Page 146 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

“Sorry. Hormones.”

He nods again, like he doesn’t quite know what to do with that information, then clears his throat again. “How’s the baby?”

“Fine.” I don’t owe him more than that.

He nods, gaze down on his hands. “Look, Sophie. I know I made a lot of mistakes. We both know that.”

I stay silent, but my pulse kicks up.

He glances up briefly, then back at his hands. “When your mom passed, I didn’t know how to raise you. Not alone. I buried myself in work. In control. I thought if I kept everything rigid, nothing else would fall apart.”

I blink, surprised by the honesty, but I let him have his say.

“But I saw how hard you worked. Even when the world turned on you, you stood tall. That wasn’t just survival. That was strength. Your mother’s strength.”

He shifts, like it costs him something to keep going. “When the opportunity came to pitch you for the merger, I made it part of the deal. It was non-negotiable.”

I stare at him. “You did that?”

“I couldn’t undo what happened at your last firm. I couldn’t protect you from that. As your father, I should have done more. I should have protected you then. But I could do something now.”

I press a hand to my chest, steadying the swirl of emotions.

“I never said it,” he adds softly, “but I’m proud of you, Soph. You’ve always been the strongest person I know.”

That breaks something small and aching inside me.

It pours out of me before I can stop it. The years of resentment. The disappointment. The nights I cried in silence while he disappeared with women and bottle after bottle of liquor.

“I hated you,” I whisper with tears stinging my eyes. “For what you did to Mom. For the affair. For pretending like you didn’t destroy us.”

He doesn’t flinch. Just nods slowly, his eyes glassy.

He also doesn’t respond right away, his eyes searching for mine, for the right things to say.

“I wasn’t there when I should’ve been. Your mom deserved better. So did you.” He pauses, struggling. “And the truth is, I can’t explain it. Not in any way that would make sense to you. Or make it right.”

My eyes burn, but I keep my expression neutral.

He sighs. “I was grieving. I let the job swallow me. I let the bottle numb me. And when that wasn’t enough, I made choices that broke everything I claimed to care about.”

He shakes his head. “If I could go back, I’d do it all differently. I’d tell your mom how much she meant to me every damn day. I’d be a father you could count on, not just the one who wrote checks.”

I blink hard, the tears fighting their way to the surface.

His voice is low but sincere.

“I let money, power, control make all my decisions for me. I told myself I was doing it for you. But it was all for me. Because being in charge was easier than being present.”

I shake my head slowly. “You hurt us.”

“I know. And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

He looks at me, really looks at me. “But I’m here now. I know it’s late, but I’m trying. And I’ll keep trying, Sophie. For as long as it takes. Because I broke a lot of things. But I’m trying to fix what I can. Starting with us.”

I wipe at my eyes, the heat of betrayal still sharp but under it, something else. Hope. Maybe.

Another beat of silence falls between us.

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