This time, they were tears of pure happiness.
“She’s perfect,” Chloe whispered.
I kissed her forehead.
“She always was.”
Spencer arrived later that afternoon.
He stood at the doorway, holding a small stuffed rabbit. He looked nervous, almost afraid to breathe.
Chloe watched him for a long moment before allowing him to approach the bed.
He looked down at his daughter.
A tiny girl with a pink face, dark hair, and a hand wrapped around her mother’s finger.
His eyes filled with tears.
“Hello, Grace,” he whispered.
For once, he didn’t talk about the Hayes name, the company, or the future.
He simply looked at his daughter.
“I’m your dad,” he said softly. “And I have a lot to learn.”
Chloe didn’t promise him another chance.
She didn’t tell him everything would be okay.
But she allowed him to hold Grace for a few minutes while she watched carefully from the bed. Any future involvement would depend on Grace’s needs, Chloe’s boundaries, and Spencer’s willingness to demonstrate lasting change.
