Chapter 321

Olivia

The weight of Nathan’s announcement still hung in the air, thick enough to slice through.

“I’m the father.”

I looked at Layla, her face a blend of shock and relief. Nathan took a few steps over to the kitchen counter where the paternity test results were waiting, still tucked neatly into the envelope. When he returned, he had a heavy expression on his face.

“Here. So you can read it for yourself,” he said, holding out the paternity test results toward her.

Layla’s slender hands trembled as she took the paper from him, her eyes scanning over the scientific jargon before landing on the conclusion. When she looked back up, her eyes were glassed over with tears.

“Nathan,” she said, her voice wavering, “I’m so sorry about all of this.”

His eyebrows furrowed, a mix of confusion and concern playing on his face. “Sorry for what, Layla?”

She took a deep, shaky breath, still gripping the test results. “When we were together, I was pregnant with your child, and yet I was sleeping with my bodyguard. I feel awful for dragging you into this mess and for what I did.”

Nathan moved toward her, his face softening. “Layla, there’s nothing to apologize for. It’s all just a huge misunderstanding.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged him back tightly, clearly grateful for his forgiving nature. After a moment, she pulled away and returned to her seat, looking somewhat defeated.

“I promise I won’t bother you about child support or anything like that,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I just wanted to know the truth.”

Nathan sat down opposite from her, his face serious but compassionate at the same time.

“Layla, listen to me,” he said gently. “It’s not about ‘bothering’ me. This is my responsibility too. I wouldn’t feel right letting you handle it all on your own. Whether it’s child support, or being present in the child’s life, or anything else—I’m here for you.”

Nathan paused then, glancing at me. I gave him an almost imperceptible nod to show that I approved of his words, and he nodded in response before he turned back to Layla, giving her hand a squeeze.

“We’re here for you,” he said. “Both Olivia and I.”

My heart swelled with a kind of pride and admiration for the man beside me. I looked over at Layla, who seemed to be wrestling with a medley of emotions.

Looking at her, I felt a profound connection with her at that moment. I never thought that I would be saying this, but we were just two women intertwined in the complexities of love, responsibility, and the messiness of life.

Layla took a moment to absorb Nathan’s words, and then nodded. “Thank you, Nathan. That means more to me than you can possibly know.”

Nathan reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s going to be alright, Layla. We’ll figure it out together.”

“It’s just… My fiance,” Layla continued, letting out an audible sigh. “I don’t know how he’s going to handle all of this.”

Nathan nodded, briefly meeting my gaze again. “And we’ll be here through that, too,” he said. “Whether he decides to stay or not.”

Layla looked at him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Thank you, Nathan. Honestly, I never expected you to be this...this understanding about it all. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve changed; for the better.”

He looked over at me, his eyes softening. “I’ve grown up a lot since Liv came back into my life,” he said, gesturing towards me. “Especially when we found out she was pregnant with her ex’s kids.”

My heart did a tiny flip in my chest. I couldn’t help but feel a little bittersweet about it all. It was a complicated tangle of emotions that I never thought I would find myself entangled in.

“I want to give you something,” I finally said, breaking the emotional deadlock.

Layla looked puzzled. “What is it?”

I went over to a small table where I had placed a wrapped box earlier. The wrapping paper was baby blue with little storks on it. I handed it to her, my fingers lightly brushing against hers as she took it from me.

She unwrapped it carefully, peeling back the paper to reveal a tiny knitted baby hat. It was a simple little thing, but I knew that she would love it the second I saw it at the farmer’s market.

“Oh, Olivia…” Layla’s voice quivered, and her eyes filled with tears. “This is so sweet. Thank you for being so open about this, for being here.”

I moved closer, hugging her as if my life depended on it. “I’ve been where you are, you know,” I whispered into her ear. “A new baby, a complicated situation with the father, so much uncertainty. If you ever need anything, I’m here. Woman to woman.”

“We should let the kids play together,” Layla said, pulling away but keeping her hands on my arms. “They are family, after all. Technically.”

I smiled, my heart feeling inexplicably lighter. “Absolutely. Our kids will know each other, and we’ll all be part of each other’s lives.”

It was a promise, one I intended to keep. Just like the little hat would keep Layla’s baby warm, this newfound friendship and the shared bond of motherhood would keep us connected. In a world of complexities, uncertainties, and endless what-ifs, it was one thing I was sure of.

“Nathan, Olivia,” Layla continued after a moment, letting out a sigh. “This is all so overwhelming. What about my fiance? How is he going to take this?” She clasped her hands nervously, her knuckles almost turning white.

“Why don’t we invite him over?” I suggested, sensing her apprehension. “We can all talk it out here, in a comfortable space. No judgments, just open hearts.”

Layla looked at Nathan and then back at me, biting her lower lip. “You think that’s a good idea?”

Nathan nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. “Absolutely. It’s better to face things head-on.”

“I’ll call him,” Layla said, pulling her phone from her back pocket and standing. “If he’s willing, can we do it soon? Get it all out in the open?”

“The sooner, the better,” I affirmed.

Nathan chimed in, “And if he isn’t keen on coming, I’ll have a talk with him myself. I’m not going to shy away from this responsibility.”

The tension seemed to ease out of Layla as she dialed her fiance and slipped out of the room. After a brief conversation that involved a lot of “umms” and “okays,” she hung up and returned, looking at us with a newfound hope in her eyes. “He agreed. He’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Great,” Nathan said, then turned serious. “Now that we’ve got that sorted, Layla, there’s something else I need to discuss with you.”

Layla’s eyebrows shot up. “More news?”

Nathan smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s just say that… it’s another piece of the puzzle, to say the least.”

Layla seemed to draw inward, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Okay then. Can’t be more shocking than today’s revelations, right?”

“We’ll see,” Nathan said, his tone unreadable.