Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 19

Chapter 15-2

“So much fun!” Jake bounces in her lap. “We’re gonna make the best paintings ever! And Aunt Sophia said I can stay up late on Saturday.”

“Did she now?” Sabrina raises an eyebrow at me.

I shrug, unrepentant. “He’s on vacation too.”

She’s wavering. I can see it in the way her shoulders relax slightly, in the way her fingers trace the edges of the ticket.

“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ve never been on a cruise before,” she says softly.

First time for everything.” I lean back, trying to seem casual. “There’s activities,

entertainment, good food. And most importantly, no cell service for most of the trip. You’ll be unreachable. Forced to actually rest.”

“No cell service?” She looks alarmed.

“They have wifi if there’s an emergency. But it’s expensive and spotty. Which means Dustin can’t harass you with texts every five minutes.” I let that sink in. “Four days of peace, Sabrina. No lawyers, no drama, no stress. Just you and the ocean.”

I watch her internal debate play out across her face. The guilt of leaving Jake wars with the desperate need for a break. The fear of seeming irresponsible fights against the exhaustion that’s eating her alive.

“What if something happens? What if Dustin tries something while I’m gone?”

“Then I handle it. I have Richard on speed dial. I have your power of attorney for emergencies. And I have a very expensive security system and zero qualms about calling the police if your ex shows up here uninvited.” I soften my voice. “You have to trust me, babe. I’ve got this.”

She looks down at Jake, who’s watching her with those big, hopeful eyes.

“This is the surprise you’ve been planning, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” He bounces again. “You deserve to have fun, Mom. You’re always working and worrying. You should go on the big boat and see the ocean and eat fancy food and maybe make a friend.”

“A friend?” she repeats, sounding amused despite herself.

“Yeah. Like how I make friends at school. Maybe you’ll meet someone nice who likes art too.”

Chapter 152

I barely suppress my smile. God, this kid is good.

“Maybe,” Sabrina says, running her fingers through his hair. “But you know you’re still my favorite person in the whole world, right?”

“I know. But you can have other friends too. That’s allowed.”

Claim

She laughs, a real laugh, the first genuine one I’ve heard from her in weeks. “When did you become so wise?”

“I’m five and three-quarters. That’s basically ancient.”

“Oh, ancient. Of course.” She kisses his forehead, then looks at me. “You’re sure about this?”

“Completely sure. Scout’s honor.”

“You were never a scout.”

“That is besides the point.” I push the ticket closer. “So, is it yes?”

She picks up the ticket, studying it like she’s memorizing every detail. The ship name. The departure time. The four-day itinerary through the Caribbean.

“Okay,” she says finally, so quietly I almost miss it.

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll go.” She says it louder this time, more certain. “I’ll go on the cruise.”

Jake whoops, throwing his arms around her neck. “Yes! You’re gonna have so much fun,

Mom!”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “You’re making the right choice.”

“I hope so.” She looks at me, something vulnerable in her expression. “Thank you, Soph. For everything. For the job, for letting us stay here, for-”

“Stop. You’re family. This is what family does.”

She nods, wiping at her eyes. “Okay. Okay, I’m going to go on this cruise and enjoy myself.”

“You can absolutely do this.”

What she doesn’t know-what she can’t know yet-is that she’s not just going on a cruise. She’s walking into a carefully orchestrated plan to meet someone who’s, hopefully, going to be Jake’s new dad. Someone who sees her art, her talent, her worth in a way Dustin never

did.

2/3

Chapter 15-2

Someone who might just be exactly what she needs.

But first, she has to get on that ship.

Claim

Later that night, after Jake’s in bed and Sabrina’s finally sleeping peacefully for the first time in days, I pull out my laptop and open the private chat with Jason.

Me: She said yes. She’ll be on the ship.

The response comes immediately.

Jason: Thank you. I’ll be there.

I hesitate, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Do I believe in this? In setting up my best friend

with a man I don’t even know.

A man who’s been essentially stalking her through her son’s social media?

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