She didn’t know where things were going from here and neither Del nor Liam seemed inclined to talk about it. Until the third day when the doctor informed her she’d be released the next day. Del and Liam agreed with her that staying in Maryville near her family and Dr. McCallister would be the best.
Del said he could arrange with the university to work from home and that way he could move into her place to stay with her. When September came and he had to go back to teach classes again, the three of them would reevaluate the situation.
During the conversation, she glanced at Liam, but he avoided her gaze. She was surprised he wasn’t fighting to be the one to take care of her.
Was the fear of their close call triggering old grief? Causing him to withdraw from her again?
But Liam was there with her. He talked to the doctor every day, keeping tabs on her progress. And he often held her hand and reassured her that everything would be okay. That the baby would be okay. And when she felt the fear well up again, he would hold her hand and prompt her to talk about it.
This was not the old Liam. Last time … when they’d actually lost the baby … he’d shut the subject down if she tried to talk about it.
She was confused. About her feelings for these two men. About what would happen.
About what she wanted to happen.
* * *
A knock sounded on Abi’s apartment door and she opened it to see a deliveryman holding a gift-wrapped box with a big bow and an arrangement of flowers. She signed the paper on his clipboard, then he handed her the gifts.
She walked to the kitchen and set the flowers on the counter, then pulled away the paper around it. The flowers were in a lovely crystal vase. There was no card, but she was sure these were from Liam.
She walked back into the living room and set the vase on the coffee table, then sat down to open the flat box. She tugged on the wide cloth ribbon, unfastening the bow. She pulled the ribbon from the box, then lifted off the lid. She peeled back the pink tissue inside, revealing a document.
She stared at it in disbelief. It was the divorce papers. A bright pink sticky note stuck out on one side and she flipped to the marked page.
There, right beside the X, was Liam’s signature.
He was granting her the divorce.
There was a folded note sitting on the page and she opened it.
Abi,
I know you want to be with Del and I know he’ll take good care of you. Better than I seem capable of doing. I don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness, so I’m stepping aside. Please know that I will always love you, and if you, or the baby, ever need anything, just call and I’ll be there for you.
Liam
Her heart clenched.
Having Liam sign the divorce papers is what she’d wanted for such a long time. What she’d hoped for. What she’d thought she’d needed to find her true happiness.
She burst into tears.
* * *
Del walked into the apartment with two bags of groceries.
“Hi, Abi. How are you feeling?”
She was sitting on the couch and as soon as she gazed his way, he realized her eyes were red and swollen. He plunked the bags on the floor and strode to the couch. As he sat down beside her, he noticed the flowers and an open gift box with tissue and wide fabric ribbon trailing from it.
“A gift from Liam?” he guessed. He couldn’t believe they hadn’t heard from him in two days.
She nodded.
He stroked her hair back from her face. “So what’s happened? Why are you upset?”
She handed him a document she was clinging to. He opened it to the marked page and saw Liam’s signature.
“It looks like he’s granting you the divorce,” Del said.
A chaotic whirl of emotions coiled through him. This would mean he would have Abi all to himself. It was what they’d both been hoping for.
But he knew how much Abi loved Liam and a part of him wondered if this was the worst thing that could happen to Abi. She loved her husband and he was sure that deep inside, she wanted to raise her child with Liam. Even though she loved Del, too.
Abi nodded. “And he’s also included an addendum that guarantees he won’t take custody of the baby.”
“But this isn’t good news, is it? It’s not what you want anymore.”
She stared at him, her gaze laced with guilt.
“It’s okay, Abi. We need to be honest with each other.”
She drew in a deep, shaky breath.
“I love him,” she said. “And I want to be with him.” She rested her hand on her stomach. “I want him to be with his baby … helping to raise it. Being a father to his child.”
Her eyes shimmered.
“But I also want to be with you. I love you, too.”
Del sat down beside her and drew her into his arms. She rested her head against his chest.
“Abi, I love you, too. And I want you to be happy. That’s the most important thing in the world to me.” He stroked her hair. “And I think I know how to fix this.”
* * *
The knock on the door surprised Liam. Usually, no one bothered him at the quiet country house. He’d come here after sending the papers to Abi several days ago. He needed to ground himself. To think about what his future would be without the woman he loved.
Hopefully, she would still let him be a part of their child’s life, but he wouldn’t force her to. He definitely wouldn’t pursue a custody claim, and he’d put that in writing.
He would do anything to protect Abi, and if that meant stepping out of her life entirely, then that’s what he’d do.
He walked to the door and pulled it open. He was shocked to see Abi standing on the other side.
“Abi, what are you
