do they know who I am?” I ask, shutting down my computer and pushing myself up from the chair.

“I’ll call them right now and let them know. Ethan,” she says, her voice catching a little.

“Yeah?” I ask, grabbing my keys.

“Thank you. Really. By the time you drop him off, Maddy and Jake should be home, so you won’t have to stay long.”

I nod, knowing she can’t see me, and hang up.

Opening the door, I don’t even bother to shut it behind me properly. “Hold all my calls,” I bark at Hannah, who looks up from her desk, startled. “I’ll be back soon.”

I don’t wait for her reply and stride quickly to the elevator.

I pull up to the daycare, a modern brick-and-glass building that looks nothing like the quaint, tree-lined center our kids attended when they were younger.

I find a vacant spot in the designated parent parking area and lean back, taking a slow, deep breath. I drum a quiet rhythm on the steering wheel before I finally kill the ignition.

I head toward the front entrance and push open one of the heavy double doors, stepping into a brightly lit lobby. I am face-to-face with the front desk, where a woman with a perfectly blonde bob sits, a headset perched over one ear.

“Hello,” she chirps with a wide smile. “How can I help you today?”

I clear my throat, my tie feeling suddenly tight, and instinctively run a finger down the knot. “Hello. My name is Ethan Hartley, and I’m here to pick up Ollie Carter.”

She nods, her fingers dancing across her keyboard, her eyes flicking between the screen and me.

“Oh yes, Ollie! I’ll call Mrs. Robertson and have her bring him down.”

I offer a slight nod, taking a step back. My gaze drifts to the wall beside me, adorned with a vibrant mural of smiling zoo animals.

A few minutes later, the glass doors behind the receptionist’s desk slide open with a soft whoosh, and a woman emerges, holding Ollie’s hand.

Lily’s little boy. God, he looks so much like her it’s almost unsettling—the same bright, curious eyes, the slightly messy dark blond hair. A pang, sharp and unexpected, hits me in the chest.

“You must be Ethan. I’m Mrs. Robertson,” she says kindly, extending a hand to me.

“Nice to meet you,” I reply, accepting her handshake before pulling my hand back.

She glances down at Ollie, who is peeking up at me through his lashes, a nervous twist to his small mouth. “Ollie, sweetie, Ethan is going to take you home. Can you say hi?”

He shifts his weight, still looking at me with a mixture of shyness and curiosity, before offering a tiny, almost inaudible, “Hi, Ethan.”

I kneel slightly to his eye level and offer my own smile. “Hi, Ollie. Is it okay for me to take you home?”

He looks up at Mrs. Robertson, who gives him a warm, encouraging smile. He turns back to me and nods twice, a quick, decisive movement of his head.

“Tell your mom I said hi, Ollie, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mrs. Robertson says, letting go of his hand and guiding him closer to me.

His small hand immediately finds mine, his fingers surprisingly firm. He then turns and gives a small wave goodbye to Mrs. Robertson and the receptionist.

Together, we walk out of the building and make our way down the steps toward my car. I reach for the back door handle, then pause, my hand hovering.

No car seat.

“No car seat?” Ollie asks, his voice small but clear, echoing the exact thought in my head. I look down at him, and despite the sudden dilemma, a laugh bubbles up.

The kid is cute as hell. There was never any doubt in my mind that Lily would have beautiful children; her gentle features passed on so naturally. Even knowing that one of them isn’t biologically mine. That realization was once a bitter and corrosive thought I struggled to shake. Yet, somehow, just minutes spent in Ollie’s company have eased the pain.