Mia's POVI sat in the dimly lit car, staring at him—the man who had been a constant presence in our lives for the past four years.Steady. Reliable. Full of love.These were qualities Kyle had never possessed, at least not in the way Thomas offered them. Thomas had given me everything I had ever imagined about the security of love, and I had been greedily indulging in it.If my relationship with Thomas were to become like the one I had with Kyle—filled with insecurity, chaos, and unbearable pain—would I still love Thomas?The thought made my stomach clench with shame. Am I a shameless person? I dared not face these thoughts."Mia," Thomas said again, his voice gentle but insistent. "Please. Talk to me."I looked at him. His kind brown eyes were creased with concern, his hand reaching across the console toward mine. This was Thomas. The man who had held my hair back when I had morning sickness during those early days with the twins. Who had taught Alexander and Ethan how to tie their
Mia's POV"Mia, isn't it?" Victoria turned to me with that same cold smile. "I don't believe Thomas has mentioned you before."The implication was clear.Thomas said quickly, "Mia is my girlfriend. I believe I've mentioned her many times."The word 'girlfriend' hung in the air between us.and I saw something flicker across Victoria's perfectly made-up face. "Your girlfriend," she repeated slowly, as if testing the word. "How lovely. I'm sure you two are very... happy together."And the pause before 'happy' was deliberate."We are," I said firmly, slipping my arm through Thomas's. "Very happy."Madison tugged on Thomas's other hand. "Uncle Thomas, will you dance with me? Pleeeease?""I'd love to, sweetheart," Thomas said, glancing at me apologetically. "Just for a few minutes?"What could I say? No, don't dance with the adorable little girl who clearly adores you? I wasn't that petty, even if her mother made my skin crawl."Of course," I said, forcing another smile. "I'll just check o
Mia's POVI held my sons close, their small bodies against mine as other parents began to disperse, the drama officially over."Mama, are you okay?" Ethan asked softly, his small hand patting my cheek."I'm fine, sweetheart," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just making sure you two are okay.""We're okay," Alexander said firmly. "But that girl was mean, and her mom was meaner.""Sometimes people have bad days," I said diplomatically."There you are."Thomas's voice came from behind me. I turned to see him approaching with two glasses of champagne and an apologetic smile."Sorry I disappeared," he said, handing me one of the glasses. "I ran into an old friend and got caught up in conversation. Everything is okay?"I took a sip of champagne, using the moment to compose myself. "Just a little playground drama. Nothing serious."Thomas studied my face with those perceptive brown eyes. "You sure? You look upset.""Really, it's fine," I insisted. "Just some kid drama that got blown out of proport
Mia's POV"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately going into crisis mode."There's kids playing tag in the garden!" Ethan announced breathlessly. "Can we play too? Please?"I looked around and spotted several other children around their age racing through the French doors that led to the terrace."As long as you stay where I can see you," I said. "And no climbing on anything! And if you get dirty, you'll have to sit quietly for the rest of the night.""We promise!" they chorused, already turning to race back toward the doors."Be careful!" I called after them, then turned back to Thomas with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Parental override.""I love watching you with them," he said softly, pulling me close again. "You're such a good mother, Mia.""I try," I replied, though I wasn't always sure I was doing it right. Single parenting was exhausting, even with all the help I had."You don't just try," Thomas insisted. "You succeed. Every day."His words warmed me."Thomas," I began, not sure
Mia's POV"Mind if I steal Mia for a moment?" he asked Thomas. "I need to practice my speech, and she's always been my best audience.""Of course," Thomas smiled. "Just bring her back before the dancing starts."Nate led me to a quieter corner of the ballroom, near the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the gardens."Nervous?" I asked, noting the slight tension in his shoulders."Terrified," he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh."You'll be fine," I assured him. "Just speak from the heart.""They really are perfect together." Nate continued quietly.There was something wistful in his voice that made my chest tighten. We'd never really talked about his dating life since he'd moved back to New York. I knew he went out occasionally, but nothing serious, nothing that lasted."You'll find it," I said gently. "The right person is out there."He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe some of us are meant to be the matchmaker instead of the match."Before
Mia's POV"Mia," Thomas's voice snapped me out of my daze.I blinked, realizing I'd been staring out the car window for who knows how long, completely lost in thought. The city scenery blurred past us as we made our way to Jeo and Leila's wedding."Sorry," I said, turning to face him with what I hoped was an apologetic smile. "Just thinking."Thomas squeezed my hand gently, his thumb tracing small circles on my knuckles. He didn't ask what I was thinking about, though I could see the question in his warm brown eyes. He never pushed, and it made me feel even more guilty.Because I'd been thinking about Maxwell again.And by extension, about Kyle.The resemblance between them was driving me absolutely insane. Every time I met with Jackson Maxwell for the estate project, I found myself studying his face, looking for differences."Mama, are we there yet?" Alexander's voice piped up from the backseat, cutting through my spiraling thoughts."Almost, sweetheart," I replied, grateful for the