“Yes. Of course.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “What do you think Alex is going to say about this?”
“I don’t know, but after I leave here, I’m heading home to talk to her. I don’t need this shit, Sam. I don’t need that woman trying to walk back into my daughter’s life.”
“I know, brother. But you’re not alone in this. You have all of us backing you.”
After I left the job, I climbed in my car and dialed Sebastian.”
“Talk to me, bro.”
“I need our family table tonight. I’ll be in around seven.”
“Okay. For you and Lily?”
“No.” I sighed. “Monica paid me a little visit today.”
“What the fuck? Why?”
“She wants to talk. So, I told her to meet me at the restaurant. You’ll be there, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be here tonight.”
“Good. I’ll see you later.”
When I got home, I walked into the kitchen and Alex looked at me with a smile on her face.
“What are you doing home already?” She wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I have to talk to you about something.” I kissed her lips. “Where’s Lily?”
“Maddie’s mom took them shopping. What’s going on, Stefan?”
“Monica paid me a little visit today.” I turned and planted my hands on the kitchen island.
“Lily’s mom?”
“Don’t call her that. She’s not her mother.”
“Okay. The woman who gave birth to her. What does she want?”
“She wants to talk, and she said she wants to see Lily. I told her to come to Four Kinds tonight at seven and I’d listen to what she has to say. But if you don’t think it’s a good idea, I won’t do it.”
“I think it won’t hurt to listen to her. You stripped her of her parental rights, Stefan, so, there’s nothing she can do. I’m working tonight, so I’ll be there if you need me. I also think if she wants to see Lily, that’s up to Lily to decide. Don’t get all worked up over this. Listen to what she has to say and then we can go from there. I got you, babe.” The corners of her mouth curved upward into a beautiful smile.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into me.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“Did you feel that?” I broke our embrace and placed my hands on her growing belly.
“How could I not.” She laughed.
I got down on my knees, lifted her shirt and pressed my lips against her belly.
“I’m not going to let anyone, or anything disrupt this family of mine.”
Chapter 43
Stefan
I arrived with Alex to the restaurant at six thirty. I needed a couple drinks in me before I met with Monica.
“What’s your pleasure, Mr. Kind?” Alex asked with a beautiful smile as I took a seat at the bar.
“Martini. You know how I like it.” I gave her a wink.
“Hey, Alex.” Sebastian smiled. “Bro,” he placed his hand on my back. “How are you holding up?”
“Just dandy.”
Alex set my martini down in front of me and walked away to help other customers.
“It’ll be okay.” Sebastian gave my back a pat.
“Hey, bros.” Simon smiled as he sat down on the stool next to me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I came for support. Sebastian told me you’re meeting Monica. So, I thought I’d sit here and keep an eye on you in case you got out of hand. I don’t need you going to jail tonight.” He smirked.
“Good idea.” I let out a chuckle. “Thanks.”
“Hi, Simon. What can I get you?”
“Hi, Alex. I’ll have a single malt scotch, 17 years.”
“Coming right up.” She smiled.
“I thought I was going to be late with all that damn traffic.” I heard Sam’s voice from behind.
“Really?” I cocked my head. “You’re all here?”
“Of course.” Sam’s brows furrowed. “I told you we’re all here for you.”
I finished off my martini and walked behind the bar to give my beautiful girlfriend a kiss.
“Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it. You got this. Don’t forget I’m a pregnant hormonal woman. I’m here if you need me to take control.” She grinned.
“I will keep that in mind.” I pressed my lips against her forehead.
I walked over to our family table and looked at my watch. It was five minutes after seven. Maybe Monica changed her mind. One could only hope. Sam and Simon were seated at the table across from mine, and I was grateful they were here.
I was looking down at my phone when I heard Monica’s voice.
“Hi, Stefan.”
Looking up at her, I spoke, “I didn’t think you were going to show.”
“I’m sorry.” She took the seat across from mine. “I forgot how horrible traffic is around here.”
“Hello, Monica.” Sebastian walked over to the table. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Sebastian. It’s good to see you again. The restaurant is beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll have a cup of coffee.”
“Have Alex make me another martini,” I said.
“Coming right up.”
“So, you wanted to talk. Talk.”
“I know it must have been difficult for you when I never came back. I need you to understand why I did what I did.”
“I’m listening.”
“I met this guy, and I fell in love with him the moment I met him. I thought he was the best thing that had ever happened to me. The problem was, he did a lot of coke, and he got me hooked. The day I was supposed to pick Lily up, I was on my way to Florida. Steven had told me a few days before that he was moving there to work for a friend of his. He wanted me to go with him but told me that if I did, I couldn’t bring Lily.” Tears streamed down her face. “I’d known him for three weeks, and I chose him over my daughter because the thought of losing him scared me.”
I sat there and listened as the rage inside me grew.
“We went to Florida, and it turned out he wasn’t the man I thought he was. He became controlling and abusive.”
“How long were you with him?”
“About a year. One night we were at a party. We had been drinking and doing drugs and I saw him making out with another girl. I confronted him about it when we got home, and he started screaming at me. When I told him I was leaving, he beat me and almost killed me. If it wasn’t for my neighbor calling the police, he would have. But when he heard the sirens, he fled. They eventually found him and threw him in jail. The night before his sentencing, he hung himself in his cell. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when I’d found out. The first thing I did when I got out of the hospital was score some coke. I had been clean for two weeks and I couldn’t stay that way. I was too weak, and I did horrible things to feed my addiction. My life was such a mess and I prayed to God every day to help me. A few months later, I bought some coke from this guy, and it was bad cocaine. Really bad. I almost died from it. When I woke up in the hospital, there was this woman sitting in the chair next to my bed holding the picture I carried around of Lily. She asked if she was my daughter and asked me where she was. I told her my story, and she told me hers and how she was addicted to drugs back in the day and lost her son.”