CHAPTER 48

The sound of Alexander's footsteps echoed softly as he walked toward the door. He had been here for hours—helping with Ember, cooking, and even cleaning up after dinner. The man I knew before would never have done any of that. He was proud, arrogant, and entitled. But now? Now, he was humble, careful, almost... desperate to prove himself.

As he reached for the doorknob, something inside me shifted. I wasn't ready to let him go just yet—not tonight.

"Wait," I said, my voice softer than I intended.

Alexander froze, his hand hovering just above the doorknob. He turned to look at me, his face a mixture of confusion and hope.

"Stay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Stay for the night."

The shock in his eyes was unmistakable. His lips parted slightly, as if he was about to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he just stood there, staring at me like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling vulnerable under his gaze. "Don't get any ideas," I added quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. "We need to talk."

His expression softened, and he gave me a small, tentative nod. "Okay."

I motioned for him to follow me back into the living room. He hesitated for a moment before stepping away from the door and taking a seat on the couch. I sat across from him, my hands folded in my lap, trying to gather my thoughts.

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the baby monitor on the coffee table. Ember was asleep in her crib, her soft, steady breathing providing a calming backdrop to the tension between us.

Alexander looked at me expectantly, his hands resting on his knees. He seemed nervous, like he was bracing himself for something.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "I've been thinking," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "About everything."

His eyes searched mine, but he didn't say anything. He just waited, giving me the space to speak.

"You've changed," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I can see it. You're trying so hard to be a good father to Ember, and... I appreciate that. I really do."

He opened his mouth to say something, but I held up a hand, stopping him. "Let me finish."

He nodded, leaning back slightly, his posture tense but attentive.

"I'll admit, when you first showed up, I didn't know what to think. I was angry, hurt, confused... I didn't trust you, and honestly, I still don't completely. But you've been here, helping me, showing me that you're serious about being in Ember's life. And I can't ignore that."

Alexander's expression was unreadable, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clenched and unclenched as if he was trying to contain his emotions.

"I've been holding onto a lot of anger," I continued, my voice breaking slightly. "Anger at you for what you did, for how you treated me. But I don't want to live like that anymore. It's exhausting. And it's not fair to Ember. She deserves to have both of her parents in her life—if that's what you truly want."

"It is," he said quickly, his voice filled with emotion. "I want to be here for her. For both of you. I know I've made mistakes—huge mistakes—but I want to make it right. I'll do whatever it takes, Isabella. Whatever it takes."

I looked down at my hands, twisting them nervously. "I've decided to give you another chance," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

His sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room. When I looked up, I saw tears glistening in his eyes.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice shaking.

I nodded, my own eyes welling up. "But this doesn't mean I've forgiven you completely. It's going to take time, Alexander. A lot of time. And you're going to have to earn my trust back. This isn't going to be easy."

"I don't care how hard it is," he said, his voice firm. "I'll do whatever it takes, Isabella. I swear."

For the first time in what felt like forever, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't seen before: sincerity.

We sat there in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling over us.

"I just... I want to be a family," he said softly, his voice breaking. "I want to be the father Ember deserves. And I want to be the man you deserve. I know I've let you down, but I promise, I'll never make those mistakes again."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Part of me wanted to believe him, to let myself hope that this time would be different. But another part of me was still guarded, still afraid of getting hurt again.

"We'll see," I said finally, my voice firm. "Actions speak louder than words, Alexander. If you're serious about this, you're going to have to prove it."

"I will," he said without hesitation.

For the first time in months, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe this could work. Maybe we could find a way to move forward, for Ember's sake and for our own.

As the night wore on, we sat there talking—about the past, the future, and everything in between. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn't carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

It wasn't going to be easy, but maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to make this work.