The Doctor's Secret Son

e.

She hadn’t.

“I don’t know how you get anything done,” Trace said when they got back into the living room after Joss was settled in.

“Some days are easier than others,” she admitted. “I’m sorry he was standoffish. He’ll get used to you and warm up.”

“I know,” Trace said, but the emotion in his voice gave truth to how affected he’d been. “It’s not as if I expected him to start calling me Daddy today.”

But the crackle in his voice said he had hoped for it.

What had she done? she wondered, her heart doing a little crackling of its own. How could she ever make up for depriving Trace of the first years of their son’s life?

“I’m going to go for a run,” he announced.

Surprised by his sudden announcement and disappearance out of her front door, Chrissie stared at the now empty room with a heavy heart.

A heavy heart because she was confused by the emotions battling for dominance within her. Especially the great sense of loss she felt that Trace was no longer in her home.

She did a few of the chores she usually did on her days off work, then showered. When a sweaty Trace came back into the house, she was sitting on the sofa, feet tucked beneath her, reading a book.

That she felt relieved he’d returned made no sense. Of course he’d returned. His SUV was parked in her driveway. Had she thought he’d keep running all the way to Atlanta?

“You okay if I shower now?” His gaze didn’t quite meet hers.

“That’s fine.”

He paused before heading out of the living room. “I’ll grab my bag out of your bedroom and take the sofa tonight.”

More guilt hit her.

“I don’t mind sleeping with Joss again,” she offered.

He shook his head. “Nah, I think it would be best if you get back to your normal routine as much as possible.”

Maybe he was right.

He turned to go and the need to say something more burned inside her.

“I’m sorry, Trace.”

If not for the slightest pause in his step she’d have thought he didn’t hear her. But his steps had paused, then resumed without his acknowledging her apology.

Chrissie let out a long sigh.

What a mess she’d made.

* * *

Three days had passed since Trace’s arrival and Chrissie would return to work the following morning. They’d decided to go to the aquarium on her last day off before she pulled another five twelve-hour shifts in a row.

Although Trace had been with them almost non-stop over the past three days, Joss hadn’t warmed to him.

Typically, Joss was a people person and a natural-born charmer, like his father, but with Trace he was standoffish and almost cruel in how he refused to interact.

For the most part, Trace remained patient and just kept trying, but his frustration was palpable.

Maybe that was what Joss sensed that kept him from interacting with or freely smiling at Trace.