The babysitter

Time apart

The night was quiet in the hospital room. The only sounds were the soft beeping of the monitors and the occasional shuffle of footsteps in the hallway. In the corner of the room, a single lamp cast a warm glow, bathing the space in a peaceful light.

Emma, her small frame tucked into the bed beside Lucy, was sound asleep, her face soft and content, a gentle smile on her lips as she curled up beside the woman she loved like a second mother. Lucy had her arms wrapped around Emma, her head resting against the pillow as she watched over her in the stillness of the night. Despite the bruises and cuts that marred her skin, she felt a sense of peace—something she hadn't felt in what felt like an eternity.

Tim sat in a chair just outside the door, his eyes fixed on the ground, the weight of the day still heavy on his shoulders. The world had been spinning so fast lately, and he had been caught in the whirlwind of it all. Lucy's return, Emma's grief, the dangerous encounter with Louis, and now the tension with Ashley—everything seemed to be colliding in ways he hadn't expected.

As much as he wanted to focus on what mattered most—his daughter, Lucy, their future—there was still an undeniable ache in his chest when he thought about Ashley. She had been part of his life for a long time, and though things hadn't been perfect, he had never expected this. He had never expected the emotional chasm that had grown between them so quickly.

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped Tim out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Ashley coming down the hallway, her face tense, her eyes narrow with frustration. She stopped just in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest as she studied him for a moment.

"Tim," Ashley said, her voice low but firm, "We need to talk."

Tim's heart sank. He had known this conversation was coming, but he had hoped it would wait. He had hoped for more time, more space to process everything that had happened. But there was no avoiding it now. Ashley was right. They needed to talk.

"Yeah," Tim replied, his voice quiet. "I know."

Ashley took a deep breath, her posture stiff as she leaned against the wall next to him. "I just don't understand, Tim. I don't understand why you're letting her back in. Why are you still putting her before us?" Her voice cracked slightly, a mix of frustration and hurt lacing her words.

Tim sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He had been dreading this conversation, but he knew it was inevitable. "Ashley, it's not about putting her before you," he began, his voice soft but firm. "It's about Emma. And Lucy. They both need me right now. Lucy—" He paused, trying to find the right words. "Lucy saved Emma. She's been there for her in ways I can't even explain. She's family. I can't just turn my back on that."

Ashley's jaw clenched, and she turned away from him, her eyes scanning the hallway as if looking for an escape. "You think I don't know that?" she snapped, her voice rising. "I get it, Tim. You think Lucy's the only one who can take care of Emma, but what about me? What about what we've built? You think I haven't been here for you? For both of you?"

Tim stood up, his frustration building. "I know you've been here, Ashley. But this—" He motioned toward the door, where Lucy and Emma were resting inside. "This is different. Lucy is part of Emma's life. You knew that when you came into it. I need to be there for them, especially after everything that happened. You have to understand that."

Ashley shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "So that's it? You're just going to drop everything and go back to her? You're choosing her over me, Tim? You think I'm just supposed to sit here and wait while you 'figure things out' with her? I'm not a backup plan, Tim. I'm not someone you can just turn to when it's convenient for you."

Tim's chest tightened at her words, but he couldn't deny the truth in them. He had been selfish, and he knew it. He had been so wrapped up in trying to protect Lucy and Emma, trying to fix everything, that he hadn't considered Ashley's feelings. He had left her out of the equation, assuming she would understand. But she didn't. And that was his fault.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. "Ashley, I never meant to make you feel that way," he said softly. "But right now, I can't—" He struggled to find the right words, his voice faltering. "I can't focus on anything else. I need to be there for Lucy and Emma. And I need you to understand that. But I also need to understand where we're at. Because I don't want to keep hurting you."

Ashley looked away, her face hardening. "I don't know if I can keep doing this, Tim," she said, her voice quiet but resolute. "I don't know if I can keep waiting for you to make a decision. You're either with me or you're not. And right now, I don't feel like I'm a priority for you."

Tim swallowed, the weight of her words sinking in. He had never wanted to hurt her, never wanted to make her feel like she was anything less than important. But he had done just that. And now, he wasn't sure how to fix it.

"Ashley," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "I don't want to lose you. But I also don't want to lose what I have with Lucy and Emma."

She didn't respond right away, her eyes fixed on the floor as she considered his words. When she finally looked up, her expression was softer, but the hurt was still there, raw and unspoken. "I think we need some time apart," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I need to figure out where I stand in all of this. And you need to figure out what you want."

Tim's heart broke at her words, but he knew she was right. They couldn't keep going like this. Not when everything was so tangled up in confusion and hurt. They both needed space to breathe, to think, to figure out what their future looked like—together or apart.

"Okay," Tim said quietly, his voice laced with regret. "Okay, I understand."

Ashley nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "I'm going to give you some space, Tim. But don't take too long. Because I'm not going to keep waiting forever."

With that, she turned and walked away, her steps heavy as she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Tim standing there in the silence. He watched her go, feeling the weight of the decision settle over him. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was what was needed.

He turned back toward the door to Lucy's room, his heart aching as he saw the two of them—Emma and Lucy—wrapped in each other's arms, oblivious to the turmoil that had just unfolded outside.

He knew he had a lot to make up for. A lot to fix. But for tonight, he couldn't think about that. Tonight, all he could do was be there for the two people who meant everything to him. Tomorrow, they would face everything else.

But for now, he just needed to be with them.

"Lucie," Emma whispered as Tim entered, her voice soft but filled with relief.

Tim smiled, his heart swelling. "I'm here, Em. And I'm not going anywhere."

And for the first time in a long while, he meant it.