"Don't go away," Quinn says in a teary voice, and my heart shatters. I failed my children. They don't even know if she is their mother, and they've already warmed up to her. This is entirely my fault. I never mentioned the word "mother" to them or entertained that thought, so it must have been so ea
MillieMy phone buzzes on top of my desk, and my heart jumps as I check the caller, but it falls when I realize it's not who I was thinking it would be. I have been trying to avoid her calls, but she keeps calling, and I know she'll soon show up at my doorstep, and I don't want that. So, I choose to
"No, I can handle it; that's why I called you," Dylan says, and I nod. He had called earlier and asked me to come to his office."Abel said he had mentioned to you about adding another anchor and giving you a day off and another day off to Lola," I swallow hard when he mentions Abel and try to focus
The housekeeper unlocks the door for me and tells me to find Abel in his office. I knock on the door twice before I hear him telling me to come in. I didn't call him to let him know I was coming over, but I have a feeling he must have known.I quietly step into the office, my heart aching for him. H
"What?" I furrow my brows."Please for the love of God, Millie, can you not make this about you?" I am taken aback by that."I wasn't.""Then stop with all these fiascos about me not informing you; they are my kids, not yours. I don't think I had any reason to tell you about them," my jaw drops the
So, my mom called again, and no, she didn't try to use my sister to manipulate me this time. She called to invite me to the launch party of her new hospital. I did say no, but she didn't leave me much of a choice. She always knows how to find ways to make me do what she wants. Most of the time, it's
"Of course, you don't. One more thing, honey, I love that dress. You look beautiful," she says. I look at my blue gown and smile. Clay sent it to me when I told her about the party, and I'm just glad that she sent something this beautiful. At least I don't feel out of place, and I look like most of
Abel's eyes sweep the room, then lock onto me. He gazes at me for a moment before turning his attention back to Lilith, who appears to be discussing something that makes him uncomfortable. I didn't expect him to show up, and to be honest, I was hoping he wouldn't. It's clear that he intends to ignor
“Abel, you are proposing…” The words tumble out of my mouth in disbelief, more of a statement than a question. He nods, and then, to my utter shock, he gets down on one knee. I feel the world around us blur and slow down, my pulse pounding in my ears.“Mildred Turina, will you marry me?” His voice w
She scoffs playfully, giving me that familiar look that says she’s still got it all under control. “I know how to take care of children, honey. We will be fine. You two go have fun.”Relief washes over me. Even though we’re leaving them in the best possible hands, the part of me that has grown attac
We’re heading to Abel’s lake house for a weekend getaway—just the two of us. He said he got the place a few years ago but rarely gets to use it. He has only taken the twins there a few times because the only time he gets enough time to spend with them without many distractions from work is during th
Epilogue"Come here,” I call her over, and she reluctantly pulls her fingers off her brother’s chubby cheeks, then walks back to where I am. I crouch down to be at her level, trying to mask the amusement I feel at her little pout.“If you keep harassing your brother, I will have him stay with me at
“Did I?”“You bitch!” I burst out laughing. He has definitely been holding that back.“I was busy dealing with a concussion to see anything, oh, and my mom has way more money than you, you know, and her money combined with the money my dad left me, which I just found out was a lot by the way, then A
“Mom, I…”“I should have taken you with me when he died, but I thought you were already a grown woman and you wouldn’t need me anymore, and I will never forgive myself for that because if I did, then you wouldn’t have ended up with an abusive man. I could have protected you from repeating the cycle.
"Abel, he is good for you," she repeats, this time more firmly. There’s a strange sadness in her eyes, as if she’s remembering all the times she wished someone had said those words to her. I nod, acknowledging her observation, but I don’t want to delve into a discussion about Abel with her. "I feel
"Are you ready to go home?" Abel asks, and I nod eagerly. The sterile scent of antiseptic clings to the air, making me desperate to leave this hospital room and everything it represents. My heart pounds with a need to escape—to feel the cool air outside, untainted by the trauma that haunts these wal
“Oh…”“I love you, and I would want you in my life and the twins too, but you need to accept that fact about me. I don’t even know if I can be a mother to your children or a stepmother. I just don’t know if I have it in me, even though I love them, and I love you,” I say, and I’m nervously waiting f