How would I get through this? Coming here had been a mistake. What was I supposed to say? How should I act? He wasn’t mine anymore. There had never been a moment with Luke in my life when he hadn’t been mine. But I didn’t know this Luke.

Did I even want to know him again? It didn’t matter. I didn’t matter right now. Dylan mattered. And Dylan wanted his father. I would do anything I could to give him that.

“Let’s go talk to your mom,” Luke said.

Shoot, they were coming over here. Calla, the baby shield, was still in place, and Rocky was snoring on my feet. I sighed. Now or never.

“Lily. Thank you for coming over.”

“You’re welcome, Luke. I figured it was silly to wait, to drag this out. Dylan was so determined to meet you.” I shrugged and that same liar’s laugh escaped me like earlier with Violet and Dad.

Oh gosh, his eyes. Gorgeous dark chocolate brown—gazing at me like he always used to do—possessively, protectively—like I was the only thing he could see. I got lost in those eyes. I was going under, drowning myself in the memories his presence evoked.

Why did I feel this way? It had been almost seven years, yet I felt like no time had passed. But so much had changed. I couldn’t reconcile these feelings. It was obvious that everything about our circumstances had changed drastically. As all the feelings I’d ever had for Luke rapidly resurfaced I was confused about how I should react. The old Luke and Lily would react with affection and be at ease with each other. I didn’t know how to be myself around him anymore. I remained tongue-tied, smiled at him lamely, and waited for him to say something.

“You have the same eyes as me,” Dylan said as Luke sat in the chair across from me, and Dylan sat on the edge of the fire pit between us. It was true, every time I looked at Dylan, it was so hard not to think of Luke. They had the same hair and body structure. Dylan would probably be tall like Luke. At six feet, two, Luke was a foot taller than me. I always used to wear heels so I could reach his mouth to kiss it whenever I chose. And I used to choose to do it often.

Why can’t I stop thinking like this?

Luke grinned at Dylan and said, “Chocolate-covered eyeballs.” That grin had always given me a swoony belly whoosh, and this time was no exception. My physical reaction to Luke was disconcerting, to say the least. It was freaking me the heck out, to say the most.

“That’s what Mommy always says.” Dylan laughed. “What else do we have the same? Do you like to read? I do. I’m reading Harry Potter with my Mom. I like to draw. Do you? Did you carve those bears up? Will you teach me how?”