Chapter 26: I'm Not Losing Another Day

Floyd's POV

I want to go home to my actual real daddy.

Gio's words replayed in my head on a loop, each repetition twisting the knife deeper.

My son had looked at me like I was a stranger. Worse than a stranger. A threat.

And when Hailey had finally said it was time to leave, Gio had practically thrown himself at her like I was something dangerous he needed to escape from.

Five years. I'd missed five years of his life.

Five years of first words and first steps and bedtime stories. Five years of scraped knees and birthday parties and learning what made him laugh.

And now some other man was reaping the benefits of my DNA while I sat in supervised visits watching my son draw away from me.

The way Gio's whole face had lit up when he talked about Kingston. The absolute trust and adoration in his voice.

That should've been for me.

My phone buzzed. It was Mason.

Mason: How'd it go?

I stared at the message, not knowing how to answer.

Terrible. Horrible. My son thinks I'm nobody while calling another man daddy.

I typed back: I need a drink. Meet me at the bar in thirty minutes.

His response was immediate: Already there.

Mason was at our usual table in the back when I arrived, scotch already poured.

"That bad?" He pushed the glass toward me.

I downed it in one gulp. "He hates me."

"He's five. He doesn't hate you, he just doesn't know you."

"Exactly." I poured another. "He doesn't know me because his mother kept him from me. For five goddamn years, Mason. Five years of my son's life that I'll never get back."

"We'll get you more time." He said firmly. "Unsupervised visits. Overnights eventually..."

"Eventually." The word tasted bitter. "Meanwhile, Maxwell Kingston gets to be the daddy every single night. Gets to be the one Gio runs to. The one he trusts."

Mason leaned back, studying me. "What happened in there today?"

"He wouldn't talk to me. Kept mentioning Kingston...'Daddy took me to the museum.' Every single sentence was about him." I drained the second glass. "And when I said I was his father too, you know what he said?"

Mason didn't answer.

"He said Kingston is his real dad. Because they have the same eyes." I laughed, but it came out broken. "We have the same eyes too, Mason. Gio and I. Identical violent-blue eyes. But he thinks Kingston is his father because that's who he saw first."

"Kids get attached to who's present." Mason said, reminding me of the truth. "You weren't there..."

"Because I didn't know!" The words came out sharper than intended. It made several people glanced over. I lowered my voice. "I didn't know because Hailey hid him from me. Made sure I'd never find out."

"You left her," Mason pointed out carefully. "You ended the marriage. Can you blame her for not reaching out after that?"

I could. But there was a part of me, small, quiet, that remembered that night. Remembered sitting in my study, sliding those divorce papers across the desk. Remembered the look on her face when she'd realized what I was doing.

And I'd felt... relieved.

Because Kimberley had come back. The one who'd left to pursue her music career and broken my heart in the process.

When she'd called six years ago saying she'd made a mistake, that the conductor she'd married was wrong, that she wanted to come home, I didn't think twice.

Hailey had been convenient. A business arrangement that had accidentally started feeling like more.

But Kimberley had been everything. The woman I'd loved since college. The one who'd taught me what real passion felt like.

Or so I'd convinced myself.

"I chose Kimberley," I said quietly, more to myself than Mason. "I ended things with Hailey because I thought Kim was my second chance. My real chance at happiness."

"Was she?"

I didn't answer. Because the truth was complicated.

Kim was beautiful, talented, everything I'd remembered. But something had shifted. The passion I'd remembered felt more like desperation now. Her ambition that had once excited me now felt exhausting.

And watching Hailey at that courthouse, strong, fierce, fighting for our son with everything she had, I'd seen a woman I didn't recognize.

Not the quiet, unassuming wife I'd left behind.

This Hailey was powerful. The kind of woman who walked into boardrooms and made grown men nervous.

And she was with Maxwell. My half-brother.

"I need more time with him," I said finally. "The supervised visits aren't enough. I need Gio to see that I'm his father. That I can be what Kingston is."

"That'll be difficult." He exhaled slowly, already bracing himself. "The court favors the primary caregiver, and Lila's been that for five years..."

"I don't care what the court favors." I met his eyes. "I want my son. I want him to know me. To choose me."

He hesitated, lips pressing into a thin line. "Pushing for unsupervised visits right now might backfire. The kid barely knows you..."

"So get me more supervised time.". The words came out sharp, clipped. I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration buzzing under my skin. "Three visits a week instead of one. Longer visits. Give me something."

"I'll file the motion." He pulled out his phone, making notes. "But Floyd, you need to be realistic. Gio is attached to Kingston. To that home. To his routine. You can't force a bond that takes time to build."

Each word landed like a quiet punch.

"I don't have time." I said frustrated. "Every day Kingston gets with him is another day I lose. Another memory I'm not part of. Another reason for Gio to choose him over me."

Silence stretched between us.

"Then we play the long game." His voice steadied, firm, grounding. “We show the court you're committed. Consistent. That you're not going anywhere."

He nodded once, like he’d already decided. “I'll make this happen for you. Whatever it takes. You're my friend, and I'm going to get you your son."

The certainty in his voice was the first thing that had felt solid all day.

"Document everything," Mason continued. "Every visit. Every milestone. Show that you're present, committed, fighting for him."

I raised my glass. "To the long game."

He clinked his glass against mine. "To getting your son back."

After Mason left, I stayed at the bar, taking in another scotch.

My phone buzzed with a text from... Tiana.

Tiana: Heard about the visitation. I'll be back in the city next week. We should talk about our nephew.

My sister had been in Canada for the past two years, building her investment firm after her ugly divorce. We'd talked occasionally, but lately she'd been consumed with her own life to deal with family drama.

Apparently, that had changed.

I typed back: When?

Tiana: I'll call you. We need to discuss a plan. Hailey always underestimated me. Big mistake. She kept MY nephew from our family for five years. Time to remind her who she's dealing with.

A smile tugged at my lips, the first genuine one all day.

Hailey had forgotten that she wasn't just dealing with me. She was dealing with the entire Langford family.

I'd already lost five years. I wasn't losing another day.