From Divorce to Billionaire’s Baby

Chapter 16: The Lake House

The morning of the trip arrives far too quickly. I wake up with a mix of nervous anticipation and an odd sense of calm. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, between preparing for the baby and spending more time with Ryan, I’ve barely had a moment to catch my breath. Now, here I am, standing at the edge of what feels like a defining moment.

I pack my bags with slow, deliberate movements, trying to calm the bubbling anxiety inside me. Clothes for the weekend, some light reading to distract myself, and of course the baby’s bag just in case I have an early delivery. I am six weeks away from my estimated delivery date, but anything can happen. Including Helen stressing me.

My hand brushes against the soft fabric of a onesie as I fold it and place it in the suitcase. A small smile tugs at my lips. The baby feels more real with each passing day.

When Ryan arrives to pick me up, he greets me with a smile that’s both reassuring and a little nervous, like he’s feeling the weight of this weekend just as much as I am.

"Ready?" he asks, reaching out to take my suitcases and loading it into the trunk of his car.

"As ready as I’ll ever be," I reply, forcing a small smile as I slip into the passenger seat.

The drive to the lake house is mostly quiet at first. We exchange small talk about the weather, how warm it’s been lately, and the surprisingly light traffic. But beneath the surface, there’s an unspoken tension. I know Ryan senses my nerves, but he doesn’t push. He just lets me sit with my thoughts, giving me space to process everything. It’s one of the things I’ve always appreciated about him, his ability to be there without needing to fill every moment with words.

After a few miles, I feel Ryan’s hand find mine, his thumb gently rubbing the back of my hand. It’s a small gesture, but it grounds me, pulling me out of my spiralling thoughts and back into the present. I glance over at him, and he gives me a soft smile before turning his attention back to the road.

“You, okay?” he asks, his voice low and sincere.

I take a breath, letting the tension in my shoulders ease a little. “Yeah. Just... thinking about how this weekend could go. It’s a lot, you know?”

Ryan nods, his expression serious. “I know. But we’ll get through it. Together.” There’s a determination in his voice, a promise that feels heavier than the words themselves.

I smile, a genuine one this time, feeling a little more at ease. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

We drive in silence for a bit longer before I feel the need to break it. “I have been thinking about the nursery,” I say, glancing out the window at the passing trees. “It’s perfect. I can’t believe it’s done.”

Ryan grins. “Yeah, it came together well. It’s going to be great for her.”

There’s a warmth in his tone when he talks about the baby, and it makes my heart swell in a way that catches me off guard. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen a side of Ryan I hadn’t before, one that’s patient, attentive, and so deeply invested in our daughter’s future. He’s been there for every decision, every little choice, from the colour of the nursery walls to the kind of stroller we should buy. He listens, asks questions, and seems genuinely excited about becoming a father. It’s made me question everything I thought I knew about him, about us.

In the past, I had always felt that there was a distance between us, a disconnect I could never quite bridge. We had fallen into a routine, a cold, polite distance that eventually led to our divorce. But now? Now, he’s different. Or maybe he’s the same, and I’m just seeing him in a new light because of the baby. I still wonder... if we had been intimate way before we decided to get divorced, if I had gotten pregnant back then, would things have been different? Would we have worked harder at our marriage? Would we be living together, happier, building a life as a family? Or would we still be living as strangers, but bound by the fact that we were expecting a baby?

The thought lingers in my mind, pulling me into a spiral of what ifs and could have beens.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Ryan’s voice breaks through my reverie, gentle and curious.

I blink, suddenly realizing how quiet I’ve been, lost in my own musings. His hand is still resting on mine, and there’s a softness in his eyes, like he genuinely wants to know what’s going on in my head. Should I ask him? Should I put this question out there, hear what he thinks?

Maybe I should. Maybe I need to know if he’s ever wondered the same thing. If he’s ever looked back at our marriage and thought about how things could have turned out differently if the timing of everything had changed. If the baby had come sooner, if we had tried harder before letting go.

I hesitate, chewing on my bottom lip. Finally, I take a breath and look over at him. “Have you ever thought about it?” I ask softly.

“Thought about what?” he says, his brow furrowing in slight confusion.

“If we had... if I had gotten pregnant before we decided to get divorced. Do you think things would’ve been different? Would we have worked things out? Or would we still have ended up where we are now, just... expecting a baby?”

For a moment, Ryan doesn’t say anything, and I can see him thinking, really considering the question. His eyes flicker with a mix of emotions, surprise, maybe a little sadness, but also something else I can’t quite read.

“That’s a tough question,” he says quietly, his thumb gently brushing the back of my hand. “I don’t know if things would’ve been different. I think... we were in such a bad place back then. There was so much we didn’t talk about, so much we........I just... ignored.” He pauses, his gaze drifting to the road ahead before returning to me. “I would like to think that if we knew we were having a baby, we would’ve tried harder. Maybe we would’ve taken the time to work through everything instead of letting it fall apart. But... I don’t know. We weren’t communicating, Tess. We were just... existing.”

His words hit me harder than I expected because he’s right. We were barely talking by the end of our marriage, each of us retreating into our own world, hoping the other would figure it out without saying a word. It’s strange to hear him admit it out loud, but there’s something comforting about it too. He sees it now, just like I do.

“And now?” I ask softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think things could be different now?”

Ryan meets my gaze, and for a long moment, there’s nothing but silence between us. His hand tightens around mine just slightly, and when he finally speaks, his voice is filled with a quiet intensity. “I think... we’re in a better place now. At least, we’re talking. We’re trying. And that’s more than we were doing before.”

There’s a vulnerability in his words that touches something deep inside me, and I feel the weight of all the unresolved feelings between us. Maybe this baby, our daughter, has given us a second chance. Maybe not just at being parents, but at being... us again.

“I guess we’ll never really know what would’ve happened,” I say, my voice trailing off, though the question still lingers in the air between us. “But I do know one thing... I’m glad you’re here now.”

Ryan smiles, a soft, genuine smile that lights up his face. “I’m glad too, Tess.”

“You’ve been amazing through all of this,” I admit quietly, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “I don’t think I could have done it without you.”

Ryan glances at me, his eyes softening. “You could’ve, Tess. You’re strong. But... I’m glad you let me be part of it.”

There’s something in his voice, a vulnerability that tugs at me, making it harder to keep the walls up. I squeeze his hand, and for a moment, it feels like maybe, just maybe, things between us could be different this time.

As we approach the lake house, the familiar scenery comes into view. The sprawling lawns, the tall trees swaying in the breeze, and the glimmer of the lake in the distance. It’s just as I remember, a picturesque retreat that always felt like another world. But today, it fills me with a strange sense of dread.

Ryan pulls up in front of the house, and I spot his parents, Helen, and Robert, standing near the entrance. Helen is as poised as ever, her crisp summer dress immaculate, her hair perfectly styled. She waves as we approach, and I force myself to smile in return, even though my stomach twists with unease.

“Welcome, Tess,” Helen says as we walk up to the house. Her smile is polite, but there’s an underlying tension in her eyes, the same tension that’s always been there between us.

“Thank you, Helen,” I reply, my voice steady but guarded.

Robert steps forward with a warm smile, pulling me into a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Tess.”

“It’s good to see you too, Robert,” I say, genuinely appreciating his warmth. He’s always been kinder, more open than Helen, and it helps ease the tension a little.

Oh boy, here goes something.