Chapter 6
Three months passed.
William was growing like a weed.
Rolling over.
Smiling all the time.
Making the cutest little cooing sounds.
He was the easiest, happiest baby.
Like he was determined to make up for all the drama surrounding his birth.
Ryan still called every night.
Still came one weekend a month.
He was a good father when he was here.
Changed diapers.
Woke up for feedings.
Played with William until the baby was exhausted.
But I could see the distance growing.
He was distracted.
Always checking his phone.
Always leaving early to FaceTime Lily.
Vanessa still hadn’t moved.
But she was making noises again.
Posting pictures of Oregon on Facebook.
Talking about “fresh starts.”
I knew Ryan was panicking.
He’d started asking for extra weekends with William.
Saying he wanted to “stock up” before he had to travel.
I always said no.
Rules were rules.
One weekend a month.
That was the deal.
Then, in mid-July, everything changed again.
I was folding laundry when my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost didn’t answer.
“Hello?”
“Emily? This is Detective Carter with the city police.”
My blood ran cold.
Police?
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m calling about Ryan Mitchell. He was in a car accident tonight. On the highway. He’s at Mercy General. He asked for you.”
The laundry slipped from my hands.
“Is he…?”
“He’s alive. But it’s serious. Multiple fractures. Internal bleeding. They’re taking him into surgery now. He made it clear he wanted you notified. Next of kin and all.”
Next of kin.
We were still married.
The divorce papers were filed but not final.
Legally, I was still his wife.
“I’ll be right there.”
I called Margaret.
She was at my house in ten minutes.
Packed William’s bag.
Packed mine.
Drove us to the hospital.
“Will he be okay?” she kept asking. “Will my boy be okay?”
“I don’t know, Margaret. The detective said it’s serious.”
We pulled into the hospital parking lot.
And there, by the entrance, was Vanessa.
Holding Lily in a car seat.
Her parents were with her.
She saw us get out of the car.
Walked over.
“He asked for you too?” she asked.
“Detective called me. Next of kin.”
Vanessa nodded.
“They called me first. Found my number in his phone. Under ‘Lily’s Mom.’ But he’s unconscious now. The nurse said he asked for you right before they put him under.”
She looked at William in my arms.
Then at Lily in her car seat.
Two babies.
Three months old.
Same eyes.
Same nose.
Same father fighting for his life inside.
“Let’s go in,” Margaret said quietly.
We went to the waiting room.
It was after midnight.
Empty except for us.
Vanessa’s parents sat in one corner.
Margaret paced.
Vanessa and I sat across from each other.
William asleep in my arms.
Lily asleep in her seat.
“How did it happen?” I asked.
Vanessa pulled out her phone.
Showed me a text.
Sent to her an hour before the accident.
I’m sorry. For everything. I know I’ve been a mess. But I’m going to make it right. Both of you. Both kids. I promise.
She locked her phone.
“The police said he was speeding. Swerved to miss a deer. Hit the guardrail head-on. They think… they think he might have been distracted. Texting and driving.”
Tears spilled down her face.
“He was probably texting me. Or you. Or trying to figure out how to fix everything he broke.”
I didn’t know what to say.
I hated Ryan.
I was furious at him.
But I didn’t want him dead.
Not like this.
Not when William was still too young to remember him.
Not when Lily would grow up never knowing her dad at all.
An hour later, the surgeon came out.
We all stood up.
“Family of Ryan Mitchell?”
Margaret stepped forward.
“I’m his mother.”
“The surgery went as well as could be expected. He has a broken leg, broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis. He lost a lot of blood. But we got that under control. The next forty-eight hours are critical. If he makes it through that, he should recover. It’ll be a long road. But he’s young. Strong.”
“Can we see him?” I asked.
“One at a time. For five minutes each. He’s still sedated.”
Margaret went first.
Came out crying.
Then Vanessa.
She walked in holding Lily.
Came out five minutes later, sobbing into her mother’s shoulder.
Then it was my turn.
I handed William to Margaret.
Walked into the ICU room alone.
Ryan was hooked up to a dozen machines.
Tubes everywhere.
Bruises covering his face.
His left leg was in traction.
His arm was in a sling.
He looked small.
Broken.
Nothing like the man I’d married.
I pulled a chair next to the bed.
Took his hand.
It was cold.
“You stupid, stupid man,” I whispered. “What were you thinking?”
A tear slid down my cheek.
“You have two babies who need you. You don’t get to check out now. Do you hear me? You have to fight. You have to get better. Because William deserves a father. And Lily deserves a father. And… and I deserve to divorce you when you’re well enough to sign the papers.”
I squeezed his hand.
“Fight, Ryan. Please.”
I stood up to leave.
And that was when I felt it.
The faintest pressure.
He squeezed my hand back.
Just barely.
But I felt it.
I froze.
Looked at his face.
No change.
Still unconscious.
But that squeeze had been real.
I ran to the door.
“Nurse! He squeezed my hand!”
She came in.
Checked his vitals.
Smiled.
“That’s a good sign. A very good sign.”
I walked back to the waiting room.
Margaret looked up.
“Emily? What is it?”
“He squeezed my hand. The nurse says it’s a good sign.”
Margaret collapsed into a chair.
Crying tears of relief.
Vanessa looked at me.
For the first time, there was no anger in her eyes.
Just… understanding.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
I nodded.
We sat there for another hour.
Nobody spoke.
There was nothing left to say.
Finally, Margaret stood up.
“Emily, you and William should go home. Get some sleep. I’ll stay here. Text me if anything changes, and I’ll come get you.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“You should go home too. Lily needs her bed.”
She hesitated.
“I don’t want to leave him.”
“Neither do I,” I said. “But we have babies to take care of. They come first. Always.”
She nodded.
We walked out together.
Her parents followed.
Margaret stayed behind.
In the parking lot, Vanessa stopped me.
“Emily… when he gets better… we need to talk. About the kids. About how this is all going to work. Because if he lives… we’re tied together forever. Whether we like it or not.”
I looked at William.
Then at Lily.
Two babies.
Same father.
May you like
Destined to be in each other’s lives.
“I know,” I said. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
