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Chapter 28 - A Surprise Visit

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon when the doorbell rang, pulling me out of a half-asleep daze on the couch. My mom was out grocery shopping, and I was trying to take advantage of the rare quiet moment to just relax. My hand rested on my belly, feeling Rebecca shift lightly, a reminder that even when things seemed calm, there was always something going on beneath the surface.

I pushed myself up off the couch, feeling the familiar pressure in my lower back as I waddled toward the door. The days of feeling light on my feet were long gone, replaced by constant aches and a belly that seemed to be growing larger every day.

When I opened the door, I froze. Standing there, looking nervous and uncertain, was Justin.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

For a second, I just stared at him, unsure of how to react. After everything that had happened, after seeing him with Bethany, after the cold way he dismissed me and our daughter... what the hell was he doing here?

"What do you want, Justin?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. The last thing I needed right now was more drama, especially from him.

He shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable. "Can I come in? I just... I wanted to talk."

I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning against the doorframe. "What is there to talk about? You made it pretty clear where you stand."

Justin sighed, glancing down at the ground for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "Look, I know I've been a jerk. I know I haven't handled this the way I should have. But I've been thinking, and... I just wanted to try to make things right."

His words caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting an apology, or anything even close to remorse. But there was a part of me that was still angry, still hurt by everything he'd done. I wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily.

I crossed my arms tighter. "Make things right? You think you can just show up here after everything and say sorry, and that'll fix it? It doesn't work like that, Justin."

"I know, I know," he said quickly, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not saying it'll fix everything. I just... I want to be there, Mia. For Rebecca."

I blinked, my anger faltering for a moment as I processed his words. "You want to be there? You're just now deciding this?"

He winced, nodding slightly. "Yeah. I know I've been a coward, okay? I didn't know how to handle any of this. I freaked out. I thought if I just ignored it, it would go away. But it's not going away, and I don't want to be that guy who just bails on his kid."

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, a mixture of emotions swirling inside me—anger, frustration, hope, doubt. Could I even believe him? After everything he'd put me through, was he serious about stepping up now? Or was this just another one of his attempts to make himself feel better?

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "So what does that mean, Justin? You want to be there for Rebecca? What does that look like?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. "I don't know. I guess... I guess I want to start by being around more. Helping out when I can. I know I screwed up with you, but I want to be a good dad, Mia. I'm trying to figure out how to do that."

A part of me wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, Justin could grow up and take responsibility for his actions. But another part of me was still wary, still bracing for him to let me down again.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision I had to make. "Look, Justin, I'm not gonna lie—this isn't easy for me. You've hurt me, and I don't know if I can trust you right now. But if you really want to be a part of Rebecca's life, I'm not going to stop you."

His face softened, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. "Thanks, Mia. I know it's not enough, but I'm gonna do better. I promise."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I believed his promise yet. "We'll see. Actions speak louder than words, Justin."

He nodded too, looking serious for once. "You're right."

We stood there in awkward silence for a few moments before I finally stepped aside. "You can come in, I guess."

Justin hesitated for a second, then stepped inside, glancing around the house like it was the first time he'd really paid attention. He followed me to the living room, where I sat back down on the couch, feeling a bit winded from the whole conversation. He stayed standing, looking unsure of what to do next.

"So, when's the due date again?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"In a few weeks," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "We've already packed the hospital bag. Everything's ready for her."

Justin nodded, looking a little overwhelmed. "That's... that's soon."

"Yeah," I said, glancing down at my belly, feeling Rebecca shift again. "It's happening, whether we're ready or not."

Justin was quiet for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Do you know what you're gonna name her?"

I nodded, my hand resting on my belly. "Rebecca."

He smiled a little, though it looked almost bittersweet. "Rebecca... that's a nice name."

"Thanks," I said, the tension between us slowly easing, though it wasn't completely gone. There was still so much unsaid, so much that needed to be worked through. But for now, I was willing to let him be here, to see if he could actually follow through on his promise.

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics—baby clothes, the nursery, the logistics of the hospital—I couldn't help but wonder if this was the start of something new, or just another fleeting moment where Justin tried to do the right thing before bailing again.

Only time would tell. But for Rebecca's sake, I hoped he meant what he said.