She nodded. “I… I appreciate your honesty.” Pulling back, she went to remove her hand. I held on tight for an extra second before letting her go. Her gaze remained stuck where our fingers just separated. “I need time. Time to process… Everything. Can you give me that?”

“I’ll give you anything,” I whispered, speaking a promise I meant with all my heart.

Then, she opened the car door and closed it behind her, breaking the spell and leaving me alone yet hopeful for the first time in what felt like forever.

Chapter 23

OWEN

Months passed, and I had never been happier. Alexis and I had settled into a natural form of acquaintance or friendship. I didn’t quite know what to call it, but it was easy.

After “the talk”, we kept on bumping into each other—at work, in the supermarket, in line for school pick up. The boys had grown even closer, so Austin and Alexis were now regulars at our weekly picnics after soccer.

Those were my most precious days, where I would count down the hours until I could see her again. I’d prepare the food she liked most, meticulously picking out her favourite treats and revelling in her enjoyment when she lit up at my small offerings.

I was also growing dangerously attached to Austin. He was a smart, lively boy who held so much light inside him it was almost blinding. A testament to her as a mother since she raised him on her own. Not that you would notice. Their bond was beautiful, which only made me proud of her and all she had done.

The more time we spent together, a small thread of trust began to form. At first, Alexis and I kept our interactions light, entertaining the boys, never straying into territory where we could lose ourselves emotionally. However, I didn’t know if she noticed, but our conversations gradually became more substantial. Instead of making tedious small talk, we spoke with a comfortable air, picking up an easy camaraderie as if she had never left. She would also surprise me by asking for my opinion and considered my input seriously. We conversed as equals and even managed to laugh often.

Those days were the best.

They were perfect.

And that day was one and the same as I leant back on the picnic rug watching Alexis play tag with the boys on the playground. My heart gave a small hiccup at the sight.

In those snapshot moments, I was filled with so much warmth I thought I would burst from the overwhelming need for more.

Then, my surroundings seeped in, and I realised too late that my nephew with the big mouth was outing me.

“Daddy said you used to be married to Uncle Owen. Is that true, Alexis?” Cooper asked from the top of the playground. Oh, fucking hell. Kill me now.

Alexis’ lips twitched, but before she could answer, he rushed on.