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but I wasn’t ready to offer anything in return. I wasn’t sure if I could let go of the hurt just yet. But maybe, with time, things would change.
For now, all I could do was focus on the future–on my child, on Zane, and on trying to piece my life back together, one step at a time. The meal could wait; the rest of my life couldn’t.
Keith and I sat in silence, picking at our food with no real appetite. Every clink of a fork on a plate felt amplified in the heavy atmosphere. We hadn‘ t exchanged more than a few words, and the tension between us was palpable.
I tried to focus on my plate, but my mind was elsewhere, swirling with confusion and frustration. It didn’t help that Keith seemed equally lost in his thoughts, occasionally glancing my way but saying nothing.
When the check arrived, Keith paid without a word, and we headed out to the car. The drive home was quiet, the only sounds coming from the hum of the engine and the occasional car passing by. I sat with my arms. crossed, staring out the window, unsure of what to make of this entire evening.
As we pulled up to my house, I reached for the door handle, ready to escape the awkwardness, when Keith’s voice stopped me. “Emily, wait.”
I turned to him, my hand still on the handle. “What is it, Keith?”
He hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice softer than I
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expected. “I want to be there for you. For all your future check–ups.”
I blinked, confused. “What? Why?”
His gaze was steady, and there was something almost pleading in his eyes. “Because I want to be with you. I wasn’t there for you with Zane, and I regret that every day. I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
His words caught me off guard. Keith had never shown any interest in being part of the process before, not with Zane. I couldn’t help but question his motives. “Keith, this isn’t necessary. You weren’t like this before. When I was pregnant with Zane, you never cared about coming to any appointments. Why now?”
He looked away for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, then met my eyes again. “I’ve changed, Emily. I want to make things right, to be there for you.”
His words were earnest, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of doubt. “What about Lily?” I asked, my voice quieter now. “Won’t this affect your relationship with her?”
Keith’s expression darkened slightly. “Lily’s not important. Not anymore.”
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. “Not important? You and Lily… I always thought…”
He cut me off, his tone firm. “Forget about Lily for this moment.”
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I didn’t know what to say. Keith had always been so sure of his feelings.
for Lily, and now he was saying she didn’t matter? It didn’t make sense. “I don’t understand,” I muttered, shaking my head.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sometimes we take things for granted. This is only thing I can say right now.”
I opened the door, my mind spinning. “Keith, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you don’t need to do this. You don’t need to be here.”
He grabbed my wrist gently before I could step out of the car. “I want to be here, Emily.”
I didn’t pull away, but I didn’t respond either. I was too confused, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Without another word, I got out of the car and headed inside.
As soon as I walked through the door, Zane ran up to me, a wide grin on his face. “Mom! Guess what? I got a perfect score on my math test today!”
I smiled, trying to push aside the mess of emotions swirling inside me. “That’s amazing, Zane! I’m so proud of you.”
