didn't know what to say or how to start the conversation. Or maybe he did.
“What's your dad's name?” he asked.
“Walter.”
He continued chewing. “That's a nice name for a dad.”
She nodded, took a bite of the bar and chewed.
“What's your daddy's name?” she asked.
He looked at the half-eaten bar. “I don't have one.”
She tilted her head as she gazed up at him. “Is that why you're taking mine?”
Where there should have been dead space in his chest, a sack of quick-drying concrete was dropped in, the kind that took a second to set. “I am sorry about Walter.”
Alice turned the chocolate bar around in her hand. “He’s sick. Mum says he is very sick and he can't take care of us anymore.”
Nick nodded. That's what dads did. They took care of their children.
“Daddy said he will always see me from there.” She pointed to the sky. “And he will always be here.” She stabbed her chest with a chubby finger.
The ache in his chest increased. “Your Walter is a good man.”
“Your Walter is a bad man?” she asked.
From the mouth of babes. He swallowed then nodded.
Alice smiled. “But you're not bad.”
That innocent smile jack hammered at his chest, broke all that quick-drying cement. Made him wish for a moment Skye hadn't lost her baby. But it was what he’d wanted. Losing the baby was for the best. Skylar didn't deserve him. No one deserved him.
“Can I see daddy and mummy now?” Alice asked.
Nick stood and took her hand. The small hand felt odd in his. He walked with Alice to the resus room, and then watched as she ran to her dad. Her mother mouthed a thank you .
Nick watched the family for a few more seconds before he left the room.
Skylar found him in the lounge a while later. “Whatever you said to Alice worked. She’s calmed down.”
Nick continued to stare at the mug in front of him. He barely heard Skye pull out the chair and sit opposite him in the empty room. He couldn't get Alice's words out of his mind. “But you're not bad.” As much as he wanted to believe, he couldn’t.
Because fate didn’t change.
Skylar touched his hand briefly. “I'm sorry for overreacting before. I was scared.”
He looked past her then brought his attention back. “You need to take things easy.” It was only a few days since she had lost the baby, and she was carrying on as if nothing had happened. He was letting her. He wasn't taking care of her as he should.
“I'm okay.” She smiled and let go of his hand.
“I've been thinking about us and your baby.” He met her gaze.
“Why?” She looked away, bit her lip.
“I don't know. Maybe it's because of Alice.”
At the mention of Alice, her gaze found his. She took his hand and squeezed. “I know I’ve been acting strange and saying things that don't make sense, and I’m sorry. You’ve made all these plans to go, and here’s me holding you back. It shouldn't be this way. This is a confusing time for us. For me. I don't want you to put your life on hold because I can't get my act together. It's not your fault. So go.”
She misunderstood what he was trying to say. He didn't have to go.
“That's not—”
Her eyes took on that glassy look. “Look, I know how you feel about all of this.”
“You do?” He knew she didn’t. Not really. She thought she did. But how could she when he didn’t, not really?
“Yes, I do. You never wanted any of this. This was a deal-breaker, like you said, and I must have pushed you into this. You made it very clear that children were off the table. How about you go and do your thing? We take some time out.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked.
She narrowed her gaze. The lines around her eyes deepened. She sniffed and rubbed her hand across her face. “It is.”
“We live together. We were going to try.”
She shook her head. “You hardly call what we do living.”
He hadn't realized she'd noticed.
“You're leaving soon.”
“What are you saying?” Something in his gut
“What's your dad's name?” he asked.
“Walter.”
He continued chewing. “That's a nice name for a dad.”
She nodded, took a bite of the bar and chewed.
“What's your daddy's name?” she asked.
He looked at the half-eaten bar. “I don't have one.”
She tilted her head as she gazed up at him. “Is that why you're taking mine?”
Where there should have been dead space in his chest, a sack of quick-drying concrete was dropped in, the kind that took a second to set. “I am sorry about Walter.”
Alice turned the chocolate bar around in her hand. “He’s sick. Mum says he is very sick and he can't take care of us anymore.”
Nick nodded. That's what dads did. They took care of their children.
“Daddy said he will always see me from there.” She pointed to the sky. “And he will always be here.” She stabbed her chest with a chubby finger.
The ache in his chest increased. “Your Walter is a good man.”
“Your Walter is a bad man?” she asked.
From the mouth of babes. He swallowed then nodded.
Alice smiled. “But you're not bad.”
That innocent smile jack hammered at his chest, broke all that quick-drying cement. Made him wish for a moment Skye hadn't lost her baby. But it was what he’d wanted. Losing the baby was for the best. Skylar didn't deserve him. No one deserved him.
“Can I see daddy and mummy now?” Alice asked.
Nick stood and took her hand. The small hand felt odd in his. He walked with Alice to the resus room, and then watched as she ran to her dad. Her mother mouthed a thank you .
Nick watched the family for a few more seconds before he left the room.
Skylar found him in the lounge a while later. “Whatever you said to Alice worked. She’s calmed down.”
Nick continued to stare at the mug in front of him. He barely heard Skye pull out the chair and sit opposite him in the empty room. He couldn't get Alice's words out of his mind. “But you're not bad.” As much as he wanted to believe, he couldn’t.
Because fate didn’t change.
Skylar touched his hand briefly. “I'm sorry for overreacting before. I was scared.”
He looked past her then brought his attention back. “You need to take things easy.” It was only a few days since she had lost the baby, and she was carrying on as if nothing had happened. He was letting her. He wasn't taking care of her as he should.
“I'm okay.” She smiled and let go of his hand.
“I've been thinking about us and your baby.” He met her gaze.
“Why?” She looked away, bit her lip.
“I don't know. Maybe it's because of Alice.”
At the mention of Alice, her gaze found his. She took his hand and squeezed. “I know I’ve been acting strange and saying things that don't make sense, and I’m sorry. You’ve made all these plans to go, and here’s me holding you back. It shouldn't be this way. This is a confusing time for us. For me. I don't want you to put your life on hold because I can't get my act together. It's not your fault. So go.”
She misunderstood what he was trying to say. He didn't have to go.
“That's not—”
Her eyes took on that glassy look. “Look, I know how you feel about all of this.”
“You do?” He knew she didn’t. Not really. She thought she did. But how could she when he didn’t, not really?
“Yes, I do. You never wanted any of this. This was a deal-breaker, like you said, and I must have pushed you into this. You made it very clear that children were off the table. How about you go and do your thing? We take some time out.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked.
She narrowed her gaze. The lines around her eyes deepened. She sniffed and rubbed her hand across her face. “It is.”
“We live together. We were going to try.”
She shook her head. “You hardly call what we do living.”
He hadn't realized she'd noticed.
“You're leaving soon.”
“What are you saying?” Something in his gut
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