“How are you okay with all of this?” I buckled myself in, and then glanced over the seat to make sure Poppy was okay.
“I’m not sure I am yet. I’m trying. I had so much baggage when we met, and you accepted all of it. No questions asked. You made me feel as if I could tell you anything, and you wouldn’t judge me. I’m trying to do the same thing. Being mad at you won’t change the situation. Your dad’s right. It isn’t her fault. Let’s just get the test, and go from there.” She nodded as she sat back in her seat. “I can’t promise that I’ll be okay tomorrow or next week, or next month, but I’m going to try.”
“You are one of the strongest women I know. You are amazing.” I reached over and squeezed her hand before backing out of the driveway.
ooooooooo
It’s been a week, and I’m still waiting on paternity results. I’ve been staying at my parents’ place because they have baby stuff for me to use. Hadleigh has stopped by a few times, but she’s been giving me my space lately. I want to believe that it’s a good thing and she’s not upset. Poppy has her days and nights mixed up, so I’ve been a bit of a night owl lately. We’ve spent a lot of time in the gym so I don’t wake my parents. Training has been hard because I’m exhausted during the day, and I have to get my mom to babysit. I don’t know how Dad would have done it without her when we were growing up.
I had just gotten Poppy down for her morning nap when my phone started ringing. “Crap!” I hissed as I rushed around, searching for it while simultaneously looking to make sure she didn’t wake up. I finally found it under a burp cloth. ‘What has my life become?’ I grumbled as I accepted the call, and snuck out of the room.
“Hello?” I pulled the door to a crack behind me.
“Mr. McKay?” the voice on the other end asked.
“This is he.” I slowly made my way downstairs and into the family room. I turned on the baby monitor and sat down.
“We have your results. Can you come in today?” the woman asked.
“Can’t you just tell me?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“No, sir. Results have to be given in person.”
“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I sighed.
“We’ll see you then.” She disconnected the call, and I flopped back against the cushions. Mom would be home from her errands soon, and I’d get her to watch Poppy. I needed to know, and I needed to know now.
ooooooooo
“Have a seat.” I blinked. I didn’t remember driving here, and I felt as if I was on autopilot.
“Huh?” I shook my head.
“I have your results right here.” The woman on the other side of the desk handed me an envelope. “You can open them here if you’d like.”
I accepted the envelope and just stared at it. “Do I have to?”
“No, you can take them home if you want to.” She smiled as if she knew that what was inside was going to change my life forever.
“Thanks.” I stood, and rushed out the door. The knowledge that this envelope could change my life wasn’t lost on me. I jumped into my car and rushed home. The entire drive was spent with me convincing myself that I could do this. As hard as the last week has been, I’ve started to fall in love with that baby, and accept that fatherhood is in my future.
When I pulled up to the house, I barely had the car off before I jumped out and rushed inside.
“Well?” Mom turned with Poppy in her arms.
“I don’t know yet.” I waved the envelope in the air. “I was too anxious to open it.”
“You need to know, Easton.” We sat down on the couch together. My hands shook as I lifted the sealed flap. I pulled the paper from the envelope and carefully opened it. My hands trembled as I read the words. ‘99% chance of paternity’. “She’s mine.” I looked at Mom. “She’s mine, Mom.” I shoved the paper at my mother as I reached for Poppy. “I’m your Daddy. Your real Daddy.” I was overflowing with emotions in that moment, and Poppy just smiled up at me. “Now what?” I looked over at Mom. “I’m a dad, now what?”
“You be her dad. You love her, and take care of her, and you be the best dad you can be.” Mom smiled as she leaned over and hugged me.
“I have to tell Hadleigh.” I swallowed.
“It’s gonna be okay, Easton.” Mom squeezed me harder. “I promise.”
ooooooooo
I waited until evening to go over to Hadleigh’s. I knew she had to work, and I was kind of delaying the possibility of her telling me she couldn’t do this. I spent the day accepting the fact that I might be on my own for a while. When I pulled up to Hadleigh’s place, Poppy was asleep in the carrier. I carried her up to the door, and knocked.
“Just a sec.” Hadleigh’s voice sounded muffled through the door. I heard the locks click, and then the door cracked open. “Hey.” She smiled as she peeked around the door. She wouldn’t open it all the way, and that had me worried.
“Hey. Can we come in?” I motioned to the carrier I was holding.
“In just a sec.” She shifted on her feet and glanced at the ground. “Before you come in, I just want you to know that all of this can go back.” She slowly opened the door and stepped out of the way.
