Page 197 of Checkmate
“Pretty!” Odette said as she pulled the hat off. “I have.”
Alex cringed as Erica looked up at Odette in surprise. Her kind eyes showed no judgment as she smiled up at the child.
“That’s okay, precious. You can keep it,” she said with a chuckle as she looked at Alex. “Don’t worry about it, I have plenty at home.”
Finally, recognition dawned in her eyes as Alex cleared his throat awkwardly. Unsure what to do, he muttered an apology. Erica instinctively stepped toward Marcus and reached for his hand.
Frowning, Marcus glanced over at Alex, visibly tensing. On his shoulders, Odette jumped happily, playing with her new hat. “Pretty, pretty!” Marcus looked up at her and then back at Alex.
“We’re in your way,” Marcus said, stepping aside. “After you.”
Alex tensed and clenched his jaw. He wanted to do something, so he didn’t look so pathetically weak. But with his daughter looking on, all he could do was mutter his thanks as he walked past. Marcus’ hand dropped to Erica’s swollen stomach, his thumb caressing her bump.
“Everyone okay in there?” He asked, turning his back on Alex. Another chill ran down his back as the tension seemed to follow him.
“They’re both okay,” Erica replied. Alex forced himself not to turn around, but he didn’t need to see her smile to know it was lighting up her beautiful face.
She was having twins.
Rushing from the park to avoid spilling his emotions, Alex sang with Odette. It almost worked to drown out the voices of old demons. All the way home, they sang and played. A father and daughter with no care in the world. He forced Erica and Marcus from his mind and tried not to think about how happy and in love they looked.
Five minutes from home, Odette demanded to walk. Letting her down, he finally saw the hat she had stolen.
“Your mother would give you up for adoption if she caught you with this,” he said. Odette’s attention shifted to a flower. He held the hat in front of him, noting the logo for Marcus’ walking tour. Erica must have been modelling their latest merchandise.
Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, he lifted it to his nose and inhaled her scent in one long breath. Closing his eyes, he let memories of Erica and their life together wash over him.
The cute powder blue dress she had worn on their first date. Falling in love with her the moment she celebrated her sideshow win with a silly little dance. Proposing to her right there and then, and praying she’d take a chance on him.
Erica wearing a simple white wedding dress. Walking down the aisle towards him, her hair in delicate curls as she beamed a smile made just for him. Her whispering ‘I do’ and promising him forever. Their wedding night spent dancing together and whispering sweet nothings. Falling into bed and making love until the sun rose.
Her excitement when he won his first contract, and the dinner she had made to congratulate him. The way she stayed by his side when his mother’s death crippled him and he nearly lost everything. Her refusal to let him work when he was ill, insisting she take care of him.
God, he had loved her so fucking much.
He loved her.
After all this time. After two kids. During his entire relationship with Sophie, and no doubt for the rest of his days, his heart belonged to Erica.
And she had barely recognised him.
“Daddy, buzzy!”
Brought back to the present, Alex’s eyes snapped open, slightly damp as he focused on Odette.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Buzzy, daddy! Buzzy!” She waved her little hands and rushed to his side. Alex looked at the flower that had caught her attention and the fat buzzing bee going about his day.
“Oh, I see,” he said, shoving the hat into his jacket pocket. Lifting Odette into his arms, he held her tight as she wrapped her little arms around his neck in fear.
“Let’s get you home,” he murmured, picking up his pace.
A short while later, he opened the flat door and let Odette go. She ran down the corridor to the living room.
“Mum-eee! We home!”
Alex trailed behind her, draping his jacket over a hook. He grabbed the hat and shoved it inside an old shoebox just as Sophie came into view.
