Chapter Nine

"And that’s why she left." Justin said. "Amazing."

"Amazing?" Lance spat. "Don’t you mean insane?"

"You’re a father. Wow. Who’d a thought?" Justin said with a smirk. "And you always said I’d be the first one to knock some girl up."

"Focus here Justin. What am I supposed to do now?" he asked.

"Get married?" Justin suggested.

"What? What kind of suggestion is that?" Lance questioned.

"Well, don’t you still love her?" Justin asked him.

"Yes." He replied.

"And don’t you want to be a part of your daughter’s life?" Justin continued.

"Of course." Lance told him.

"Well then why is my suggestion so out there?" Justin asked.

"But how do you forgive someone who left you and didn’t tell you something that quite possibly could be the most important thing you’ll ever know?" Lance asked in one breath.

"Whoa. First of all, breathe dude. Secondly, what’s in the past is in the past time to move on." Justin said.

"Easy for you to say." Lance said with a sigh.

***

"He hasn’t called you?" Jamie asked.

"Nope. Not that I blame him." Chloe said.

"Have you tried calling him?" Jamie questioned.

"I’m too afraid." Chloe replied.

Jamie grabbed the phone off the base and handed it to her. "Do it."

"And say what?" Chloe asked.

"I dunno. You’re smart, you’ll think of something brilliant." Jamie said.

With a shaky hand Chloe dialed Lance’s cell number.

***

"Just dial the phone." Lance mumbled to himself.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wanted to call Chloe and tell her that as mad as he was about everything deep down…

He still loved her.

And even after what she did…

He wanted to make a family with her and Emma.

His daughter Emma.

He reached over his desk to pick up his phone.

"Hello?" Chloe asked.

"Hi Chloe, it’s Lance." He said.

Chapter 10