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“I don’t want to be that guy. But I also don’t want to lose Kendall.”

“Then talk to her, be honest with her and yourself, then both of you can go to HR and make sure it’s all out in the open.”

“If I can get her to come back. She resigned and gave me back the engagement ring when I tried to tell her the truth, that I want to be with her, but it’s complicated.”

“Maybe it’s best if you don’t work together, but you’ll figure it out either way,” he says.

I have to figure it out.

And I will.

My mom was right. I can’t let my father’s mistakes cost me my happiness. I’d be crazy to let his past or what the board will think keep me from being with the woman I love.

I actually feel a little lighter now. Which is surprising.

“I’m glad you came by,” Dad says. “It’s been too long. I wanted to reach out to you but…after everything happened, I didn’t think you would want to talk to me.”

“I didn’t,” I agree. I almost stop there. For some reason, I say, “But I’d like to try and move forward. Now that Mom’s remarried and happy, I think it would be easier. She’s encouraged me to talk to you in the past.”

“She’s a smart woman. We ended on better terms than you or anyone else thinks,” he says. “It was time for us to go our separate ways.”

I don’t want to end up like my father and lose the woman I love.

“I need to see Kendall and try to fix my mistake.”

My father nods. “You do that. I hope it works out for you. You’re a better man than I ever was, and I bet this woman knows it.”

“Thanks,” I say sincerely. A moment passes between us where it feels like we’re on the way to making amends before I head to the door.

“Let me know if you ever want to join me for a game of golf. My schedule is pretty free nowadays.”

“Okay. Maybe,” I reply, and it doesn’t feel like a lie.

19

Kendall

“Here’s your baby, safe and sound,” Maggie says when she shows up at my apartment with Mr. Jingles in his carrier.

“Thank you. I was going to come pick him up. I just…I needed a minute.”

“It’s fine. Is everything okay?” Maggie asks.

I shake my head.

“Oh no.”

Following me inside the apartment, she shuts the door while I kneel on the floor to unzip the fabric carrier and release my fluffy buddy.

“Oh, baby, I missed you so much,” I say as I cuddle his fuzzy body to my face before I begin to sob.

“Oh, Kendall. What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Yes, we would love to know that too,” my roommate Celia says when she appears in the entryway. “She left for the whole weekend without telling us where she was going and then comes back like a zombie today.”

“Maggie, could you…could you tell them? Please? I can only tell two people!” I blabber through the tears as I stand up with Mr. Jingles purring in my arms.

“Come on. Let’s all sit down and try to figure this out,” Maggie suggests as she hugs my shoulders and leads me to the living room.