My CEO 213

213 A Quieter Future (Winona)

I sit across from Jayden in the penthouse living room, the city lights flickering outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The day has been long and exhausting, the week has, but somehow, sitting here with him, a sense of calm settles over me. We've finished cleaning up from dinner with Cass, and Anne is sleepin settling off to sleep after the news we gave her over dinner.

in Abby's room. Abby had trouble

I was so relieved when she finally closed her red-rimmed eyes after countless memories we shared about Mom since she'd come to live with us. I'm grateful we've had that time to have memories of her.

It's heart-wrenching to see Abby's little mind try and cope with the awful news. It's late now and Jayden and I are chatting over a glass of port. The drink is warming, almost comforting with everything going on In our lives.

Jayden leans back on the sofa, his eyes searching mine. "I've been thinking a lot about the future."

I nod, leaning in a little closer. "It's hard to think too far ahead, isn't it? With everything that we've had to deal with, I have no clue what's going to happen next."

"About us," he says, "and about Abby, the baby. and Bobby and Sarah. I want you to know that I didn't just come up with the idea on the spur of the moment."

hope. But the fact remains that this is a lot and the types of emotional issues in those two kids can't be fixed by

to bring

nothing family. But it's a lifelong commitment. You can't change

determination. "I know, Winona. I've thought about this a lot. I want to be their dad,

I'm ready

this neat little box in your mind may not be the reality." "Being a dad came as a surprise and I'll admit it's way more complicated than

but seeing

most rewarding thing in the world, but it's also the hardest. And with the

it's been on my mind constantly. But I can't let fear control me. I need to focus on what

213 A Quieter Future

dad I can be to

squeeze his hand, feeling a surge of love for this

so hard to get at fundamental thing in life right, being a good dad, even though he has zero examples of

That I could've stood up to Judy and Ashlyn back then. But without you on my side, I felt I had

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