Brad tries to interrupt me, but Jason stops him with another glare, his brown eyes growing even darker as he stares across the table at my ex-husband.
“I’d think twice before speaking, if I were you.” His voice is menacing, something I’ve never heard from him. I’ve heard him grumpy, and I’ve heard him mad, but never have I heard him enraged like this. Jason glances away from Brad, giving me a soft nod to continue.
“Have you ever tried to explain to a child that their dad is alive somewhere out there, but doesn’t want to see them? She asks me why my dad died when he loved me so much, but her own father is alive out there, somewhere, and didn’t love her enough to stay. So, no. You can’t see her. You have to prove to me you’re here to stay, to play a part in her life.”
“Fallon, you might want to reconsider this,” Brad tries to say, his voice low and threatening.
“If you want to meet with her, we will have to have a discussion with the lawyers, Brad. I’m doing what’s best for my little girl, and right now, it's not you and Trixie suddenly deciding you want to play ‘present father’.” I turn my attention to Trixie. “I’m sure you’re a nice woman, but when you have a child of your own, you’ll understand.”
Trixie nods, dropping her palm to her stomach. Shit, she’s already pregnant, isn’t she? I guess that explains the sudden need to reconnect.
Brad scoffs. “Fine. Make this more difficult. Remember this, though, Fallon. You started this. I wanted this to be amicable. I wanted to discuss an arrangement, for this to bedone without lawyers and money and hoops to jump through, but no.”
“The time for being amicable passed a long time ago, Brad.Youstarted this. You filed for divorce and left, waiving your rights to custody of your daughter,” I finish with a heavy breath. Anxiety pumps its way through my veins. Maybe I did fuck up and will put us through hell, but I will stand by what I said. I have to do what is best for my daughter.
Brad stands, holding his hand out for Trixie to take. When she stands, I notice the smallest baby bump I didn’t notice before. Brad tosses a business card with his lawyer's information down on the table. “Expect to hear from my lawyer, Fallon.”
With that parting gift, he and Trixie leave. I take a few deep breaths, trying to keep calm until they’re out the door, but as soon as the bell chimes, signaling the door opening and closing behind them, I crumble.
Turning into Jason, I fall into his chest, heaving sobs wracking their way through my body. His arms pull me in tight, and he lets me cry. This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen. I didn’t want him to ask for partial custody of Presley, and he did. I didn’t want a fight or drama. I want to live my life with my daughter, with Jason and his daughter. Things were going so well. Why now? Why did Brad have to storm back into my life after all this time?
41
JASON
She’s incredible.
Watching her stand up to him, tell him what she thought of his sleazy ass and stand up for herself and her daughter was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen—aside from Lennie being born.
Holding Fallon in my arms as she falls apart is eye opening. I love her. And I love Presley as my own. I’ve been falling for her, for them, but now, I’m gone. I will do whatever it takes to keep her and Presley safe.
“Shh,” I whisper. “You’re amazing. You’re so strong.”
I almost forget we’re at the diner, until the scraping of a chair sounds at the small table. I peek out from where I’m holding Fallon in time to watch Marley and Josie pulling their chairs up next to Fallon. They rub her arms and her back while I hold her, whispering words of encouragement. My brothers come up to the table too, scooting around and making room for everyone.
In the thick of everything, I’d forgotten they were all here, but I’m thankful they were.
Fallon pulls away from me for a moment to give Josieand Marley hugs, then she’s leaning back into my side. I wipe the few remaining tears off her cheeks, and wipe the running mascara from under her eyes.
When she looks up at me, I take her chin in my fingers. “We can do this. He doesn’t have much of a case. He willingly waived his rights to custody and made no effort to be a dad. Sure, he’s back now, but he will have to jump through so many hoops. Who knows, he might decide it’s not worth it.”
“Is it horrible to say I hope he decides it’s not worth it? But then, it sounds like I’m saying my daughter isn’t worth fighting for.” Her lower lip trembles as she speaks those words, and I run my thumb over it to soothe her.
“Presley is worth any fight.Youare worth any fight. For him to not try in the first place gives me some idea that maybe this will be all too much for him. He wants it easy.”
Fallon nods. “And we aren’t going to give him easy.”
“No, we’re not.”
One of the twins chooses that moment to squawk, making their presence very known. Fallon leans back into me, while Beau passes a baby across the table to Marley who hoists her shirt up to feed them.
“Thank you for being here,” Fallon says to the five people surrounding the very small table. “Even though you weren’t next to me, it was still nice knowing you had my back.”
“Always,” Thomas says, lamenting his earlier words. “Every step of the way, we’ll be here, supporting you and Pres.” He pauses for a long moment, a shit-eating grin pulling on his lips. “Hey, not to change the subject, but… Trixie? Sounds like he picked her up at a strip club.”
The table bursts into unceremonious laughter. Thomasis always the one to lighten the mood when things get heavy.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Fallon says through her teary laughter.
