Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“It’s showtime.” I look at Eliahn and then at Lauren, whose eyes go as big as saucers.
“He doesn’t know?” Lauren asks the same time I shake my head.
Eliahn lets out a big breath and then holds out her hand to Aiden. “Let’s go see Grandpa,” she says, and he turns to get off the couch.
“Godspeed,” Lauren whispers and then walks to her desk. Eliahn walks to the back of the office where her father is. We pass Noah’s office on the way, but his door is closed.
Leonard’s assistant, Norma, sees Eliahn right away and squeals. “Oh my goodness,” she says, getting up and coming around her desk. “Look at what the cat dragged in.” Eliahn smiles and bends down to kiss the woman on her cheek. “And who is this handsome, handsome young man?” she says, looking at Aiden.
“Norma,” Eliahn says, her face filling with pride. “This is my son, Aiden.”
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She grabs his face, kissing his cheek. “Your grandpa told me all about you.”
“Is he busy?” Eliahn asks her, and she shakes her head.
“Never for you two,” she says. Eliahn walks to the door, knocking on it and hearing her father yell to come in.
He is seated at his desk, reading something. When he looks up and sees it’s Eliahn, he takes off his glasses and smiles over at her, getting up as Aiden runs in. “Grandpa, Grandpa,” he says, jumping into Leonard’s arms as Leonard leans in and kisses his cheek. “We went to see my new school today,” he says. “They have hockey and soccer and football.”
“Is that right?” Leonard says, smiling while he kisses his cheek. “Did you like it?”
“Yeah,” Aiden says, playing with the knot of his tie. “And I found my daddy,” he says, and I swear you can hear a pin drop. If I didn’t think I was having a heart attack before, I am definitely having one now. The room is semi-spinning, and my throat is closing up so tight I can hardly swallow.
It looks like it happens in slow motion, almost like in the movies when the head turns slowly, ever so fucking slowly, and he finally sees me standing here next to Eliahn.
“What?” he whispers, and I open my mouth to talk, but nothing, and I mean, nothing comes fucking out. Not a sound, not a word, not even a fucking breath.
“Dad,” Eliahn says, stepping forward. “It,” she starts, and her father puts Aiden down, his head turning to look at me.
“Norma!” he yells. She opens the door smiling, but her smile leaves when she takes in the stance that everyone is in. “Can you take Aiden down to the break room and see if you can get him a snack?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Coco.” She turns to Aiden. “How about we go and get you a snack? I think I saw some muffins,” she says, and Aiden hops over to her, grabbing her hand. The door almost closes, but another hand stops it, and Eliahn’s mother enters.
“Sorry I’m late, darling.” She looks around and tries to lighten the situation by going to her daughter and kissing her cheek. “Luca. Nice to see you.” She gets to her husband’s side and grabs his hand. “Honey.”
“Dad,” Eliahn starts, and I walk to her and take her hands in mine; it’s the first time I’ve touched her since all of this happened and she just looks down at our hands. But it shows her that she isn’t going to have to do this alone; she doesn’t have to fight alone because I’m here with her, and we will get through this.
“We met,” I start, and he holds up his hand.
“I’m fully aware how you met on that booze cruise shit,” he says, his voice going louder and louder. “Did you not think to wear protection? Did you not respect her enough?”
Eliahn gasps, and I square my shoulders. “With all due respect, Mr. Coco, what we did was our business and not yours.”
“You made it my business when my daughter gave birth to your child by herself.” His voice is so loud now it’s booming.
“Leonard,” Maryse says, and he turns to look at her. She leans in and whispers something in his ear, but I don’t make the break last. I speak up.
“And if I had known, I would have been by her side the entire time. Helping her in any way that I could,” I tell him, my voice never once wavering.
“Dad, he didn’t know,” Eliahn finally says. “He had no idea. And for the record, we did use condoms. They are only ninety-seven percent effective,” she starts to say, and I want to laugh about how crazy this is.
“I feel like I’m in the Friends episode,” I say quietly to her and see that she is blinking away some tears as she stares at me and smiles. “But regardless of how I found out, or of what happened before, I’m here now. I’m going to be in my son’s life with or without your approval. And if I have to go look elsewhere for a job, so be it,” I say, hoping to fuck he doesn’t tell me to get the fuck out because I don’t have a backup plan right now. “I am sorry I wasn’t there for any of it.” I look at Eliahn, and I want to say so much more, but those words are going to be said to her and not with her father there. “Aiden isn’t the only one who missed out. I missed out on a lot of firsts, and I’m not going to let anything stand in my way.”