Ellie thought she'd never find love again, especially after having her son, Noah, and the love of her life leaving her to raise their child alone. Ellie found contentment in being a single mother until she meets Daniel on a night out.
He's charming...
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I can't tell if I have bees or butterflies in my stomach and I'm unsure how to contain them. This dinner will make or break our relationship and I'm scared to put myself out there and be rejected. I'm willing to risk it all for him.
Noah would have been the perfect buffer, but he's at the age where he understands and listens to our conversations and I don't want to talk about Craig while he's listening. Daniel is another good distraction, especially his hand on my knee and the soft patterns he's etching on my skin.
"Everything is going to be okay," he whispers and his warm breath tickles my ear.
I place my hand over his and squeeze it.
"Yes, it will be." I tug on a smile.
There's some rustling in the kitchen, and then Calvin and Emma wander into the dining room with dinner and wine glasses.
"Oh, the lasagna smells delicious," I compliment.
"Thanks, Ellie." Emma smiles as she places the tray in the middle of the table. She slices the lasagna while Calvin pops the cork on the wine bottle. The pair serve dinner and drinks before finding their seats.
I take a small sip from the glass and place it on the table.
"Where's Noah tonight? We weren't sure if he'd be joining us for dinner." Emma asks.
"We thought about it but Clara offered to look after Noah for the evening. We'll pick him up after dinner if he'll come home with us. He loves playing with Faith and Eloise and seemed very excited to check out what toys they have."
"We wanted to bring him but I wanted this to be a good opportunity to talk and get to know each other... answer any questions," Daniel says.
"Perhaps you can bring Noah this Sunday for dinner and a swim in the pool?"
Daniel looks at me and I nod.
"Thank you, we would love to come for Sunday dinner."
"We would love that," Calvin comments.
"Should we bring anything for dinner?" I ask.
"Please don't bring a thing! Calvin buys and cooks way too much and we end up having leftovers for days." Emma chuckles.
"Are you sure? We could bring dessert?"
"We'll just be happy to have you three in attendance."
"Thanks."
Our chatter fades as the knives and forks clink against the plates. I want to reach for my wine glass to help fill the silence and have the alcohol help soothe the nerves, but that's never a good look.
"How's the house? It's beautiful now you've finished all those personal touches." Emma asks.
"We're finally all unpacked and settled in, which is nice. Noah and Daniel are busy on the weekend finding little jobs to do around the house. It's cute seeing those two in their handy belts and tools in their hands."
"Noah loves tinkering around with the tools and making things. We're building a birdhouse for the backyard. No idea where it's going considering none of the trees are well established." Daniel laughs.
"You can always build something for it to sit on."
"He can teach Craig a thing or two next," Daniel comments.
Emma raises her eyebrow and Daniel smiles.
"When I first met Craig, he asked me if I could help restore Noah's cubby house which he butchered when putting together. So the three of us went over and helped fix the cubby house so Noah could play in it."
"Do you two spend much time with Craig?" Emma asks.
I look at Daniel for him to answer that question.
"Sometimes we hang out and do things with Noah. I want to build a good relationship with Craig since Ellie and I are together and he's Noah's father. I don't want things to be awkward between us."
"Good plan," Calvin comments.
"Do you all get along with each other then? What does he think about your relationship?"
"We're all embracing the situation well," Daniel says.
"We sure are," I agree.
Here come the dreaded questions! I take another sip of wine and stuff my mouth with food so at least it gives me a minute to think about my answers.
Emma places her cutlery on the side of her plate and looks at me. Her stare is intense and it unsettles the bees and butterflies in my stomach.
"You don't have to answer but why did things end between you two? Why didn't you stay together for Noah?"
Daniel coughs and shakes his head.
"You don't have to stay with someone because you have a child," Daniel comments.
"I unexpectedly fell pregnant and he asked me to have an abortion. I refused to do it and he eventually came around to the idea of being a parent. Soon after Noah was born, things got hard and messy, so he called it quits. I moved home with Noah and she helped me raise Noah and get me back on my feet."
"You're amazing for enduring everything you've been through and coming out so strong. Noah's very lucky to have you as his mother," Daniel comments.
"Thanks, Daniel." I smile.
"It seems like Craig's had a change of heart with parenting does that mean you'd reconsider things with Craig?"
"Our relationship made me realise how selfish and manipulative Craig is and I'm relieved I left. So when you ask if I'll ever go back, no, I never will. Daniel has been respectful and understanding of my situation, respected my boundaries, and had nothing but patience with every step of our relationship. I would be bonkers to leave."
Daniel places his hand over mine and squeezes it.
"I love you," he whispers.
"I hope with Daniel's help, I'm able to raise Noah into the man Daniel is."
"Compliments to you, Emma, you've done an amazing job raising our boys," Calvin says.
"I'm relieved to hear this! You raise your children the best you can and just hope you've taught them enough to fend for themselves in the outside world."
"You've truly done a great job," I compliment.
"Thanks, Ellie."
Once we've finished with our dinner, Calvin and Daniel clear the table while Emma and I move to the loungeroom. I clutch my wine glass and tap my fingernails against it.
"Thank you for coming to dinner and giving this a second chance. It's been lovely getting to know you better."
"Thanks for inviting us. I hope our chat has helped clear the air about things. I really do love your son and I only want what's best for him."
"I was quick to judge without getting to know you, but now I see you're perfect for Daniel."
"Thanks, Emma." I smile.
Daniel and Calvin enter the room and Daniel sits beside me. I hold his hand and squeeze it.
