Page 52 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

There was a pause, like she expected me to say something more. And I almost did. The words bobbed on my tongue, thick with significance.You have twin sisters.

We said our goodbyes, and when the call ended, I was left staring at the black screen, feeling like a coward.

I dropped the phone in my pocket, the weight of my secrets pressing heavily on my chest.

Chapter 19

Ella

Ihadn’t realized how suffocating a New York winter could be until I spent the end of it locked inside with two premature newborns.

I loved my daughters, but the four walls were closing in.

So when I woke to a sunny sky and fifty degrees outside, I nearly cheered.

“All right, girls,” I announced, glancing between the two bassinets. “We’re going out for a day on the town, and I don’t care if the city crumbles. We are going to have some fun in the sun.”

Marissa stared me down like she didn’t believe me. Summer cooed, which I took as approval.

No one tells you that half of new-mom panic is trying to decode baby signals. Hungry, tired, wet—same noises, same faces. At least now, I knew Marissa liked to scream and Summer babbled like she was born to be a talk show host.

I wrestled them into jackets, which they hated with every fiber of their tiny beings, and by the time I finished packing the stroller and diaper bag, I was sweating like I’d prepped for Everest.

But the second we stepped outside, it was worth it.

Sunlight kissed my face, warm and bright after months of gray. “Welcome to the world, ladies,” I whispered, pushing them down the sidewalk. “By five, you’ll own this city.”

Chicago felt like a distant idea lately. Maybe I’d feel differently once I was back at work with space to think, but right now, my only mission was fresh air for the girls and caffeine for me.

The neighborhood was pure lower Manhattan—bustling, a little cramped, but charming in its chaos. I aimed for the small park up ahead, flanked by a corner café with outdoor seating. The perfect combo: sunlight, people-watching, and maybe a minute to breathe.

I snagged a table just outside the café door, parking the stroller so the twins had a clear view of me. My feet were killing me, but freedom tasted better than pain. When the server stopped by, I ordered a decaf cappuccino with a grin that probably read as unhinged. She didn’t question it.

Sunlight warmed my face, the breeze teasing loose strands of hair, and for the first time in weeks, I felt human again.

I let my gaze drift to the park across the street, where a dad boosted his daughter onto a jungle gym, both of them laughing under the clear sky.

The sight tugged at something inside me.

Dom.

Watching scenes like that used to gut me—equal parts awe and jealousy for the little girl inside me who never knew her father. Therapy helped, but some wounds don’t close; they just fade from angry red to faint scars you pretend aren’t there.

But seeing Dom with Summer? That had done something. The way his entire face softened, like she was his entire world. Or the breath he’d caught when leaning over Marissa’s bassinet, his awe plain as day. He was hooked—no question.

Part of me melted just thinking about it. My heart flipping like I was sixteen again.

And yet, another part of me stayed locked tight, colder. The part that whispered the truth I couldn’t outrun.

He’s Leo’s father, Ella.

For the millionth time, I wondered if I was just delaying the inevitable.

No matter how sweet the moment, that reality loomed. And every second I stayed silent, the harder it became to tell him the truth.

My cappuccino arrived, and I took a glorious first sip. Heaven. Well, about as heavenly as life got these days, considering my existence revolved around diapers and a dash of existential dread.

As I swirled the coffee in my cup, my phone buzzed. Carrie’s name flashed across the screen. I answered as fast as I could without spilling my cup of bliss. “Hey!”

---