Seattle Move

28. A Piece of Me

"Are we gonna talk about what just happened?"

"No," she answered immediately. He watched as the car got faster and he looked down, seeing that she was applying more pressure to the pedal. She was squeezing the steering wheel so hard that her hands were beginning to turn red.

"Amelia, just pull over," he suggested.

"I'm fine."

"It doesn't make sense to drive in this state," he advised her, "You're clearly very upset."

Silence was the response he got.

"You know, when I asked about him a couple weeks ago, you said it was nothing." Owen sighed and put on his seatbelt, praying to God that they'd reach the hospital without incidence. "I can't tell anymore if you're lying to me, to Ryan, or just to yourself."

Suddenly, the car swerved and came to a screeching halt on the side of the highway, one exit before the hospital. "Really, Owen? You want to do this right now?"

"Why did you even invite me?" he spat, gripping the seatbelt with a tension that made his knuckles white.

Amelia shot him an incredulous glance. "I didn't know he was coming, Owen! I just told him about it because I thought it would be a nice way for us to support Ryan together. I thought we were past this."

"Past this?" Owen scoffed, his voice rising. "How can we be past this if he keeps showing up like a bad penny? You told me the Christmas texting was just holiday stuff and now he's in Seattle and he's asking for his child. That can't just be about Ryan."

Amelia clenched her fists in her lap, a mix of frustration and hurt swirling within her. "You might think that this is about me," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "But biologically, he is Ryan's father. And I can't keep pretending the truth doesn't exist."

Owen looked at her, disbelief etched across his face. "You seriously think he showed up to the PTA meeting for any other reason than to stir the pot?" his voice was strained, frustration pouring out of him like water from a tipped-over glass. "It's a tactic, Amelia. Ryan wants you back, and he's using this as a way in."

"I didn't invite him!" she yelled at him, which finally set the little boy in their backseat off. Ryan whimpered and Amelia sighed, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath, guilt washing over her. She quickly unbuckled herself from her seat and turned to face her son. "Ry, it's okay."

His bright blue eyes filled with tears, and before she could comfort him, he began to cry. The sound pierced through the argument, a stark reminder of the innocence caught in their adult struggles. Owen's voice faltered as he instinctively looked back.

"Amelia, please..." he started, the frustration giving way to concern.

"How do you think this feels for him?" she whispered, her heart aching at the sight of her son's distress. "We're fighting—he doesn't understand why."

"Fine. Let's just..." Owen raised his hands in surrender, taking a deep breath as he adjusted in his seat. Ryan's cries began to settle, and Amelia stroked his hair, whispering soft reassurances that suggested calm. She could feel his small heartbeat against the back of her palm, grounding her in the moment.

"I'm trying to be fair to everyone involved." Amelia's voice wavered slightly. "I want all of us to have a chance to make things right."

Owen watched them, torn between his feelings for Amelia and the fear of losing her to Ryan. "But what if he hurts you again?" he hesitated, vulnerability slipping into his voice. "What if he wants you back and...?"

"I'm with you, Owen. I care about you." Her gaze was steady, unwavering.

He clenched his jaw, battling the storm of emotions as silence enveloped the car. He could see the love in Amelia's eyes, the fierce determination that had drawn him to her in the first place. He took a moment, then finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.

Amelia's heart raced, her mind a whirl of emotions. She had wanted to bridge the gap for her son's sake. The boy adored Owen, looked up to him like a hero. But she had sensed that shadow of Ryan hanging over them like a dark cloud, every moment they spent together somehow underscored by the looming figure of the boy's biological father.

"Look, I understand this is uncomfortable for you," Amelia said, her tone softening but not giving in completely.

Owen took a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Why now? Why after all this time?" He looked away, eyes narrowing at the road stretching endlessly ahead. "And what if he's not different? What if he just comes to hurt you again?" He ran a hand across his face, considering. He didn't want to lose Amelia or Ryan, but the fear clawed at him like a feral animal.

"I can stand up to him. I can set boundaries," she said quietly, a newfound determination making her voice steady. "But I need you beside me when I do. I don't want to lose you, Owen. I thought you wanted this too."

Silence loomed between them, thick with unsaid words and strained emotions. The sound of passing cars faded into the background as both of them caught their breath, the atmosphere slowly shifting from confrontation to contemplation.

"Promise me that if he crosses a line, you'll let me know." His voice was softer now, vulnerable.

Amelia leaned closer to him, the tension easing with every inch. "I promise. We're a team, right?"

"Right," Owen replied, the corners of his mouth twitching into a reluctant smile.

Or so he thought.