The door closed behind her with a soft thud.
Sam was already in his room, lying on his belly with a crayon in one hand and his stuffed triceratops beside him like a bodyguard.
Jaimie leaned against the door, pressing her forehead against the wood.
Her hands were shaking again.
Days had passed since she saw Tedd.
Since he stood before her like a dream she had burned and buried.
And now... he was back.
Alive.
Breathing.
Begging her with his eyes.
She hadn't responded to his calls. Or the single, painfully careful text he sent.
I'm not here to disrupt your peace. I'm here to earn it.
She didn't know what that meant.
Didn't know how to process it.
She wasn't angry—she was exhausted.
Tedd had left her in blood and silence.
Sam had grown up not knowing the sound of his father's voice.
She had memorized every fever, every fall, every nightmare alone.
And now he thought he could just... return?
But still...
Still.
When she saw him—really saw him—something beneath the wreckage of her heart stirred.
Not forgiveness.
But recognition.
Because love doesn't vanish.
It hibernates.
And when it wakes, it doesn't ask permission.
Elsewhere, Tedd stood outside a coffee shop.
Waiting.
He had sent two separate messages that morning.
One to EJ. One to Dominic.
And like he expected, both showed up.
Not together.
But close enough that when they saw each other—they bristled.
EJ walked in with a box of donuts and a stiff nod.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYtrBTWmpT
Dominic, darker around the eyes than usual, slid into the chair with silent suspicion.
Tedd didn't waste time.
"Let me speak first."
They said nothing.
He breathed in.
"I'm here for Jaimie. And for my son. I know I forfeited every right I had when I disappeared. But Carla—" He paused, jaw tightening. "Carla nearly killed her. And I stayed away to protect her. I thought it was noble. I thought I was helping."
He looked at both men.
"But I was wrong. I abandoned her. That's on me."
Neither interrupted.
"But now, I'm back. And I'm staying. I'm not here to ask for your permission. I'm not asking for hers either."
He exhaled.
"I'm here to fight. The way I should have, from the start."
EJ sat back, brow furrowed. "She doesn't need a fight. She needs peace."
"I am her peace," Tedd said simply.
Dominic leaned forward. "You think you can just swoop in after three years and—"
"No. I think I can show up every single day from now on. Because that's what she deserves."
The table went silent.
No fists.
No yelling.
Just a truth hanging in the air like smoke.
That night, Jaimie stood on her balcony.
Phone in hand.
Thumb hovering over Tedd's name.
She didn't know what to say.
Didn't know if she wanted to let him explain.
But something in her whispered:
Ask.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9ZamseoTf
And let the truth hurt.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxLmMR79NX
At least then, you'll know.
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal60aPmQKH
