The Day After

*JAMIRA*

Ayana’s words lingered in my mind all night. By morning, I had a clearer understanding of the events that had unfolded, which made me contemplative.

Eric stood in the kitchen, clad in gray sweatpants and a red T-shirt, pouring coffee while scrolling through emails.

His appearance conveyed a sense of exhaustion, a kind that settled deep within his bones.

I absentmindedly rubbed my stomach before entering the room.

“Good morning,” I greeted him.

He looked up and responded with a warm smile.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

He leaned in to kiss me, but I gently caught his wrist, drawing his attention.

“We need to talk,” I said.

His expression shifted, and he wasn’t defensive; instead, he seemed prepared for the conversation.

“About last night?” He asked.

So, he was aware. That was reassuring.

I nodded.

Eric sighed and placed his phone down.

“Okay,” he said.

I sat at the kitchen island while he remained standing.

Classic Eric, always ready to fix things rather than confront his feelings.

“I’m not coming to you about Kacie,” I said.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

“Then what?” He asked.

“Kayla,” I replied.

That revelation immediately changed the dynamic, causing his face to soften.

“She thinks you’re mad at her,” I said.

I allowed him to process this information for a moment, letting him fully comprehend its implications. He cursed under his breath and leaned against the counter.

“Damn,” he muttered.

And that single word told me everything. There were no excuses or dismissals; there was only guilt.

“I didn’t know,” he admitted.

“I know,” I said.

His jaw clenched.

“I’ve just been trying to juggle everything,” he explained.

“I know,” I said.

“Do you?” he asked, his voice sharper than I had anticipated.

Then he sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“No, say it,” I urged.

He blinked, and I pushed him further.

“Tell me,” I said.

Eric ran a hand over his face.

“I’m trying to be here for you,” he said.

His voice cracked slightly.

“For our son,” he added.

That word still stirred something warm within me.

“But I’m also trying to ensure that Kacie and Kayla are okay,” he continued.

He paused for a moment.

“And work hasn’t slowed down,” he said.

I nodded.

Then, in a quieter moment, I asked, “Did you ever expect Kacie to stay here forever?”

That question caught him off guard.

“No,” he replied immediately.

The answer was surprising, and I found myself intrigued.

“She needed stability,” he said.

I remained silent as he continued to speak.

After everything with Kayla’s dad, finances became a mess. I had space, and it made sense.

“And now?”

Eric exhaled. Now we were getting somewhere.

“Now,” he said slowly, “I knew eventually she’d need her own place.”

There it was. Not rejection, but reality.

“Have you told her that?”

He hesitated.

“Mhm.”

“Eric.”

“I asked if she was saving.”

“Recently?”

He winced.

“No, before you agreed to live here.”

Got it. So the conversation existed—but unfinished. Not intentional neglect, but avoidance.

“Because you knew this day would come.”

“Yes.”

“But saying it makes you feel guilty.”

There was that silence that weighed the air down and everything else in it. Bullseye.

“Damn,” he muttered.

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

He laughed without humor.

“No, you’re not.”

I shifted in my seat, my stomach tightening as the baby kicked.

Eric’s eyes dropped immediately and instinctively as always. His hand landed there, both warm and protective.

“I just wanted everybody close,” he admitted quietly.

And THERE was the truth. No logistics, just pure emotion.

“Because I missed enough already.”

That made me freeze.

Kayla. The pregnancy chaos. Everything.

Eric swallowed.

“I missed scheduled events. Stress. Uncertainty. I wasn’t there the way I should’ve been.”

His thumb rubbed my stomach absently.

“I wanted my family where I could see them.”

Oh.

That hurt, but not for reasons you’d expect like him being domineering, but because it was love. Misguided maybe, but love nonetheless.

“I get that,” I whispered.

“Then why does this feel like I’m failing everyone?”

“Because love and access aren’t the same thing.”

Eric looked at me confused.

“You can love everybody and still not be equally available.”

That landed hard, and I could see it in his face.

“And Kayla notices.”

He nodded slowly.

“Yeah.”

“She loves you.”

“I love her too.”

“I know.”

Then gently: “But she’s eight.”

He closed his eyes.

Yeah.

That one hurt probably the most.

“So what do I do?”

“I think we focus on what Kacie actually needs instead of trying to figure out what she wants.”

With a soft nod and a sigh, Eric looked at me and understood exactly what needed to happen.

He quickly stole a kiss and smiled before he returned to his phone. Now that the hard part was done, it’s time to take action.