“There’s my kiddo!”
Oliver comes racing down the hallway after his play, flinging himself into my arms. “My teacher said I did a great job, Daddy!”
“You did, bud. So good…” But before I can get another word in, Oliver pushes himself out of my arms and runs down the hall, straight into Amelia’s legs.
“Amelia. You’re here!”
She crouches down and pulls him into her arms. “I am. I told you I would be.”
He leans back and stares into her eyes. “Did you see me talk about doctors of feelings?”
She nods proudly. “I did, Oliver. You did so great. And you made me cry.” Her eyes are still wet with tears.
His face falls. “Don’t cry, Amelia. Are you sad?”
“A little, but not because of you.”
“I miss you. You never come over anymore,” he whines, growing more emotional by the second. “Did I do something wrong?”
Fuck. There’s the exact moment you were trying to avoid all along, Ethan. And look whose fault it is—not Amelia’s.
“Oh, buddy. No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just…grown-ups sometimes change their minds about things, and your dad and I changed our minds about our feelings. It happens.”
“Oliver,” I say, pulling his attention from Amelia as she stands again and meets my eyes. “We talked about this.”
“Why did you change your feelings, Daddy?” he asks, looking up at me, anger in his eyes.
Both of us remain silent, not sure what to say that will make this any better. Other families are gathered around us, and the last thing I want is for there to be a scene.
Luckily, my mother senses the predicament and intercepts my son. “Oliver, let’s go backstage and get your things so we can leave and get ice cream before we go home like I promised.” She begins to steer him away, but he runs back to Amelia, wrapping his arms around her legs.
“I miss you, Amelia.”
“I miss you too, Oliver.”
“Maybe you and Daddy need to talk about your feelings so you can get ice cream with us again.” He releases her and waves his hand as my mother leads him backstage.
I watch them go, kicking myself for being the one responsible for my son feeling abandoned and not knowing what else to do. But when I turn around to say something to Amelia, I find she has already left, her hair bouncing as she retreats through the auditorium and back out to the parking lot.
Without a second thought, I chase after her, weaving between families without knocking anyone over, trying to catch her before she gets in her car.
“Amelia, wait!”
“I have to go, Ethan. I have a long day tomorrow.”
I reach her just as she arrives at her car, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around, crowding her against the door. “Don’t go yet.” Staring down into her eyes, I find so much emotion swirling through them.
“You can’t keep doing this to me. It hurts too much.” She shakes her head, her body shaking from her stifled sobs.
“Come on. I miss you. I’m fucking miserable without you, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“I miss you too, but that doesn’t change things. I gave you all of me, Ethan—my mind, my body, my heart. I want a future with you, but I’m not getting that from you in return. So why should I listen to what you have to say? I can’t do this back and forth. I deserve more. And what hurts the most is we were so close to having something real…”
“What we had was real, Amelia. My kid fucking loves you. I love you. Why can’t that be enough?”
“Because it’s not. I’m not going to sacrifice who I am and what I want for a man. I refuse.” She pushes me away. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to worry about me showing up anymore after tonight. I held up my promises, but this was the last one as far as I know.”
“So that’s it? We just won’t see you again?”
“What would be the reason?”
My mind goes blank except for the words, “because we belong together.”
And then she scoffs, wiping tears from under her eyes. “Yeah, I thought so too. Take care of that little boy, Ethan. He’s incredible. I wish I could be around to see the man he turns into. Hopefully, he’ll be more open to love than his father.”
And after delivering those words like an icepick straight through my heart, she opens her car door, hops inside, and drives off, leaving me standing there listening to my heart thump in my ears.
This can’t be the end…
* * *