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To my shock, a laugh huffs out of me.
“But you’re going to sit there and listen to them. I don’t mean you’re going to sit there with your phone or laptop while he talks. I mean, you’re going to sit there andlistento them. All.”
“And that’s it?”
She shrugs. “That’s it.”
“That’s gonna fix everything?”
Her shoulders drop with a sigh, and she gives me a small smile. “He’s five, Cole. He’s not keeping score. All he needs is attention.”
I blow out a long breath, the weight on my chest lifting just slightly. “Okay,” I say, the word feeling like a tentative step forward.
Her smile widens, and for a moment, the tension between us eases. She crosses her arms, and her tone becomes a touch lighter. “And if you don’t, I’m going to come back in here and yell at you again.”
I shock myself by laughing and shaking my head. “I believe you would. In fact, I think you enjoyed it.”
“Nothing like a good screaming match to clear the air,” she quips.
The room falls into silence, not heavy like before, but a thoughtful silence. Annie takes a small step back, glancing at the door.
“I should let you get back to work,” she says, her voice softer now.
I nod, though part of me wants her to stay. “Annie,” I call as she turns to leave.
She pauses, looking back at me with a raised brow.
“Thank you,” I say, the words feeling inadequate but necessary.
She hesitates for a moment, then nods. “Just show up, Cole. That’s all the thanks I need.”
She walks out, and I stare at the empty doorway for a long moment.
Her words echo in my mind, weaving through the thoughts that have been tangled there for far too long.
Show up.
The simplicity of it is almost laughable, but as I stand there in the quiet, I realizeit’s the one thing I’ve failed to do.
I finally turn away from the door and my gaze falls on the photo of Robbie and Robin sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. The only one that exists, taken just seconds after Robbie was born. Despite being weak from childbirth and blood loss, she’s smiling, her hands cradling our little baby boy like he was her whole life.
“I won’t let him down,” I murmur, the words a promise to both of them.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I let the weight of everything sink in—not just the guilt or the frustration, but the possibility of something better.
It won’t be easy. I know that. But for Robbie, I’ll try. I’ll do better.
Because he deserves more than crumbs.
Chapter Fourteen
Annie
The slam of the door echoes in my ears as I rush down the hallway, my breathing shallow and erratic. My heart pounds so hard it feels like it’s trying to escape my chest. I don’t stop moving, my legs carrying me on autopilot as I weave through the maze of corridors until I’m outside.
The air outside is cool and damp against my face, but I barely feel it as I run. My chest heaves, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. The roar of blood rushing in my ears drowns out everything else—everything but the black edging my vision, threatening to close in completely. I don’t know where I’m going; I just know I have to get away. Away from the house, away from Cole, away from what I’ve just done.
I push through the backyard, past the manicured gardens, until I find a building of some sort tucked near the edge of the property. My hand fumbles on the door handle before I shove it open, stumbling inside and slamming it shut behind me. I lean back against the door, trying to catch my breath, but the panic only tightens its grip.