A Chance Encounter

Chapter 148

Chapter 148

It's been months now that Luke's daughter was born with his wife. He has been doing well, being the doting father. He never thought he would feel this way, but he does. He loves this child more and more each day that passes.

His relationship with Whitney is good, better than it has been. It's all he wanted which surprises him as well. He knows he should feel more towards her, more love more closeness but he doesn't. Not like he knows he should, something is missing. He just keeps that to himself. he is happy, and doing his best for his daughter. He never thought having a child would feel like this. For his daughter, he would do anything even to stay with Whitney, even though he was really in love with someone else.

The family he had was more important than love. All his overthinking would set in. Feeling it wouldn't work anyway and Alana was happy with Thomas. If he felt this way about his daughter, he was sure Alana felt this way about her children and wouldn't want to hurt them either. He knew he made the best choice. It was one he would have to live with.

Luke is at work, and Brad still comes to see him at lunchtime. Seeing a different Luke as the months have passed. One that is more focused on being a dad, one that is finally a bit happy with his life. It's great for his friend to see because he knows before he was falling apart.

"Hey man, I have some hoagies for us for lunch today," Brad says.

"Great, I have more baby pictures to show you." Luke laughs.

"I knew it, every day you show me more and more. What do you do go home and just keep snapping that camera?" Brad chuckles.

"I don't want to miss a thing. It's like I am a way from her during the day and she grows. I swear." Luke answers.

"Man, it's great seeing you like this. Your happy, it's wonderful." Brand replies.

"I am, I love my child." Luke states.

"And Whitney?" Brad asks.

"I am happy with her as well. I love her, just in a different way, than I thought before." Luke admits.

"What do you mean? You were so gung ho about having her spend more time with you and working on this marriage." Brad replies.

"I know, I was fighting for a relationship that I wanted, just with the wrong person. I wanted a close marriage, a family, she wanted a career, a sappy husband to do whatever she wanted. I didn't see it then too wrapped up in trying to make it work. I let her walk all over me back then." Luke answers.

"I told you that years ago and you didn't want to listen," Brad says.

"I know, I learned it my own way. She changed so she says, but I am sure it's not because I wanted her to. She still wants her career Brad, she still goes off at times leaving me and the baby. She just doesn't do it as often. I think she saw all her friends having children and she didn't want to be left out. Something doesn't make sense. She never wanted to have kids then all of a sudden boom, let's make a baby?" Luke responds.

"Really, is this the Luke I know from last year? What happened to you?" Brad asks.

"My head was everywhere, I couldn't think. I didn't want my marriage to end. Then I met Alana and I saw what real love was, what real want was. I just wasn't man enough to let go. My fear held me back in many ways. My beliefs held me back, and then she didn't show up, her husband did when I wanted her back. She was pregnant, and then my wife. I did the right thing and I am glad I did. I want my child to have a father, to know me. I want to be there. At the same time, that doesn't mean, I don't see Whitney for what she is, or that I haven't realized that the only woman I ever really loved, I let go." Luke confesses.

"Wow, you sure matured. So your just going to let it all go and stay like this?" Brad asks.

"Yes, I want to be with my daughter, and I will enjoy my marriage the best I can. It has been good, what I have asked for. I will leave Alana alone, and let her be happy with her family." Luke answers.

"Do you think Whitney knows something?" Brad asks.

"I don't know, I just now really find all that she did suspicious. Now that I can think with a clear mind. Her actions do not make sense to me when I look back on all of it." Luke replies.

"Her actions never did to me, but you knew that." Brad states.

"I know. If she knew something was up, I guess she didn't want our marriage to end either. So, she did what she thought was best." Luke comments.

"She trapped you," Brad says.

"I was trapped before that, I was trapped in my own fears. I let them win, so here I am. Now I deal with the consequences. I did this." Luke responds.

"It doesn't mean you have to be with someone you don't want to be with," Brad replies.

"True, I do love her, don't get me wrong. It's just in a different way than I love Alana. I see that now. That doesn't mean I can't be happy, I just know the difference now." Luke comments.

"Do you think she misses you?" Brad asks.

"I hope she thinks about me sometimes. That she never forgets what we had. That she forgives me for what I did. It hurts me to look back now and see how I ran." Luke replies.

"I guess we all live with mistakes," Brad announces.

"Yes, Some bigger than others," Luke responds.