AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That you aren’t good enough for my daughter,” he barks at me confidently, more than willing to take this as far as I will let him.
The comment stings, but it’s nothing that I didn’t expect. I won’t lash out, not wanting to stoop to his level. So, I default to the level reasoning that they teach in law school, allowing just enough threat to seep into my voice to let him know I’m serious.
“Look, Tom, I know you wanted me to keep my hands off Maria, but it didn’t turn out that way. We fell in love. And now, she’s carrying our child. She’s intelligent and caring and fierce, and she wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want to do. Yes, becoming a mother this young is not how you expected her life to turn out. But here we are. Maria’s more than old enough to make her own choices. And she’s choosing me and our child.”
I keep my eyes on Tom’s face.
He doesn’t give me any hint as to how he’s feeling. It frustrates me, not knowing what he’s thinking, but it doesn’t stop me from telling him what he needs to hear.
“She’s your only child, and maybe I’ll understand better what you feel when my own kid gets older. But what I know right now is that she’s miserable because of the rift with you. Be mad at me all you want but taking that out on Maria is cruel. She wants you in her life, and in the baby’s life. If you really care about her being with a man worthy of her, you sure aren’t setting a good example of how she should be treated.”
As I finish, my chest deflates. I’m surprised I didn’t lose my breath in the middle of that speech. Tom remains siting there, face expressionless, saying nothing. I guess it’s better than him yelling at me or making some snide comment. Maybe he has a reply, but I don’t bother to wait around to find out. I rush out of his office and back to mine.
I don’t care what he says.
The rest of my day passes quickly, consumed with drafting the settlement agreement.
When I get home, soft music drifts out from the kitchen. Walking into it, I find Maria softly singing along as she frosts a cake.
“Cake for dinner?”
She startles at my presence. Her face goes red as she realizes that this is exactly what that looks like.
“I was craving a carrot cake,” she says with a small cringe. “We can order out.”
“You can have cake for dinner whenever you want.” I set my briefcase down by the counter as I go over to her, scooping her into my arms.
She lets out an airy giggle as her hands come to rest on my chest. I can’t deny it, cake does sound nice right about now, though I would be interested in tasting something sweeter before that.
Reaching over, I swipe my finger through a bit of icing, popping my finger into my mouth as I keep my gaze on Maria.
“If you think looking at me like that will distract me from the fact that you’re putting your fingers in my cake, you’re wrong,” she tells me, but the mirth in her voice tells me that in actuality, the former won out.
I don’t think I’ve seen Maria this jubilant since before the dinner with her parents. Content maybe, but this smiley? I had been starting to miss it.
“Why are you in such a good mood?” I ask, my body turning, so I’m leaning up against the kitchen island, Maria still cradled in my arms.
“Can’t I be happy for no reason?” she asks, but I know that something has changed.
“I mean, you can. I haven’t gotten to see your pretty smile as much lately,” I explain truthfully, my head tilting down, so I can look more directly into Maria’s eyes.
They shine brightly, and she looks like she doesn’t have anything weighing her down right now. It’s beautiful seeing her like this, both for her sake and the baby’s.
“My dad stopped by today,” she finally tells me, trying to keep her composure, but it’s obvious she’s almost bursting at the seams with happiness.
“Did he, now?” I ask skeptically, the thought of what he said to her last time they were in the same room immediately flashing through my mind.
I don’t remember seeing Tom leave early, but then again, I was holed up in my office for most of the afternoon.
“He did. He came by to apologize and told me how sorry he was for the way he reacted to the news. He said you came into his office and changed his mind. He even said he’s glad that I’m with someone as strong-willed as you.”
The kind words from Tom make my chest swell. Knowing that things will again be good between us takes a weight off my shoulders.
“That’s really good to hear, gorgeous.” I let my hands cup the sides of her face and kiss her softly.
“Thank you, Tyler,” she begins, her voice filling with tears, “for standing up for me, for being there, and just for everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I assert. “Loving you is easy.”
