Page 74 of Just One Kiss

Josh had no medical expertise whatsoever, and yet, she clung to his words. It was as if she’d needed to hear them herself.

Jaden’s shoulders slumped like a deflating tire and he pressed his fingers into his eyes, the faintest sob escaping as he did. “I don’t want to do this.”

Carly stood frozen, confused—Jaden had seemed fine last night. He’d even been in a good mood. She thought he was handling it so well, so much better than she was. It was as if Josh had known the truth the second he asked how Jaden was feeling, like he had a sixth sense about their son that even Carly didn’t share.

It should make her angry. It wasn’t fair that she’d been the one to raise him all these years, and Josh had swooped in to save the day again. But anger wasn’t what she felt now. Her heart broke as she watched Josh step forward and pull their son, nearly the same height as his father, into a tight embrace.

The kind of hug only a father could give. Strong. Steady. Reassuring.

Was Josh these things to Jaden now?

She expected Jaden to pull away, but instead, he stood unmoving, allowing his father to comfort him.

Josh pulled back and put his hands on Jaden’s shoulders, leveling their gazes. “This is just a minor setback. A bump in the road. You get this done, then you can recover and move on—and you’ll be healthier and stronger because of it.”

Jaden nodded.

Josh glanced at Carly. The cup of coffee grew cooler in her hand, and she’d crumpled the brown paper bag to half its size she’d been holding it so tightly. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, the other one still pressed on Jaden’s.

“I should’ve been straight with you from the second I knocked on the door,” he said. “I’m still having trouble figuring out how to be a dad and not overstep.”

Carly frowned. What was he going to say? Was he going to try and make this day about him—about their past—about his mistakes? This day was about none of those things.

“But I came here because I felt like God told me we needed to pray together before we went to the hospital.”

Jaden nodded, as if to agree. As if this were normal. As if he and Josh had had conversations about God before. Carly, on the other hand, felt like she was smack in the center of some strange alternate reality—a world in which her ex, the father of her child, made adult decisions with the wisdom of a real father.

“I hope that’s okay, Car,” Josh said.

Jaden’s bloodshot eyes darted to hers, and once again, her heart nearly cracked in two. “Of course.” Her own voice quavered.

Josh bowed his head and closed his eyes, and when he began to pray, he didn’t fumble or search for the right words. He had an easy, laid-back conversation that started off by thanking God for their son and ended with asking Him to be with them all that day.

Carly screwed her eyes shut tight as she listened to Josh’s heartfelt words float up toward heaven. And she probably would’ve made it through the prayer without a single tear if he hadn’t asked God specifically to be with Carly, to comfort her and calm her mind, to give her the peace that passes all understanding.

His hand slid down from her shoulder to her fingers as he prayed, and he squeezed her hand gently.

A tear slid down her cheek as Josh said “Amen” and she quickly wiped it away.

Jaden drew in a quick breath, wiped his cheeks dry and gave his dad a nod. “Thanks.”

Josh nodded, removed his hand from Jaden’s shoulder and glanced at Carly. She refused his eyes.

“I’m going to finish getting ready.” Jaden disappeared up the stairs, leaving her standing with Josh in the entryway of her house, confused at the way he continued to surprise her.

“I hope it was okay I did that,” he said.

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. Because everything she knew about Josh Dixon had gone into a blender and it had just been turned on to “puree.”

He left you when you needed him most.

“I should let you get ready,” he said. “I’ll see you at the hospital.” He moved toward the door, brushing her shoulder with his as he did. Before he pulled it open, he turned back and found her eyes, undoubtedly curious and questioning.

“He’s going to be okay,” he said.

Carly’s lower lip trembled and she bit it to keep from crying.

He took a step toward her, but she took a step back. She could not accept his comfort right now. She was too weary, too vulnerable. Too afraid.

---