Narrated by Mason:
Two months have passed, and I'm still trying to win over Paige. My life revolves around work and her, along with our baby. I feel ready to be a father and build a family with her.
I must mention that my mother has gone crazy about becoming a grandmother. The good thing is that Paige meets up with her and lets her indulge in buying things for the baby. My mother gets a bit carried away with certain things, like having everything ready for her unborn grandchild, not to mention she doesn't know the baby's gender yet.
I'm in the office reviewing some documents when my secretary enters nervously to see me. It's been a while since something has left her in that state, so I look at her with a questioning gaze.
"Sir, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Miss Peyton is at the entrance demanding to see you. She says she won't leave until she talks to you," she says, looking at me anxiously.
"Peyton? I won't see her. If she wants to stay at the entrance for the rest of her life, that's her problem. I won't accept seeing her," I say sternly.
The last thing I need right now is to see Peyton. On the contrary, I want her to disappear from my life finally. My mind and thoughts are solely focused on winning over Paige. She is the true love of my life. When I thought I loved Peyton, it was all an illusion based on what I imagined I would have with her. It's as if all the time I spent with Peyton, I was a blind man dreaming of a version of her that I wanted to see, not who she truly was.
Unfortunately, I realized too late to whom my heart truly belonged. It was only when I lost her that I understood she is the only woman I want by my side as my partner, and there will never be room for another.
I watch as my secretary leaves the office, seeing my determination not to see Peyton. I sit at my desk and review some pending documents before I can leave to see Paige.
Minutes pass, and I receive a call from my mother. I roll my eyes upon seeing her name on the screen. She's probably going to ask me something about what the baby might like more. That topic has completely taken over her sanity.
"Tell me, mother," I say with a sigh.
"I need you to come home, but right away," she replies seriously, and that's unusual for her.
"Is everything alright?" I ask as I grab my car keys and head to it.
"I think so," she says, ending the call.
"That leaves me even more nervous than before, so I let my secretary know that I have something to do, and I rush off to my parents' house. As I drive, thousands of possible scenarios appear in my mind, but I don't want to think about bad things. Only when I get there will I find out what's going on.
I park at the entrance, and I'm surprised to see Ethan's car at my parents' house. That means she called him too, and that's not good. At least, I don't think it's for something good.
I enter and see Sarah, Riley, Lucas, Ethan, and Paige, all in the living room with my parents. Everyone falls silent and I'm about to lose my mind. My mother stands up and hands me a letter, doing so in silence, and I open it desperately.
I start reading and I stop at the first sentence when I see that it's addressed to my mother and it's from Peyton. I'm not sure I want to know what that woman wants to tell my mother, in fact, she shouldn't have even read it.
I look at everyone, and from what I can see, I'm the only one who hasn't read it. I sigh and read it through, although I do it with annoyance because I honestly don't care about what she has to say."
Emily:
I know you won't want to hear from me after everything I've done to your son and your family. I find myself in a state of complete desperation, which is why I'm reaching out to you. Mason doesn't want to see me, and the last thing I want before I die is to ensure that my baby has a good life.
I don't want to evoke pity or sympathy from you, I just want to beg and plead with you to help this baby find parents who will love them in a way I can't. Maternal instinct doesn't exist within me, but that doesn't mean I don't want what's best for the child. I just don't see myself capable of raising them.
You're the best mother I've ever known, and you did an excellent job with Mason. That's why I've dared to bother you with this. I want to believe that you don't blame the baby inside me for my mistakes, as they didn't choose me to be the monster that became their mother.
I have a life I want to fight for, and becoming a mother, especially a single mother, isn't part of my plans. You may not understand my thinking, and I understand that. In fact, I've been looking into how to give this child up for adoption with the condition that my identity as the biological mother remains undisclosed.
I could easily hand them over to any place that takes in children, but before disappearing from their life, I want to know that they're truly well and being raised by a family that loves them as if they were truly their own.
I only have one month left until the birth, time is running out, and if there's a possibility that you could adopt them, you would provide this little one with the best mother imaginable.
I have hope that I will manage to touch your heart and that you will help me with this plea. I wish I had met you before doing everything I did. I feel that you will do what's right, and you will let me know.
Whatever decision you make, I will accept it, and you won't hear from me again.
"I'm truly astonished as I read this letter. How dare she write something like this to my mother! I'm about to crumple the paper when Paige takes it from my hands, knowing what I was about to do.
"Relax, I know you," she says, trying to smile.
"Well, then you know what I think. She's trying to make my mother feel guilty about her son, and it's not fair for her to do that," I say, standing up from my seat.
"Let's go for a walk," Paige replies, taking my hand and leading me away from where everyone is watching me.
I let myself be guided by her. I feel like she's the calm I need right now. Having her close is all I need to forget what I just read."
Paige narrates.
I knew Mason wouldn't take Peyton's letter well, but in my case, it didn't affect me the same way. Perhaps it's because I'm going to be a mother that I feel a little pity and sympathy for her, though it's more for her baby than for her. I would like to help her, and that's what we were discussing before Mason arrived at the house.
We had all already read the letter and were discussing it. Emily was the most affected, as her role in organizing things to help orphaned children makes her feel like she can do something really good for this baby. I've even thought that it might be part of Peyton's plan – to make her feel guilty about the child she's expecting and ensure that this baby will be raised with love or money.
As I walk with Mason, I don't realize that I haven't let go of his hand at any moment. I guess I see it as something normal. My heart feels joyous to have this closeness with him. However, I don't feel ready to regain what we had, not yet.