My jaw went slack as I came inside and looked around. “Is this why you’ve been busy this week?” I set the carrier down and took it all in. Over in the corner was a portable playard. There was a changing table attached to it. Several toys and books were in a basket on the floor. Over in the corner of the dining area was a highchair.
“Do you like it?” She nibbled her lips. “I mean, I wasn’t sure what to do, but I wanted you guys to be able to come here together. I knew that wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t conducive to having a baby here. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, not that I’m her mom, that’s not what I meant. I mean…” She just kept going and I felt bad for not stopping her.
I stepped in front of her and grabbed her hands. “I love it.” I smiled as I squeezed them. “Poppy will love it too.” I leaned down and kissed her. Just as I was starting to deepen the kiss, Poppy let out a yelp. “Nice timing, kid.” I laughed.
“So, she’s yours?” Hadleigh pulled back as Poppy started to fuss.
“Yeah, she’s mine.” I chuckled as I stepped over to the carrier and picked her up. “We’re a package deal now.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. This dad stuff was still new, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, no matter how hard it is.
“Seems like a pretty good deal.” Hadleigh smiled.
“I don’t know where things will go, but if you’re up for it, so am I. I think we’ll make a good team, and I don’t know how to thank you for this.” I waved my arm at all the baby stuff.
“You don’t have to. This is me thanking you.” She leaned in and wrapped her arms around both of us. “I don’t know how she walked away,” Hadleigh murmured.
“Who?”
“Her mom. How could she walk away from her?” She traced a finger down Poppy’s cheek. “She’s perfect.”
“I don’t know why she did it. I hope it was out of love. I hope she did it because she knew that her daughter deserved more than she could give her, and as much as I hated her for doing it, I’m glad she did. I love this kid, and I’m going to be the best father she could ask for.” I pressed a kiss to Poppy’s head.
“I didn’t think I could love you more,” Hadleigh sniffed, “but there you go proving me wrong.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back. “I love you both more than anything, and I’ll spend all my time proving it.”
Epilogue
5 years later…
Easton
Since coming home, I’ve taken a more active role in the gym. Dad has been stepping back, and giving me a bigger responsibility. I will say that hasn’t made him stop using me as a training dummy in the self-defense classes. I think it might be the highlight of his week. I’m still fighting regularly, and Hadleigh and Poppy travel with me when I leave the state. We’ve bec
ome quite the family unit. Poppy has been coming to the gym in the afternoons and on the days that school’s out so Hadleigh can work. We just celebrated our third wedding anniversary last week, and have talked about adding to the family. I don’t know if I can handle another girl though. Poppy has me wrapped around her finger, and she knows it.
“Daddy!!!” She came running into the gym with her backpack bouncing behind her.
“Hey, princess. How was your day?” I smiled as I squatted down to her level.
“Not good.” She crossed her arms over her chest and scrunched up her face.
“Why’s that? Was Mommy late again?” Hadleigh has lost track of time once or twice and been a few minutes late picking Poppy up.
“No. Can you teach me how to beat people up?” She tipped her head to the side and stuck her lip out. “Andy Jenkins called me a baby, and I want hit him, but I don’t want to hurt myself.” She started waving her arms around.
I had a hard time not laughing at her. She’s heard me tell her mom and others at the gym that if you don’t throw a punch the right way, you can hurt yourself. “I don’t think you should hit him.” I chuckled.
“I’m not a baby. I’m five.” She held out her hand with her fingers extended. “I wanna be like you.” She stomped her foot and the sparkles on her shoes flashed.
“I don’t think you’re big enough, sweetie. The bags might knock you down.” I grimaced as I looked around.
“I’m not afraid. No fear!” She balled her hands into fists and placed them on her hips. “I’ll tell Grandpa to teach me if you won’t.” She pointed toward the back where my dad’s office was.
“How about I make you a deal? I’ll teach you, if you promise to not hit another person.” I held my hand out to shake.
She tapped her chin as she thought about it. “Deal!” She grinned as she shook my hand.
“You drive a hard bargain, kid.” I stood up. “Go put you backpack in my office and come back here.” I watched as she ran across the gym, her blonde pigtails bouncing, and flung the bag through the door and fist pumped.
The idea of teaching my kid to fight scared the crap outta me. What if she got hurt? Or worse, what if she picked a fight with a kid who could really hurt her. When she approached me with tape and held her hand up, I knew I was in trouble. She was tough, and wasn’t going to take crap from anyone. I took the tape from her and directed her to the bag we were going to work on. “Thumb out, fingers in.” I demonstrated. “Straight back, push with your shoulder.” I directed her arm toward the bag. My fingers wrapped all the way around her tiny bicep, but I felt the power behind her punch. “I’m going to hold the bag now. You can hit it hard.” I smiled and she nodded.
