GABRIELLA

Robbie sat on my lap as we watched TV. It was a quiet moment where I didn’t have to do anything, let alone think. I had let him choose the show since he had another good day at school. I wasn't worried about the café, Miguel and Ricky could close up shop without me. I let myself not worry about any of the big decisions that had been pressing down on me. It was me an: my boy, and I loved it.

Aloud banging on the door startled me. Robbie was off my lap and running to our small entryway. I followed behind, with slightly less urgency.

“Ask—"I started to tell him to ask who it was before he yanked open the door.

The door was open, and on one side was Nathan. He loomed, he looked tired with his wavy hair a mess. There were dark bags under his eyes, and it looked as if he hadn't shaved for days. His dark eyes flashed as he looked down at Robbie. My stomach was instantly in knots.

“Who are you?" Robbie asked. He didn't give Nathan a chance to say anything.

Nathan opened his mouth, but Robbie was already tackling him around his knees. My heart jumped to my throat. There were 50 many ways this could go wrong.

“Are you, my daddy?"

Nathan looked stunned. He knelt down and gently eased Robbie back. He held onto his arms, and his gaze searched Robbie face. “Go get you mom,” was all he said.

Robbie tore off through the kitchen, arms waving maniacally over his head. “My daddy's here, my daddy's heret”

Nathan looked up, and our eyes locked. I prayed he couldn't see the panic and nerves that I felt all over my face.

The apartment was a giant circle. The entryway was located between the TV room and the kitchen. The bedrooms were off a small back hall that connected on either end to the kitchen and the TV room. I was still leaning against the open archway between the TV room and the entry when Robbie completed his circuit and crashed into my hip.

“Is he, my daddy?"

Iran a hand through Robbie's hair and looked down at him. I wanted so much to tell him that Nathan was his father. I also really needed to talk to Nathan alone before I said something dumb. I tried to be as calm and collected as I needed to be to get through this.

“Give me a second,” I said to the room in general. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Lacey.

“Sending Robbie, ok?” I quickly asked. I didn't type help or emergency, I didn't want to have Lacey crashing into the mix, eve though I felt like shouting “SOS, call 9-I-I!

All got was a single K in reply.

“Go on up and see Lacey,” I told Robbie.

“But—" he started, and I held up my hand to stop him.

“I need to talk to Nathan alone.”

Robbie's entire little body slumped as he walked out the door.

“Will you watch to see if he gets in?” I asked. I didn't want to have to wiggle past Nathan right now, and all he needed to do was turn his head and watch the stairs.

“He's in” Nathan said.

“Come on in," I said with the wave of my hand.

“You aren't even going to ask me why I'm here?” He said as he closed the door behind him.

“Coffee?” I stepped into the kitchen and began making myself a fresh pot, anything to keep up the pretense of being calm. “It’s pretty obvious."

“Who is the boy's father? Why does he think I'm his father?”

“You're kidding me, right? Did you look at him? I mean, really look at him. He's yours, Nathan."

“Are you certain? I want a paternity test.”

The laughter bubbled out of me, completely beyond my control.

“What's so funny? You thought you would get away with suckering me into paying child support without a DNA test?”

“Who asked you for child support?” I looked around me as if I was looking for someone else in the room. When my gaze returned to him, he looked perplexed, concerned. “Do the math, Nathan. I was a virgin when we met. You're the only man I'v ever been with. Of course, he's yours.”

“How come he knew, and I didn't?"

“Are you just going to stand in the middle of my kitchen? Sit down. We are in for a long night I think” I was faking being calm really well. At least I didn't think Nathan knew I felt like throwing up. I was so nervous.

My phone buzzed, and I looked at it.

“Everything good? R says his daddy is there?” It was a text from Lacey.

“All good, yes his father is here." I texted back.

“It's that guy you've been seeing, isn't itz I knew there was something else going on.”

I laughed and typed, “I'l catch you up later”

“What's so funny?” Nathan asked. His attitude hadn't changed, but at least he was now sitting down.

I put a steaming mug in front of him and sat across the table.

