Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 238

It felt as though an invisible hand was wrapped around her throat, making it impossible to finish her sentence.

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, it was that man, but… something about him was weird…”

She tugged at Amelia’s sleeve, her voice barely above a whisper. “Mommy, that man said he’s your husband, but then… how can he be James’s dad too?”

Exactly. How could he be someone else’s father?

The question lodged in Amelia’s throat like a bone she couldn’t swallow.

The adult world was far too tangled, so tangled that even someone in her twenties like Amelia couldn’t make sense of it, couldn’t break free, and had already been left battered and bruised. How could a child barely two years old possibly understand?

How was she supposed to explain all of this to Ruby without making things more confusing?

She tried to piece together the right words in her mind, but nothing fit.

Life shouldn’t be this messy, she thought. Not even in the wildest soap opera.

Amelia knew both children went to the same preschool, but she’d never imagined they’d be in the same class—much less that they’d be best friends.

So this is what they call blood ties? Born with the same father’s blood running through their veins, drawn together by some invisible force, destined to be friends from the start?

Amelia felt a bitter laugh rise in her chest, along with a wave of helplessness.

After dinner, she held Ruby close and tried her best to talk things through with her.

Ruby seemed to understand more than she let on. Though Amelia never spelled it out, Ruby could sense that man was someone who made her mom sad, someone her mom didn’t want to see. And if her mom was hurting, Ruby couldn’t help but feel sad too.

Even so, she snuggled deeper into Amelia’s arms, her little voice hopeful and warm.

“Mommy, I bet there’ll be lots of friends and nice teachers at the new school. I’m excited!”

Amelia’s heart twisted with guilt, sorrow, helplessness—a mess of feelings, but above all, there was warmth.

No matter how she pictured it, it was a mess.

“What’s got you looking so down today?” Robert set down a stack of data reports on her desk, along with a box of pastel macarons. “These are supposed to be the best in town—give them a try.”

She really did need something sweet right now, and didn’t hesitate to take one.

Robert sat across from her. “You don’t usually look this stressed. If something’s wrong, talk to me. Maybe I can help.”

As Amelia bit into the crisp macaron, a glimmer of hope flickered through her foggy mind.

Once the sports day was over, Ruby would switch schools. As long as she could avoid running into them this one time, she’d probably never have to see them again.

If she simply didn’t show up, all those awkward, painful possibilities—arguments, embarrassment—wouldn’t even happen.

She swallowed her bite, looked up at Robert, and said, “There actually is something you could help me with… I just don’t know if it’ll put you in a tough spot.”