Page 75 of Falling for the Unexpected

I took city streets to Kayla’s house instead of the freeway. I wanted a little more time to compose myself before I picked Stella up. As I pulled into Kayla’s driveway, I heard a notification alert on my phone. I decided to ignore it and go in to hug my daughter instead. Seeing Stella immediately brightened my spirit. My relationship with her father may have been difficult, but I wouldn’t change anything in my past because it had brought me the greatest gift… her.

“Thanks for watching Stella, again,” I told Kayla. I was emotionally wrecked. Kayla just smiled and hugged me. “I don’t know how I would have made it through this week without your help. Hell, not just this week, you’ve been a lifesaver for several months now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, smiling. “You know I adore Stella and I would do anything to help you out.”

I gave her another hug and took Stella out to the car. Once I had her buckled in I decided to take her out for lunch. After lunch we went to play at the park near our apartment, where she tired herself out by running around nonstop. As long as I stayed busy with her I couldn’t think about everything else going on in my life.

She fell asleep on the way home and I managed to carry her up to her room and put her in bed without waking her. I didn’t have to work tonight so I thought I would take advantage of the quiet time and catch up on some reading.

Then I remembered that I never read my text from earlier. I grabbed my phone, knowing in my gut who it was from.

Kyle:Please let me know you made it home. You ran out of here so quickly, I’m worried about you. Please call me. We really need to talk.

I didn’t know how to respond to his message. It warmed my heart to know he still worried about me, but was I ready to talk to him? Part of me wanted to hear his voice so badly, talk through things, and move forward. But the other part was scared that after talking, he would still decide he didn’t want to be with me, breaking my heart all over again.

A knock at the door broke me out of my depressing thoughts. I looked out the window and saw Kyle’s car down in the parking lot. I stood there for a couple minutes contemplating what to do.

“Simone, please let me in. I heard you walking around in there,” he called out, sounding defeated.

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t going to be a coward about this. This conversation with him was bound to happen, sooner or later. I opened the door and moved to the side silently giving him permission to enter. He moved past me and just the slight brush of our arms brought goosebumps to my skin. He walked to the couch and sat down, looking like he belonged there. Or maybe that was my own thoughts and desires telling me he belonged here with me.

“You didn’t answer my text,” he stated unhappily.

“I just read it a couple minutes ago, and then you knocked on the door,” I explained while still standing by the door with my arms crossed in front of me.

“I can’t do this anymore, Simone,” he started.

I blanched, not expecting him to be so blunt. “Then why waste your time coming over here to talk?!” I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air. I couldn’t bear to hear him rehash all the reasons we couldn’t be together. “You saw pictures of me doing something that’s a deal-breaker for you. I can’t go back in the past and change it. I should have told you, but this iswhyI didn’t.” I was crying now and my emotions were raw.

“Babe, stop,” he said, exasperated. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

I stopped talking and just stood there staring at him through my tears.

“Could you please sit down?” he asked. I took a moment to study his face and I could see the same heartbreak I had been feeling staring back at me.

I sat down at the other end of the couch and turned to face him while wiping at my face. “Okay, so what are you saying?” I asked, still unsure why he was here.

“Like I said, I can’t do this anymore. I made a huge mistake walking out on you when Brad sent those pictures. I let my past control my thoughts rather than use common sense. It was obvious those pictures were old. It didn’t help my ego to see you in a compromising position with another man. My pride took a hit and I took it out on you. The issues with my mom and my childhood shouldn’t have been applied to this situation. Instead of being mature about it, I refused to deal with it and pushed you away. I’m sorry.” He paused to take a deep breath. “I’m so very sorry that I hurt you. I love you so much and it kills me that I’ve caused you pain…” His voice faltered at the end of his speech.

I sat there in silence for a few seconds. I could feel a couple tears slip free and Kyle moved closer to me so he could wipe them away.

“Don’t cry, babe. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but if you give me one I will prove to you that I will always listen to you and be there for you and Stella,” he said, his voice a near-whisper. I could see his eyes tearing up too, and I knew he meant every word.

I was overcome with waves of emotion and incapable of forming any words so I leaned forward and kissed him gently. The kiss took him by surprise, but he quickly returned it, filling his kiss with so much love and passion that I knew everything he had just said was true.

Eventually, I pulled away from him. “I love you, too. I’ve missed you so much. Watching you walk away was beyond painful. I felt like I had finally found everything I had been looking for and you just… left. Please promise me that you’ll talk to me if something upsets you, because I can promise you I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you.”

“I will never leave you or Stella again, I can promise you that. I’m here for the long haul. You both mean the world to me,” he said hoarsely, holding me hard against him. “I’ve barely been able to function without the two of you.”

We continued to talk a little, which eventually led to us making out on my couch, until I heard Stella start to wake up. I reluctantly broke away from Kyle and went into the bedroom to get her. After changing her diaper the two of us made our way back out to the living room. The minute she saw Kyle sitting on the couch, she ran full speed into his open arms.

“Ky, you’re here!” she shouted. “I missed you.”

“Oh, baby girl, I missed you, too,” he said, tears rolling down his cheeks. The fact that I found a man that not only loved me but also loved my daughter in equal measure was an answer to all my prayers. I knew then, watching the two of them embracing each other, that this was my happily ever after.