I watched the concentration as she threw punch after punch at the bag. Her face morphed from excitement to determination, and finally acceptance. “I am not a baby!” she yelled. “You’re the baby, Andy!”
When she finally stopped, she was out of breath and beet red, but happy. Her smile was unstoppable, and this Andy kid didn’t have a chance. “Remember what I said. No hitting people.” I pointed my finger at her and pressed my lips together in warning.
“I won’t.” She grinned as she began skipping toward the front desk. Dad was up there, and she was his number one fan.
ooooooooo
13 years later…
“You ready?” I stepped through the doors of the locker room.
“You can’t be in here, Dad.” Poppy shook her head at me.
“The hell I can’t. I’m your trainer.” I pointed at my chest. “So, are you ready?”
“Yeah, I am.” She nodded as she paced the floor.
“You can do this.” I pulled her into a hug. Her taped hands wrapped around my shoulders. “You’ve worked too hard to give up now.” I held her head as I pressed my forehead to hers. “No fear.”
She blew out a breath as she nodded. “No fear.”
When my daughter wanted to fight, I thought she was crazy. I knew she idolized me, but I thought it was something she’d grow out of. I was so wrong. By the end of tonight, our family might have two Ultimate Knockout champions.
“Just remember everything we’ve talked about.” I released her.
“I’ve got this, Dad.” She nodded one last time before I draped the red and white robe over her shoulders.
I followed her out of the tunnel that night. I stayed in the shadows, and let her have the light. She’d earned it, and I didn’t mind. I’d had my turn in the spotlight, and now it was hers.
The End
Broken Shadows Playlist
Someday- Rob Thomas
Rise Up- Imagine Dragons
Hear Me- Imagine Dragons
Burning Bridges- One Republic
White Shadows- Coldplay
What If- Coldplay
Somewhere Only We Know- Keane
The Man Who Can’t Be Moved- The Script
Don’t Give Up On Me- Andy Grammer
Are You With Me- nilu
If You’re Meant to Come Back- Justin Jesso
Destroyer- Of Monsters and Men
Bad Liar- Imagine Dragons
Never Gonna Be Alone- Nickelback
Let Me Be Myself- 3 Doors Down
Lose Somebody- One Republic
My Fault- Imagine Dragons
Shots- Imagine Dragons
Zero- Imagine Dragons
The Energy Never Dies- The Script
Spaces- Jaymes Young
For the Dreamers- Michael Logen
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
The Broken Series
Irreparably Broken
Saving Us
My Broken Angel
Broken Pieces
The Shattered Series
Destined
Shattered
Restored
Renewed
Fated
The Witness Series
Being Nobody
Becoming Somebody
Promise Me Tomorrow
Say You Remember
Below the Surface
Crash and Burn
On Broken Wings
The Second Chances Series
Unbreak Me
The Boy Next Door
The One That Got Away
Inside Out
Fallen from Grace
The Family Next Door
The Cook Brothers Series
Walking Among the Cherry Trees
Beyond the Cherry Trees
Before the Cherry Trees
The Sutter Family Series
Catching Raindrops
Trusting You
Finding the Green Room
Teaching Cayden
Standalones
Privileged
Beautiful Goodbye
Pieces of Forever
Sands of Time
Just One More
One Last Time
The Survivors Duet
Vanishing Act
Enduring Act
The Broken Series Second Generation
Broken Promises
Acknowledgements
I always have a hard time with these because I’m worried, I’ll forget someone. Friends and aspiring authors always ask me how I do it; that it must be hard. I tell them, “writing is the easy part, it’s the rest that’s hard.” Fortunately, I have a great team. The writing is the easy part. It’s the perfecting it, promoting it, molding it, designing it, and sharing it that’s hard.
Thank you to all my team members. Thank you, Angie, for being my trusty alpha. Thank you, Kellie, for the amazing editing. Thank you, Golden, for the kick ass cover photo. Thank you, Cassy, for the beautiful cover. Most of all, thank you readers. Without you, I couldn’t do what I love.
I’ve been asked about this series for years. Readers fell in love with Wes, Angela, Ally, Cole, and Maddie in the Broken Series. I alluded to a sequel at the end of Broken Pieces, but I wanted to do these characters justice. I hope you loved Easton and Hadleigh as much I did.
About the Author
Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.
She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.
She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, dog, and two cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.
You can follow her here:
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Broken Shadows (The Broken Series Second Generation Book 2) Page 17