CHAPTER 54

Three months later …

Nolan squeezed her hand. “ Are you okay? ”

“ Yes. ” She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them. “ I won ’ t linger. ”

“ No, you won ’ t. Otherwise, I ’ ll come up to hurry you along. ”

Nolan in D.C.; it was hard to imagine. He came to help with her final packing and be with her when she served Mitchell their divorce papers. After this, she would leave Washington — and her old life — for good.

Nolan ’ s presence made all things possible, but they agreed it might be in poor taste for him to accompany her into Mitch ’ s condo.

He waited in the car, close and at the ready.

.     .     .

It was weird to ring the doorbell. Angela had the keys in her pocket. For the whole of her marriage, this was her home. But, she couldn ’ t walk in like she lived there. It wasn ’ t her home anymore. As of today, she wasn ’ t married. She was Ms. Jefferies again.

The door opened. “ Hi. ” Mitchell held it wide. “ Why didn ’ t you come in ? ”

“ I wouldn ’ t do that. I ’ ll leave you my keys. ”

“ I don ’ t want the keys, Ange. Keep them. ” She looked skeptical, so he added, “ I may get locked out or fall and break my leg. Your access might be the only way to save me. ”

She doubted that. Not only were Nate and Keira a lot closer than she would be — in Florida — she couldn ’ t imagine anything she ’ d be capable of saving him from. However, he was pleasant; there was no reason to pick a fight. “ Try not to fall. ”

He chuckled. “ I ’ ll keep that in mind. By the way, thanks for bringing them over. I appreciate it. ”

“ It ’ s the least I could do. You made everything so easy; I ’ m almost offended. ” She smiled as she removed the divorce papers from her purse.

“ Don ’ t. That was the least I could do. I messed us up, babe. No pretending otherwise. ”

“ Yeah, well, my anger didn ’ t help matters. ” She left it at that. She didn ’ t want to dwell on her anger. Parts of it were still there.

“ I guess the piper is paid now. It ’ s nice for us to be able —”

The cry of an uncomfortable infant disrupted the last of his sentence.

“ Hold that thought. ” Mitchell turned away. “ I shouldn ’ t have to tell you to sit down and make yourself comfortable. ” He called over his shoulder as he answered Ladarius ’ s summons.

Angela didn ’ t want to get comfortable; she wanted to leave. Nolan was waiting. She wasn ’ t mentally prepared to deal with Mitchell ’ s baby. His baby was the main reason she handed him copies of their divorce papers to sign. She didn ’ t want to see a baby. Not his baby. His living proof she failed as a woman.

He came back before she could run.

“ Daddy ’ s got somebody for you to meet. ”

She couldn ’ t breathe watching him carrying that tiny bundle as if it contained the entire world. For Mitchell, it did.

“ Ange. ” His eyes, his smile, his whole being lit with pride. “ This is my son, Ladarius. LP, say hi to Miss Angela. ” He offered the child to her.

She took a step back, tears brimming, accusation dilating her pupils.

Mitchell smiled. It was a sad smile, full of disappointment. “ Someday, Angela, you ’ re going to have to get over it. I ’ m sorry if that sounds harsh to you. I don ’ t mean it to be. But the truth of the matter is life is shitty … and awesome in varying levels at different times for everybody. It ’ s nobody ’ s fault you can ’ t have natural children. It ’ s one of those things that falls on the shitty side. ” He kissed LP, for his comfort as much as the baby ’ s. “ I never meant for any of this to happen. It wasn ’ t my intention to cause you pain. I love you. Always have, always will. What happened with us was a series of incidents, not some evil plot. It is what it is. If you expect to be happy, you have to A: accept it with grace, not a grudge. And B: get over it. It ’ s not changing. I accept all the responsibility, but don ’ t look at me like I ’ m a villain. I ’ m not a villain. When I look into my son ’ s eyes, I know I ’ m not a villain. ” He offered her the baby again.

Having no other recourse, Angela took the baby. She looked at the tiny face and felt his worth in her soul. He was wonderful and precious. He smiled at her, and she couldn ’ t hold on to her anger. Her pain didn ’ t fit the moment. “ H-He ’ s … beautiful. ”

“ Thank you. ” Watching the emotion play across her features triggered his. They were both teary-eyed. “ Everything else might have been messed up, but not him. He ’ s the awesome part. ”

“ You are, little man, ” she talked to the child. “ And handsome, aren ’ t you? ” LP kicked his legs and cooed in response to her voice. “ Does that mean you agree? ”

“ Of course, he does. He ’ s a genius, and he looks like his father. ”

“ You ’ re not proud at all, are you? ”

“ Can ’ t deny the truth. ” Mitchell stopped talking. He took in the image of Angela holding his baby.

She caught his look and wondered. “ What? ”

“ This had been the original plan: you, me, and LP. I ’ ve had this image in my head since college. Fate changed everything, but here ’ s the image, just like I saw it. It defies logic. But it ’ s an incredible picture, all the same. ”

Angela rocked LP, amazed at what it did to her. “ If I wouldn ’ t have been so angry, we may have been able to achieve some form of this image sooner. Divorce day is an inopportune time for clarity, ” she chuckled.

“ I concur, ” he laughed with her.

“ I wouldn ’ t have gotten the clarity if not for the process. ”

“ We had to get something out of it. ”

“ Thank you, Mitchell. ” She kissed Ladarius ’ s head. He was too irresistible.

“ Thank you, Angela. I will always regret losing you. ”

Now that she no longer had such a tight hold on her anger, other emotions surfaced: peace, forgiveness, and healing.

There was a tap on the door.

Mitchell arched an eyebrow.

Angela kept a blank expression.

Mitchell opened the door. His body clenched, but he forced himself to speak. “ Woods. ”

“ I ’ m just making sure everything is okay. ” Nolan glanced in, saw Angela holding LP, and relaxed his stance.

An echo of the advice Mitchell gave Angela filtered back to his consciousness. He opened the door for Nolan to enter.

Nolan went to the baby, peeked, and said, “ Congratulations. Handsome fellow. ” He checked Angela for signs of stress.

“ Thank you. ”

Angela grinned. “ He is. He ’ s perfect. ” She cuddled the baby and let the last of her tension ebb away.

They left Mitchell ’ s condo with Angela smiling. Her mood was light and her energy a little stronger. It was as if her feet had touched solid ground. She finally reached that other shore.