Part 6
The next three months passed in a blur of sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and overwhelming joy. Oliver grew rapidly, his cheeks filling out and his personality beginning to shine through. He was a remarkably calm baby, only crying when he was hungry or needed a change.
Robert became a constant fixture in their lives. He visited the townhouse nearly every evening after his shifts at the hospital finished. He would shed his heavy coat, wash his hands, and immediately take Oliver from Joanna’s arms, giving her a much-needed break to shower or take a short nap.
Watching the stern, respected chief of medicine babble and make silly faces at a three-month-old baby was Joanna’s absolute favorite sight. Robert bought Oliver everything he could ever need, from educational toys to beautiful picture books, which he read aloud with dramatic voices every single night.
One Friday evening, Joanna and Robert were sitting in the living room. Oliver was asleep in his swing, a faint smile on his tiny lips. Joanna was sipping a cup of tea, feeling a deep sense of peace she never thought possible after Logan left.
“He looks more like Logan every day,” Joanna commented softly, looking at Oliver. “The way he frowns when he’s concentrating, the way his hands curl into little fists.”
Robert sighed, setting down the medical journal he was skimming. “He does. It’s a bittersweet thing to witness. I look at Oliver and I see the little boy I used to hold thirty years ago. It breaks my heart all over again that Logan is missing this. He has no idea what he threw away.”
“Do you ever think about finding him?” Joanna asked gently. “Now that you know he might be nearby?”
Robert looked out the window into the dark night. “I used to search out of desperation to fix my own mistakes. But now? If I find him, it will be to make him answer for what he did to you. He needs to know he has a son. But honestly, Joanna, I don't want his recklessness to disrupt the peace we’ve built here. You and Oliver are my priority now.”
Joanna smiled, feeling a profound warmth in her chest. She had lost a partner, but she had gained a father figure and a protector. They had built a beautiful, unconventional family out of the ruins of abandonment.
Just as she was about to speak, Robert’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, intending to silence it, but as he looked at the caller ID, his entire body froze. The color instantly drained from his face, mirroring the exact expression he had worn in the delivery room three months prior.
The screen displayed an unknown number, but the location tag listed a small town just forty miles away. And Robert’s private personal number was only known by a handful of people.
“Robert?” Joanna asked, her chest tightening with sudden apprehension. “Who is it?”
Robert didn’t answer. With a shaking thumb, he swiped the screen and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello?” he said, his voice straining.
May you like
There was a long pause on the other end, filled with the faint sound of heavy breathing and static. Then, a familiar, hesitant voice spoke through the speaker.
“Dad? Is that... is that you?”
