Better Than Tonight

Surprise

Before I know it, a year has passed. Bridget is working out perfectly, and Hudson's birthday is quickly approaching. He's grown so much in such a short amount of time i am in disbelief how fast the time has gone.

Bridget and I carefully plan a special birthday trip to Bronx Zoo for the famous Dinosaur Safari. He is absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs, and I managed to snag a great reservation for a solo bone dig after hours. My family flies in for the weekend, and a few coworkers come, and the party is a success.

Monday morning comes back around and it's time for work again. After stopping in the break room for a short time I head to the conference room. We are starting on a big case this week and I'm already neck deep in paperwork. The press is calling this one of the biggest scandals in New York right now because of the mayor's involvement. This the type of case that made me want to become a lawyer in the first place. For the first in a long time, I am excited to be working.

With my face buried deep in a deposition I enter the conference room and meander my way over to my usual seat beside Frank. Sutton, a son of one of the original founders of the firm calls for our attention and begins to go over the new case we are starting on this week. I don't bother lifting my eyes from my laptop as the acting partners have already been over these many times before.

I hear Suttons voice trailing in the background.

"A former associate is returning to the firm. You're all familiar with him and will have no problem reintegrating him back into the workplace."

I still don't bother removing my attention from my computer. We go through this all the time. Freelance lawyers are called in each time we are dealing with more complex cases to help lighten the workload on the firm. There is no need to waste my time getting to know someone who isn't sticking around.

"He has been offered a permanent position at the firm. Everyone, please take a moment to congratulate Mr. Phoenix on his ongoing journey her at S&F!"

My heart starts to race and my head starts to spin. This whole thing feels like a fever dream. A familiar booming voice echoes through the room and shakes me to my core. I slowly lower the screen on my laptop to find Jack standing at the head of the table. My whole body almost jumps up and dashes straight out the door. I begin to shake nervously. I'm not sure whether to run or vomit. Things have been so smooth lately. A small pit of anger forms in my stomach. How can he just stroll in here without even letting me know he was coming back. No text, no call, hell, not even a work email. I literally am in disbelief.

I reopen my laptop and act as if I am unphased by his presence for the rest of the meeting. Just when i was beginning to get over him and my life was getting back on track, he wants to come bursting back in. As far as I'm concerned, things can continue on the way they have been. With me and Hudson living our lives and Jack and I pretending one another don't exist.

The meeting is wrapping up for the day, and I see Jack glancing over at me with a haphazard expression on his face. He cracks an apprehensive smile, trying to judge my reaction to the situation.

He thinks he can just walk in here without warning after what happened. This man must have lost his mind. Sutton makes his closing remarks, and before Jack can make his way over to me, I spring straight up. I gather my things as quickly as possible and make my way towards the door.

"Willoww?"

I hear Jack huff out from somewhere behind me.

I head to my office as quickly as possible with Jack right on my heels. I slam the door behind me and press my back up against it as to shield myself from his possible intrusion.

"Willow? " Willow?", He pleads!

"Can we talk? Please? You don't have to say anything, but I need to apologize... make things right. "

His voice is my undoing. I turn straight around and brace my body against the door. It's taking everything in me not to open it.

"I, I can't do this, Jack."

A burning lump forms in my throat. Make things right? Has this man lost his mind? He spends all that time making me fall in love with him; talking about marriage and the future only to take off and leave for the other side of the country for a year and still expects me to forgive him!

A few moments later, I hear shuffling and his shadow leaves from beneath the door. Once I'm sure that he's gone, I slide down the door, and the tears come flowing out. I hide in my office the rest of the day, antagonizing about how I'm going to handle seeing Jack every day now that he's here for good.

How will I face him knowing we have a child together that he is unaware of? How can i work with him again knowing that I have kept such a secret from him?
The questions are far beginning to outweigh the answers.

I only know of one way to get ahead of this. Immediately, I open my computer and start a message to Jack's personal email. If I send it through his company email it could be picked up by the server monitor and lord know I don't need any more controversy.

Jack,

I apologize for the way I acted earlier. Honestly, it was a total surprise seeing you after all this time, especially without warning. Maybe somewhere down the line, we can make amends and be friends again, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Hopefully, we can put all that behind us and continue to maintain a professional relationship for the good of both our careers.

all the best,
Willow

I close my laptop and grab my things to head home. Today has been such a crazy day. All I want is to go home and be with my son. I spot Jack staring intently at his phone and waiting for his car as soon as I step out the main entrance. My feet stutter and shuffle back towards the door so as not to catch his attention. I watch him secretly from behind until he the long black SUV I know to be his driver takes him away.

"Our son," i whisper to myself.

What have I done?