Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 103

Chapter 97

(Sabrina’s POV)

The next day, I don’t go to work.

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The thought of sitting in my office pretending everything’s normal after yesterday makes my skin crawl.

So I call in. Tell Sarah I need a personal day. She doesn’t ask questions, just tells me to take care of myself and that she’ll handle everything at the office.

Then I call Jake’s school. Mrs. Hamilton answers, her voice immediately concerned.

“Sabrina. How’s Jake doing? We heard about what happened-”

“He’s okay. But I’m keeping him home today. We both need the day off after what we experienced

yesterday.”

“Of course. Take all the time you need. And I’m sorry I let that woman take him–”

“It’s not your fault. Jake’s father listed her as an emergency contact. Can you remove him and her from his file for me? I’ll check in with the principal tomorrow.”

“Of course. I’ll have that updated by the end of today.”

We talk for a few more minutes, her apologizing, me reassuring her.

After hanging up, I find Jake in his room, building something elaborate with his dinosaurs. He looks up when I enter, and his smile is so natural, so bright as usual, that it breaks my heart.

He must be trying to appear unaffected by the whole incident so I wouldn’t worry.

“Mom! Look! I made a rescue mission! The T-Rex is saving the baby dinosaurs from the bad guys!”

I sit on the floor beside him, watching him narrate an elaborate story about heroes and villains and dinosaurs that fly helicopters.

The feeling that he’s pretending to be fine grows stronger, and I can’t help interrupting Him, “Jake, be honest with me. How are you feeling after yesterday’s event?”

He rolls his eyes, and gives me that lock that says, I can’t be serious right now.

“Mom, Mean Lady Jessica has never kidnapped a kid before. She didn’t know what she was doing. How could she scare me? I’m much smarter than her, so she never got the chance to hurt me.”

Okay…maybe I was worried for nothing.

There isn’t a hint of lie, or evasion in his tone or expression, which means he’s telling the truth

He isn’t traumatized by Jessica’s stunt.

And here I am, thinking of the worst

Chapter 92

watch him play for a few more minutes, marveling at his mental fortitude, when my phone buzzes. i unlock the screen to find a text from Ethan.

Be there in 20.

My stomach does a flip. The text I sent him last night pricks my eyes.

I love you.

How could I have sent something like that to him?

I mean, I don’t even know where it came from. The words just appeared on my screen, my fingers moving on their own, hitting send before my brain could catch up.

And by the time I realized what I’d done, he’d already read it.

I couldn’t take them back, even if I wanted to.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rings. I check the peephole-paranoid now in ways I never was before- and see Ethan standing there with coffee and what looks like pastries from the expensive bakery

downtown.

I open the door and he immediately pulls me into his arms.

I didn’t realize how much I needed this until it happens. The solid warmth of his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear. The way his hand comes up to cradle the back of my head like I’m

something precious.

“I’m okay,” I mumble into his chest, but we both know it’s a lie.

“I know.” He doesn’t call me out on it though. Just holds me tighter. “But I’m allowed to hug my girlfriend.”

The title makes me blush. I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that I’m dating the hottest billionaire

in the state.

Or that he’s interested in me of all women.

We stand there, basking in each other’s warmth, long enough that Jake appears in the doorway, and looks

at us with one of his hands covering his eyes. “Mom, Dad, I want to go to the park.”

I feel Ethan freeze against me, his body going rigid and still to the point where I would’ve thought he’d frozen to a statue if I didn’t know better.

I’m just as shocked.

I mean, I hear Jake call Ethan ‘New Dad’ all the time. But Dad? That too, directly to his face?

This is a first.

Ethan laughs, forgetting all about me as he goes to Jake and ruffles his hair, saying, “Of course, son. Come, your dad will take you to the park today.” And without waiting for me, he lifts Jake onto his shoulder and walks out of the house.

Chapter 92-

smile, and chase after them.

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When we arrive at the park, Jake immediately spots the playground and takes off running, his earlier excitement at sitting on Ethan’s shoulder completely forgotten in the face of slides and swings.

Which leaves me and Ethan standing awkwardly by a bench.

“Want to sit?” he asks.

“Sure.”

We sit. The silence stretches. I study a tree very intently, like it’s the most fascinating tree in existence.

“Sabrina.”

“Hmm?”

“About your text last night-”

“It was nothing.” I turn

my head away, my face burning. “I was emotional. It was a crazy day. I wasn’t

thinking clearly.”

Smooth, Sabrina. Very smooth.

“So you didn’t mean it?”

“Of course I meant it-” I stop, realizing what just happened. “Jerk! You tricked me!” I shove him. Ethan just laughs and grabs my hand.

“When did I trick you? Clearly, I just made you face the fact that you already love me.”

“What a fancy way of saying ‘yes, I tricked you”.” I sport.

Ethan shifts and suddenly, I find myself pressed against his chest again.

“Sabrina, I fell in love with you on that cruise. Maybe even before that, watching you through Jake’s livestreams. And every day since then, I’ve only fallen harder”

My breath catches.

“I love how you fight for Jake. How you stand up for yourself even when you’re terrified. I love your strength and your vulnerability and in the way you carry yourself I see a shadow of my mother. If she was still alive, she would’ve loved me as much as you love Jake.”

He rubs his cheek against the top of my head, his voice soft as he whispers, “I know it’s fast. I know it’s scary. But I’m not Dustin. I’m not going to waste years of your life pretending I feel something I don’t I love you, Sabrina. And I want you and Jake by my side for life.”

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