Page 48 of Daddy's Accidental Babies

I froze, hand still clutching the towel. Then I glanced at the clock above the stove—9:47 p.m.

My mind rationalized that it was Thea, done studying at the library and maybe she forgot her key. But I knew better than that. Thea would have texted me and let me know she was coming up. She would never knock on the door this late at night knowing the boys would be sleeping.

I padded to the front door barefoot, the tile cool under my feet, and opened it without checking the peephole to see Dominic standing on my sunflower welcome mat looking bedraggled and tired. His presence knocked the air out of my lungs. I didn’t even know he knew where I lived, but then Knight Holdings was merging with my employer, which probably gave him access to personnel files.

“Hey,” I managed. My hand gripped the edge of the door for balance, and I swallowed away the nerves at seeing him. He was so upset on the rooftop the last time I saw him, I wasn’t sure what to think. My body felt on edge, but my heart went out tohim. I had really dumped a huge mess into his lap and had no way of knowing how he was handling it all.

He nodded once. “Can I come in?” He waited for me to answer, shifting his weight on the step like he wasn’t sure he’d made the right choice coming here at all. The indecision in his expression got me right in the chest. I couldn’t turn him away, no matter how anxious I was about his first interactions with the boys. They could wake up at any second and there would be no stopping that.

I stepped back silently, holding the door open. He brushed past me into the living room. His shoulders were broad and rigid under his coat; he was just as tense as I was. He walked into the kitchen like it was his and I followed, with my heart hammering in my chest.

Dominic pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sat, resting his forearms on the edge, fingers laced. His eyes didn’t meet mine. I felt awkward and a bit confused as to the purpose of his visit. I gathered this was the personal conversation he wanted to have, but I wished he would have sent me a message so I could at least prepare what I might want to say. Still, he was here, and I had enough compassion to be hospitable.

“You want tea or something?” I asked him as I reached for a mug without thinking, already halfway to the cabinet.

“No.” He looked up. “Come sit…” His fingers tapped the tabletop while my hand hovered mid-reach.

The way my stomach rolled and tossed felt like I was on a boat in a storm, but I set the mug down and walked over to sit across from him. Dominic’s hands were clammy as he reached for one of mine and cradled it between his fingers. I swallowed hard and sighed.

“Dominic, I’m really sorry. I don’t really know how to?—”

“I want to see pictures. From when they were born.” His words surprised me. I sucked in a breath and held it as I studiedhis face. The genuine expression caught me off guard. He was supposed to be angry and tell me what a horrible person I was for keeping this from him. This wasn’t how I expected him to react.

I blinked a few times, trying to get my eyes to focus. “You—what?” My body was rigid with disbelief.

“I want to see them,” he said again. “Leo and Cal—from the beginning.” He leaned forward slightly, voice steady, like he’d been rehearsing this.

The words didn’t register at first. My mind had braced for a fight, or worse—goodbye. But this?

“But how did…” Confusion wrinkled my forehead.

“David came to see me, Van.” Dominic’s lips pressed into a thin line, and I gathered that conversation wasn’t a pleasant one. “And before you ask me, yes. He knows now. I couldn’t stop that disaster from happening when Vanessa barged into my office with the image from that tabloid.” His eyebrows rose. “You’ve seen it?”

“Christ,” I said, pulling my hand away from him. I rubbed my face hard and let my shoulders drop.

“Anyway, your father told me their names, and how incredible they are. And then he proceeded to tell me what a lying sack I am and how I ruined your life, so there’s that.” He let out a soft, low chuckle which loosened my shoulders. “And I just want to know about them. Everything…”

My hands trembled slightly as I nodded at him, then I slowly rose as tears started to well up. I turned and walked down the hallway, flicking on the closet light. On the top shelf, behind a stack of board games and an old electric blanket, was a shoebox. The corners were worn, the label peeling. I hadn’t touched it in months—not since we moved in here.

I carried it back to the kitchen like it was made of glass, and Dominic sat up straighter as I placed it gently between us. Hedidn’t reach for it. He kept his hands still in his lap, watching carefully, as if waiting for permission. I lifted the lid.

The faint scent of baby lotion and dust hit me. On top, still curled at the edges, were hospital polaroids. My face was drawn and pale, my hair a wreck. The boys were swaddled in identical striped blankets, pink-and-blue caps snug on their tiny heads. The tears were impossible to hold back at this point. He had missed so much, and it was all my fault.

Dominic reached for one. He held it carefully, studying every detail. His thumb hovered near the edge of the print. His eyes were misty too, which only made my guilt heavier.

“That’s Cal,” I sniffled softly. “You can tell by the nose. Leo’s was flatter when he came out.” I leaned forward, my fingers brushing the tabletop and then his hand.

He nodded, his eyes still on the photo. “He looks like you.” His mouth pulled into something close to a smile. Then his eyes flicked up and met mine, and I sensed an invitation to come closer.

So I slid into the chair right next to him and leaned in closer. “He does.” I rested my hands in my lap to keep them still, and to keep from clinging to him like my heart wanted to. And when he put the photo down, I reached into the box and pulled out a small stack. “That one’s two days later. Thea snuck in before visiting hours. Told the nurse I needed help breastfeeding.” I handed it to him, careful not to let our fingers touch.

Dominic cracked a faint smile. “And they bought that?” He shook his head lightly, the photo catching the light. He picked up the picture of her, a baby in each arm, beaming. His thumb brushed over her face. “And David? Was he there?” He didn’t look at me when he asked, but I sensed jealousy in his tone. It crushed me for a moment.

I hesitated, swallowed hard, and then said, “He came once. Said what needed to be said. Then left.” I tucked a stray hairbehind my ear. “Dad was never happy about me having children out of wedlock, but you know his generation—” I stopped myself abruptly as I realized what I was saying and to whom I was speaking.

Dominic didn’t respond, but his brow furrowed. To avoid letting that negative energy grow, I passed him another. The boys were in their bassinets, tiny fists curled near their cheeks. Then one of me asleep on the couch, babies nestled against either side.

“Who took this one?” He held it delicately, careful not to smudge the corner where black marker noted the date.

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