“What were her words exactly?” Chloe asks for the third time.
I repeat myself again. “I’m pregnant.”
“Wow. I can’t believe it. I’m going to be an aunt. Aunt Chloe,” she whispers, pacing across the room. When she makes it to the other side, she spins around. “You’re going to be a dad.”
Dad.
I didn’t sleep a wink after Adley left last night. All night all I thought about was her and our unborn baby, and it still hasn’t sunk in.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not going to screw this up.”
She shakes her head. “I wasn’t thinking that at all.”
“You weren’t?”
“No.” Chloe walks over and grabs my hand. “You’re going to be a great dad. This baby is lucky to have you.”
“You think?”
“I know,” she confirms. “You practically raised me, Linc. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have the things I do, including a college education.”
“Chloe—”
“No, it’s true. You had a shit life growing up. You know first-hand what it’s like to have parents who don’t care. Yet you made sure I was fed and clean and clothed. You took care of me like I was your own, and I know you’ll do an even better job with your own child because you’re actually an adult now. I know you’ll never let your child feel an ounce of the pain we’ve felt.”
She’s right. I’d kill myself before I ever brought pain into my child’s life. The only thing I can think about is giving this baby and Adley a perfect, beautiful life.
“You’re right. And that doesn’t just go for the baby; it goes for Adley as well. But first, I have to win her back.”
“What are you going to do?”
“The only thing I can.”
Her eyes narrow. “And that is…”
“I’m going to prove to her that I love her and this baby, and I want us to be a family.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“I’m going to start by coming clean with Rhett.”
Chloe’s eyes widen. “Oh boy.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
Rolling my eyes, I ignore her comment. “I’m going to need you to take care of Dad for a while.”
“Okay,” she says a little too quickly.
“Okay?”
She nods. “Dad and I had a long talk last night after you dropped him off at home. It’s going to take a lot to fix our relationship, and I don’t even know how fixable it is, but I’m willing to work on it if he is.”
This is huge.
I pull her in for a hug. “I’m proud of you, Chloe.”