Page 75 of Redemption

Aria huffs but jumps off her stool and heads out of the kitchen.

Bella turns to me and whisper-yells. “Why the hell didn’t you wait in my room? I would have told Aria we had a guest. And then—”

“And what?” I ask her.

“I don’t know,” she responds, flustered. “I’ve never done this. I don’t know what to do.”

“You mean, tell your child she has a father?”

She hits my arm. “No! Asshole. I mean, I’ve never had a man here before.”

This time I’m surprised. “You mean you haven’t dated anyone since we were together?”

She shakes her head. “No. I mean, there were a few, but it didn’t go past a date or two and I never had any of them meet Aria.”

My chest fills with pride on that. I pull Bella into me, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Hey, we will get through this, okay? Does it make you feel better to let you know I am nervous as fuck right now?”

“Don’t swear.” Her hand comes to my mouth. “But yes, it does. Maybe we should have talked about what we were going to tell her.”

I brush a piece of her hair behind her ear. “How about I’m just your boyfriend now and we figure it out later?”

“Okay,” Bella says with a sigh of relief. “This is already a lot to handle.”

I lift her chin up with my fingers. “Hey, I love you. Okay? It’s us. Like we were ten years ago. Except now we just have other shit to worry about. But it’s still us. We will get through this.”

“Language. But you’re right.”

I laugh, knowing I am going to have a hell of a time not swearing in front of my kid. I press a kiss to Bella’s lips just as Aria flies back into the room.

“Ewww.”

Bella pulls away from me and moves to a cupboard to grab a mixing bowl. “Let’s make pancakes.”

* * *

“You sure this is okay?” Bella asks me as we walk to the park where Aria has a game.

I pull the ball cap down on my head. I’m wearing what I had on yesterday, jeans and a T-shirt. I haven’t dressed this casually since college. “It’s fine. I have eyes around.”

She nods. But I can tell she is nervous. “You didn’t have to come,” she whispers.

“I wanted to. Aria wanted me to.” I gesture to Aria as she skips ahead of us.

She grabs my hand and squeezes, then drops it. “Okay.”

Aria turns around as we reach a crosswalk. “I can’t wait for you to watch my game,” she singsongs. “Mom says I can be a pro one day.”

Bella clicks her tongue. “If you work hard enough and get good grades.”

“I’m not worried. I know I am going to be a pro footballer.”

I smile at the toothy grin on Aria’s face. “Bella, you can’t deny she is motivated. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Like someone else I know.”

Bella gives me a look, knowing exactly who I am talking about. She knows I had the same determination and grit Aria has.

The light changes and we cross the street, Bella leaning into my ear. “I know exactly who she gets it from and it worries the fuck out of me.”

I give her a charming smile. “Look how I turned out though.”

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