“His name is Robbie. And he knows about you because he started asking questions about his father. I didn't want to lie. And you didn't know because I didn't want you sweeping in here and either breaking his heart by not sticking around or"— I swallowed hard, this one was a fear deep in my gut— “for you to try to take him from me because this is how we live."

“Why would I take your son from you?"

“Because he’s your son too. Because you've been trying to get my property. Because you take away the things I love. The list is pretty long Nathan. Your family sent you away because they didn't like you hanging around people like me. What would they do if they found out your child lived here?” I gestured at my apartment. It wasn't derelict or run down, but it certainly wasn't extravagant and high rent.

Nathan's elbows were propped on the table. He leaned into his hands, raking his fingers through his hair. No wonder it was such a mess.

“I fucked up everything, Gabs,” he said. “I can't believe I have a son.”

I held the cup close to my lips and blew a cooling stream of air over the coffee. I didn't know if I would actually drink it, or if was simply holding the mug as some sort of shield. I nodded, he had a son, and he definitely messed things up. We had bee good together.

“How do I fix this? I want to be in his life. I want him in mine.”

I clenched the mug a little tighter.

Nathan's eyes flashed and then relaxed as he made eye contact with me. “I want to be in both of your lives.”

This time I maintained my grip on the mug because I thought my hands would start shaking uncontrollably if I let go. “I don’ know, Nathan. There is a lot of trust I don't have. You came back and I stupidly thought it was for me. But then it turns out you've just been after the—"

“That's not true” He cut me off.

tilted my head and stared at him. My hands fell to the table. The mug landed with a thud, and hot coffee splashed over my hands. I wiped the back of my hand against my shirt, forgetting I didn't have an apron on to catch the coffee I was trying to get off my hand. I then wiped at the tears that suddenly were streaming from my eyes. “Ow, shit, ow”

Nathan was out of his chair. He grabbed one of the clean dish towels I had hanging and ran it under the tap. He returned to kneel in front of me. He took my hands and wrapped the cool wet towel over the bright pink skin where the coffee had burned. exclusive content.

“What do you mean that's not true?” Of course, it was true. He had said his cousin had set it up, and that it was a smart idea That sounded an awful lot like he was trying to get my property to me.

I couldn't wipe my face. I lifted my shoulder and tried to wipe my tears off that way. Nathan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently stroked it under my eyes. His eyes had never looked so sad before.

“My work priorities and my lifes desires have not aligned for a very long time. Yes, I saw this building and lot on a wish list ¢ expansion properties once we had Lake Moore next door. I came down here to try to find you. I thought it was a complete shot in the dark and hoped that someone would know where you had gone. And then I saw you. You were still here, more beautiful than ever”

“And you kept letting those real estate agents harass me. Why?"

“I know there is so much I need to atone for, but please believe me when I say, my goal was you. Not the property. Only you. may not have understood. But Gabriella, I think I get it. This isn't just a building for you.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was Nathan, but he seemed to have turned the corner and understood so much more.

“What happened? Why after all this time are you here now?”

He peeked at my hands under the towel. He stood and opened the top of the fridge and removed a few pieces of ice. When he closed the door, he stood there looking at the gallery of drawings by Robbie.

“Your little boy is quite the artist, isn't he?” Nathan turned and returned to tending my hands, wrapping the ice cubes in the towel before placing them against my skin. “I've been a complete a*****e and a fool. I ran into Mitch. I forgot how he was always full of advice. I also forgot how he was always there for you. He provided some words of wisdom that sounded a lot like I was being ignorant. And he was right’

I nodded my head. “My folks were there for him; he sees it as his way of paying them back. He's family. And as much as I hats it, he's usually right. So, what did he say?”

Nathan lifted his eyes to me. “He dropped some serious hints about Robbie. He also made me realize that buildings and property values don't make a neighborhood. People do that. The value isn't the building, it's the people inside of it. I've had it all wrong. I want to make it right Gabriella. Please.”

I blinked hard and the tears in my eyes. I actually had Nathan on his knees in my kitchen, begging for another chance.

“I will do whatever it takes to have my son and you back in my life. I love you, have always loved you. I don't think I could survive if I lost you again through my stupidity.”