Reunited(24)

The sadness in his beautiful dark eyes haunted her.

“You didn’t want our child?”

Nausea gripped her insides. “That’s not what I meant, Brett. Of course I wanted our child. I still want our child. But I knew another family could give him more than either you or I could at that time.”

“Damn it, Kath.” His fist came down on her coffee table. “I never imagined you could betray me like that. Whether you were right or wrong, I had a right to be involved in the decision.”

She said nothing. What could she say? He was right.

Her head fell into her hands as he walked silently out of her living room, out of her home, out of her life.




Kathryn sat in her car and fingered the delicate note Brett had given her two weeks before. A tear fell onto the discolored paper. What had she expected? That he’d understand? She’d kept a child from the man she loved.

He’d walked out without kissing her, without making plans to see her again. She’d enlisted her babysitter to take Maya to soccer practice in the days following. She couldn’t face him. Not yet. She would eventually tell him how to get in touch with Michael, and perhaps they could regain a friendship. But she had no doubt lost him as a lover, as a soul mate. That she had betrayed him pierced her heart like a poisoned dagger.

She placed a gentle kiss on the note before folding it and placing it back in her purse.

She cleared her throat, choking away more tears, and turned the ignition.

The rap on her window startled her.

Brett.

She wiped her eyes and rolled down the window.

His beautiful eyes were sunken and sad. “Hi, Kath.”

She sniffed. “Hi.”

“Can we talk?”

“I’m on my way out, as you can see. Maybe later?”

“Please?” He walked around the car, opened the passenger door, and sat down.

“I’m on my way to meet someone.” Our son. I’m on my way to meet our son.

“Can it wait a few minutes?”

She shook her head. No, it can’t wait. I’m already twenty years late. “What do you want, Brett?”

He tentatively touched her hand. Sparks slid over her flesh. Always sparks, always with Brett. Never with anyone else.

“I want to apologize.”

Her heart jolted. “Apologize? You have nothing to apologize for. This was all me.”

His full lips quivered and he shook his head. “I was only thinking about myself. I didn’t think for a minute about what you went through. I wish I had been there for you. I wish you had told me.”

Kathryn gulped and nodded. “I wish I had, too. I did what I thought was best at the time for both of us. But I was wrong. You had a right to be involved in the decision, whether or not you loved me. I didn’t know you did.”

“I know. I should have told you.”

“It’s okay. We both made mistakes.”

He squeezed her hand. “And we’ll probably make more. One thing I know though. You’re the one I want to be with when I make them, if you’ll have me.”

Tears welled in her eyes. He still wanted her?

“I’ve waited twenty years for you, Kath. I don’t want to wait any longer.” He caught a tear on her cheek with his index finger.

“Oh, Brett.” She sniffed back her tears, her heart soaring toward the moon. She leaned toward him and brushed her lips over his. “Buckle up, then.”

He complied. “Where are we going?”

She smiled. “To meet our son.”