The days following our meeting at the cafe seemed like a whirlwind. I spent more and more time with Ava, trying to decide if I could really entertain Tom’s proposal. She was such a sweet child.
We played games in the park and baked cookies in Tom’s kitchen, and every moment spent with her warmed my heart.
Could this really work? Could I be the mother she needs?
One afternoon, while Ava and I were drawing together, she looked at me with her big, innocent eyes.
“Are you going to be my new mom?”
The question caught me off guard.
“I’m not sure yet, darling. We’re just spending time together right now.”
“I love being with you,” she said sincerely.
My heart sank at her words.
I love being with you too.
That’s what I thought, but I didn’t say it out loud. Instead, I simply smiled at him and handed him a new pencil.
But despite these moments of connection, there was something gnawing at me. Tom was too impatient, too desperate for me to agree to this arrangement.
One evening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Tom had gone out to run some errands, and the house was eerily quiet.
Ava was asleep on the couch, and I was alone with my thoughts.
What isn’t he telling me? Why is he so insistent?
The questions swirled through my mind, refusing to let me rest. Before I knew it, I found myself standing in front of Tom’s office door.
I hesitated, my hand resting on the doorknob. “What do I do?” I whispered.
I needed answers. My eyes scanned the room, searching for… what? I didn’t even know.
Then, I saw a slightly ajar drawer in his desk. Without thinking, I opened it.
There it was, black and white—an inheritance linked to Ava’s guardianship that could only be fully secured if Tom had a partner!
This isn’t about giving Ava a mother. It’s about money!
When Tom came home later, I was waiting for him in the living room. The documents were spread out on the coffee table, clear evidence of what he’d been hiding.
“Tom,” I called after him when he came in. “What is this? Were you going to tell me the truth?”
His face went pale.
“Linda, it’s not what you think…”
“Do you know what I think?” I interrupted, raising my voice.
“These papers say it all, Tom. You used me to get Ava’s inheritance, didn’t you?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The guilty look in his eyes was all the answer I needed.
The room went silent. I could feel tears welling up, but I refused to let them fall. I had to get out of there.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Eric’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Panic began to rise within me.
What if I’d lost him too? What if this whole Tom thing had ruined everything?
As I stood there, the phone pressed to my ear, I realized how much Eric meant to me. He was the person who had made me believe in love again.
“Eric, please call me back,” I whispered into the phone. “I need to talk to you… I’m so sorry.”
As I hung up, one thing became clear: I had to fight for what really mattered, and that was Eric.