Page 83 of Mending Hearts

“Home.” David grinned. “We don’t keep you hanging around too long if there are no complications. Everyone is healthy and doing well. Katie will be checking in with you both once you go home.”

Inside, I cringed. The reminder of Katie hovering wasn’t what we needed. A few minutes alone together, to sort all this out before we didn’t have a chance anymore, that’s what we needed.

“Katie, huh?” Mia slid me a look. “Will she really be checking in with us at home…or somewhere else?”

So, she’d seen a photo of us at the gym. Great. Fantastic. Let’s wedge another problem in there. Hopefully, she knew me well enough to realize I wouldn’t have approached Katie.

Without missing a beat, David said, “At home. I know how important privacy is for you. Though your mother yelling at some lawyer on the phone outside isn’t particularly private.”

“I’ll talk to Laura.” I set the papers on the nightstand beside Mia. We’d gotten this far without the press catching wind of the baby. If Laura blewit all to hell in the hallway of the hospital, I’d never forgive her, even if Mia could.

“Lawyer?” she asked, cocking her head. Beside Mia, her phone buzzed.

On instinct, I accepted the baby when she shifted to grab her phone. The pieces surrounding Laura’s visit were clicking together, and I wasn’t sure I was keen on the picture forming. Her mother had something else she needed to talk to her about. She was arguing with a lawyer on the phone in the hall. The mention of Kenny Connors earlier…

“Who is it?” I didn’t like the frown creasing Mia’s brow.

“Taryn. I sent her a photo of the baby. She’s congratulating me.”

“I feel like there’s an ‘and’ there.”

“Yeah, there’s an ‘and’ all right. I need to talk to my mother. Can you send her in? Alone. I need to talk to her alone.”

“Luckily, not too many stitches,” David said. “I’ll send Katie in to get you fixed up with everything else you need.”

“Sure, yeah. Can you give me a minute alone with my mother? Everyone. Just like…leave us alone for a minute.”

“Mia, what’s going on?” I asked.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffed. “I was hoping I could stay for a while, maybe. But I think I might need to leave. I’ll…I’ll talk to you after my mother and I have a chat.”

“You’re not done with the album yet.” Though we hadn’t confirmed how long she’d stay, I’d never thought she’d leave this quickly.

“I know, but…I just need to talk to my mom.”

“Can I stay in the room when you talk to her?” It had to be about Kenny. That was the only time she acted like this, shut down, shutting me out.

Mia shook her head, and my heart sank. If she’d been thinking about staying and I left her alone with Laura, I was sure her mother would win. I placed Victoria in the bassinet, hoping she might be enough of a reminder of me, of us, of what could be.

“I’ll send her in.” I took the birthing documents and pen off the nightstand and headed for the door.

“Tyler?”

“Yeah?” I half-turned, my gaze traveling over her, hoping this wasn’t really the end.

“The last few months have been the best of my life, too. Okay? I just…I wanted you to know that.” Her voice cracked, and she broke eye contact, looking away.

That sounded too much like a goodbye. We didn’t end like this. We couldn’t. I wasn’t just going to accept it. “Stay.” I stormed back to the bed. “Stay here, in Little Falls, with me. Don’t go back.” I searched her face, looking for any sign I should press on.

“Oh, Tyler,” Mia breathed out the words. She switched her focus to the bassinet, and she shook her head. “I…I—”

“The doctor said you wanted to see me?” Laura stood in the entry to the room looking frazzled. “Did you name her yet?” she asked, nodding toward the baby.

“Victoria Anne,” Mia whispered, shock and indecision coated her face.

Leaving this room felt like nailing our relationship shut. Whatever Mia wasn’t telling me was pulling her away. The shift in her had been immediate.

“I meant what I said.” I linked my fingerswith hers.

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