I knock on my brother’s door lightly. “Brother? Are you up?” I hear rustling in his room, so I open the door to see him sitting at the table with Thomas beside him.
My brother smiles when he sees me, standing up. “Morning, Cait.” He takes a sip of the coffee in his cup. “Are you ready for your first day?”
I nod, walking towards Thomas. “Yes,” I smile. “I’m excited.”
Thomas reaches up and grabs onto my skirt with his chubby hands. “Mommy?” he says as he looks up at me. I lift him into my arms and hold him against my chest.
“Good morning, baby,” I smile, kissing his forehead. He giggles as he buries his face into my neck.
My brother clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. “I can watch Thomas today,” he says. “Or we could get a babysitter for you.”
I shake my head, holding Thomas tighter. “No,” I say firmly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind taking care of him too.” I kiss his forehead again and smile down at him.
My brother nods. “Okay. Well, don’t forget about your meeting today.”
I nod as my stomach flips. I know Zachary Edward wants to meet with me today. “Okay.” I squeeze Thomas’s shoulder as I remember my brother’s words from yesterday. I wonder why Zachary wanted to meet me. Does he know about my baby?
My brother smiles again. “Have fun, okay?”
I nod. I’m sure I will.
We leave the apartment and make our way to the company building. We park in the garage and walk into the lobby. I walk over to the desk where a receptionist is sitting.
“Hi,” she greets me. “Welcome to EDWARD ENTERPRISE. How can I help you today?”
I smile back. “I have a meeting today with Zachary Edward.”
She nods, looking through the papers on her desk. “Ah. Okay. You can go up to his office.” She hands me a paper with the room number on it. “Here’s his room number.”
I nod and thank her as I walk over to Thomas and my brother. “I have to go up now,” I say softly.
My brother nods, holding Thomas out to me. “Be careful, okay?” I take Thomas from him and hug him to my chest. My brother smiles and cups the side of my face. “And don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”
He smiles and leaves me, heading towards his office.
I watch him leave before turning back to the elevators. I step inside when the doors open and hold Thomas tighter. I wonder what Zachary wants to talk to me about. I don’t remember anything, but maybe he does. Does he know my secret?
I'm scared.
I take a breath as the elevator stops on the top floor, and the doors open. I step out of it and look down at the paper in my hands. It says room 401, so I find it on the map on the wall.
I take a deep breath before knocking on the door. “Come in.” I hear his voice through the door, so I turn the knob and walk inside. I shut the door behind me, looking around the office. It’s bigger than my brother’s office by a long shot. The office is full of windows, computers, and chairs. A desk sits in front of me, facing a chair.
I look over at Zachary as he stands from his seat. He’s really tall and handsome, so I blush as I take him in. “Hi. Come in.” He gestures towards the chair in front of him.
I take another deep breath and walk towards him, taking a seat in the chair. I hold Thomas tighter in my arms as I sit down.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks politely as he sits in his seat again. “Water or tea?”
I shake my head. “Thank you, but no. I’m fine.”
He nods and smiles, looking down at Thomas. “How old is he?” he asks.
I frown, wondering why he’s asking about Thomas. Does he know what he is? “He’s four,” I answer. “How do you know about him?”
He smiles again. “Your brother told me.” He looks down at the papers on his desk. “He said he’s your son.”
I nod, looking down at my hands as I clutch the skirt of my dress. “Yes.”
He doesn’t say anything for a few moments, so I look back up at him. “Is there a reason you asked about my baby?” I ask quietly.
He shakes his head as he looks back up at me. “No.” He smiles. “I just wanted to see you again.”
Again? Does he know about that night? I look down at my hands again, feeling my face heat up as I think about that night. “I don’t...” I pause, thinking of what I could say. “Remember you.” That’s a good excuse, so I hope he believes it.
He nods, smiling again. “That’s okay. I understand. Do you want to meet again sometime?”
I look up at him as he asks me the question, and my heart flips. Does he like me? Is he the one?
I nod. “Yes.” I want to get to know him better.
He nods and smiles back at me. “Good.”
He writes on a card and hands it to me. “Here’s my number. You can call me.”
I smile and take the card, holding it against my chest with Thomas. “I will,” I say happily. “Thank you.” This is a new beginning for me. I can make a new life.