I was preparing to start a new life with the man I love, convinced that my painful past was finally behind me. Then, a sudden knock at the door shattered that illusion. My ex-husband, the man who had left me for someone else, stood on my doorstep. But this time, he had a request I never could have expected.
Eric had helped me rebuild my life. He wasn’t perfect, but he was patient and kind, the kind of man who made me feel safe again. After years of pain, I had found happiness. I had no reason to look back.
Then, just as I folded the last sweater into a box, there was a knock at the door. It was firm, deliberate—almost familiar. A strange unease settled in my chest.
I wasn’t expecting anyone.
My heart pounded a little harder as I walked toward the door. When I opened it, I felt the world tilt beneath my feet.
Standing in front of me was Tom, my ex-husband. His presence alone was enough to send a wave of emotions crashing over me. He looked different—tired, older, like life had taken its toll on him.
But that wasn’t what made my breath catch. Clutching his coat, peeking out from behind him, was a little girl with wide, curious eyes.
His words sent a jolt through me. I gripped the doorknob tightly, my mind racing.
Why was he here? After all these years, after everything he had put me through—why now?
“Moving?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.
The mention of another man made something flicker in his eyes. He barely reacted, forcing a weak smile.
“That’s… that’s good. I’m glad you found someone.”
“Linda, I… I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need to be. I know I don’t have the right to ask you for anything after what I did, but… I need your help.”
His voice was raw, laced with something that sounded dangerously close to regret.
Tom exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
“And I… I have a daughter now. Ava. She’s just a little girl, Linda, and I’m all she has. But I can’t do it alone. I thought I could, but I can’t. I need you.”
“Why me, Tom?” I asked, barely able to get the words out. “Why come to me?”
“Because I know you, Linda. You have the heart for this. I don’t know anyone else who does.”
This wasn’t just about Tom. There was an innocent child caught in the middle.
As he left, the door closed behind him with a soft click, but the weight of his words lingered in the air. I knew in that moment—my life would never be the same again.
“Hi, Linda.” Tom guided her to a seat before sitting down across from me.
“This is Ava.”
She smiled shyly, shifting in her chair.
She was sweet. So innocent. And something about her tugged at something deep inside me.
“This could be a second chance for us, Linda. A way to rebuild what was lost.”
“I… I need time, Tom,” I whispered. “I need time to figure this out.”
“I just need some time, Eric,” I murmured, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I need to figure things out.”
The line went silent, and as I hung up, a realization settled over me—I was standing at a crossroads.
Then, one afternoon, she looked up at me with her big, curious eyes and asked a question that made my heart skip a beat.
“Are you going to be my new mommy?”
“I’m not sure yet, sweetie. We’re just spending time together right now.”
She smiled up at me, eyes full of hope. “I like being with you,”
Truthfully, I liked being with her too. But I couldn’t say that out loud—not yet. Instead, I just smiled and handed her a new crayon, watching as she went back to drawing.
One evening, while Ava slept on the couch, a nagging feeling refused to leave me alone. Something didn’t add up.
Tom had stepped out to run errands, and the house was eerily quiet. Alone with my thoughts, I couldn’t shake the sense that he was hiding something.
My eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that might explain my gut feeling. Then, almost instinctively, I found myself standing outside his office door.
My hand hovered over the doorknob. I hesitated, heart pounding.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was neat, almost too neat. But then I spotted it—a drawer slightly ajar in his desk. Something inside me told me to look.
An inheritance. Tied to Ava’s guardianship.
My stomach twisted. Tom wasn’t just asking me to be there for Ava—he needed me to secure the money.
“Tom,” I called out, my voice sharp. His face paled.
He didn’t even have to ask what I had found.
“What’s this? Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”
“You know what I think?” I cut him off, my voice rising with fury.
His silence was all the confirmation I needed.
Tom opened his mouth, searching for words, but there was nothing he could say that would undo what I had just uncovered.
The weight of betrayal settled deep in my chest.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Eric’s number. Straight to voicemail. My heart sank.
What if I had lost him? What if my hesitation, my involvement in Tom’s mess, had ruined everything?
Hanging up, I realized something painfully clear—I had wasted too much time on the wrong man. I needed to fight for the one who truly mattered.
But it also put distance between me and Ava.
Her face swam in my mind—her bright eyes, her innocent smile. She didn’t deserve this.
“I have to go, sweetie,” I had whispered, trying to fight back the tears.
“But remember, you’ll always be special to me.”
As the taxi sped through the city, I frantically typed out messages to Eric.
“I’m coming. I’m so sorry. I was so foolish. Please, let me explain.”
When the taxi finally reached his street, I spotted him immediately.
Eric stood in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, holding a bouquet of white roses—the kind I loved.
He was waiting.
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