see them together, I can see the similarities. They look so much alike. My heart is melting to a puddle. My eyes are on Reed though, he is the only one I will ever have eyes for.
“Kirk has a lot of explaining to do,” Reed begins.
“Followed by a lot of groveling for forgiveness,” Kirk adds.
I’m looking from one to the other brother. I don’t know what to think, how to react. This just feels so surreal.
“But before I let Kirk take center stage, there are a few things I want to say first,” Reed continues.
I am speechless and have my hands clasped together. The nerves are killing me!
“I want to apologize for leaving like that earlier. My mind was fucked. I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have stayed. We should have talked,” he continues. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
“And I shouldn’t have threatened you. You are the mother of my child. You did what you thought was best for the baby at the time. I will always respect your decisions.”
“Reed…this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have kept her from you. I wanted to tell you. Straight away. I don’t even remember all the things that kept happening along the way to stop me. I didn’t want to turn into a woman who keeps her child hidden from her father, but that is exactly who I became, and I hate myself for it.” I am babbling. I know I am. I’m barely making any sense, but Reed has a soft smile on his face now.
“We should stop now because we have a huge list of reasons we should be apologizing to each other,” he says. There’s a lump in my throat. What is happening? I know I want to kiss him, but does he want to kiss me?
We are standing so close to each other, being watched by Kirk and Gigi. Reed takes a step towards me, and I draw in a sharp breath.
“She’s here right now. Do you want to see her?” I ask.
Reed looks past me. His expression has changed.
“Mia is here? Now?”
I nod. I’m smiling because I can see the sheer joy and excitement on his face. This is exactly what I always wanted to see. Evidence that he really wants this. That he will always love Mia. Now I have no doubt in my mind that he will.
Before Reed can step in, Gigi walks past us. She has Hudson sleeping in her arms.
“Come on, Kirk, you can drive around with me while this one sleeps in the car.”
I don’t even bother looking at them when they leave. I’m glad they’re gone. Reed and I are alone now. Maybe he’s going to say something? He doesn’t. He just steps past me into the apartment and catches sight of the cot Mia is sleeping in.
I stand back and watch in silence as he walks up next to it. I know she looks like an angel when she sleeps. With her arms up, her face peaceful and serene. There is nothing more beautiful than those velvety cheeks and her thick eyelashes falling over them.
I can see the effect she’s having on Reed. He’s melting. He’s falling for her. There’s no escape now.
He gulps, goes down on his knees beside the cot. He is resisting the urge to touch her, wake her, kiss her.
He turns to me. I don’t care about the way there are happy tears in my eyes now.
“She is perfect. How did we do it?”
That makes me smile, and I go towards them. In her sleep, Mia yawns, and that makes us giddy with muffled laughter.
He’s shaking his head again. “I can’t believe how perfect she is.”
I lower myself down on my knees beside him and he turns to me. We face each other, our breaths match in rhythm. We just sit there, staring at each other for several moments in silence.
“I know we have a million things we need to sort out,” he begins. “But right now, I just want to sit here with you and my baby. I just want to stare at you and her and breathe in the calm.”
I say nothing. Just stare back at him. I want to give him whatever he wants. When he reaches for my hands, I let him hold them. He brings them up to his lips and kisses me softly.
“I don’t know if I deserve you, Ella. I have been an idiot in so many ways.”