From Divorce to Billionaire’s Baby

Chapter Seven: Unspoken Hopes

The air between us feels thick, the weight of our conversation hanging like a cloud as we wait for the waiter to return with our food. My heart is pounding, my mind racing as I digest Ryan’s words. He wants to be involved. He wants to make things right. I wish it were that simple.

I glance down at my belly, my hand resting protectively over the small bump. It’s strange to think that the tiny life growing inside me is the one thing that binds us together now. We couldn’t make our marriage work, but now, this baby is forcing us to confront the things we tried to avoid.

“So, how can I be involved?” Ryan’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. His tone is soft, but there’s a seriousness in it that I can’t ignore.

I look up at him, studying his face for a moment. He looks different now, not just physically, but emotionally. He’s not the distant, emotionally unavailable man I remember. There’s an earnestness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in the years we were married. But is that enough?

“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice careful.

“I want to know how I can help, how I can be there for the baby,” Ryan says, leaning forward slightly. “I don’t want to just pop in and out of your life. I want to be a real father, Tess. I don’t want to make the same mistakes I made in our marriage.”

His words make my chest tighten. For so long, I wished he would said something like this, back when we were still together, back when I was desperate for him to let me in. But now, I’m not sure what to do with it. Can I trust him? Can I let him be part of this, knowing what we’ve already been through?

“I don’t know, Ryan,” I admit, shaking my head slightly. “This isn’t just about you being involved in the baby’s life. It’s about what that means for me, too. We didn’t exactly do well together before.”

He nods, his expression serious. “I know. I’ve been thinking a lot about that, too. I wasn’t fair to you, Tess. I wasn’t present. I didn’t give you what you needed. But this baby… this changes things. I don’t want to repeat those mistakes.”

There’s a sincerity in his words, a vulnerability that tugs at something deep inside me. I want to believe him. I want to believe that he’s capable of change, that he can be the father our baby deserves. But the hurt from our marriage is still too fresh, too raw.

“You’re asking me to trust you again,” I say, my voice quiet but firm. “But trust isn’t something you can just ask for, Ryan. It’s something you must earn.”

He looks down, nodding. “I know,” he says softly. “I know I’ve got a lot to prove. And I’m not expecting you to forgive me overnight. I just want to start somewhere. I want to be there for the baby. And for you… if you’ll let me.”

Before I can respond, the waiter returns, placing our meals in front of us. The brief interruption gives me a moment to gather my thoughts, to steady the swirl of emotions that’s building inside me. I glance down at my plate, my appetite suddenly gone, replaced by the heavy weight of uncertainty.

As the waiter leaves, Ryan speaks again, his voice tentative. “Tess, I meant what I said. I’m not going to push you. I just want to be here. I want to do things right this time.”

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I need time, Ryan,” I say, echoing the same words I’d spoken earlier. “I can’t just forget everything that happened between us. But I’ll think about it. About how we can make this work.”

He nods, his gaze steady on mine. “That’s all I’m asking for. Time.”

We fall into silence for a few moments, the tension easing slightly now that we’ve both said what’s on our minds. I push the food around on my plate, feeling the weight of everything settle on my shoulders. There’s something else I’ve been wanting to ask, something that’s been gnawing at me since the day Ryan showed up at my office.

I set my fork down and look up at him, my heart thudding in my chest. “Ryan… why did you come to my office the other day?”

He blinks, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation. “What do you mean?”

“What did you want?” I clarify. “You showed up out of the blue, after months of not speaking. Why?”

Ryan hesitates, his expression faltering for a moment. “I… I don’t know,” he admits, running a hand through his hair. “I guess I just… I missed you, Tess. I missed us.”

My heart clenches at his words, a wave of conflicting emotions crashing over me. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I believe him. But the vulnerability in his voice, the way he’s looking at me now, it’s stirring something in me that I’m not ready to confront.

“I didn’t come there with any expectations,” Ryan continues, his voice quiet. “I just… I needed to see you. And when I found out about the baby… everything changed. I realized I can’t keep pretending like we don’t matter.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. This is the Ryan I always wanted, the one who’s open, honest, and vulnerable. But the timing feels off, like too much has happened, and it might be too late for us.

But the baby… the baby is everything now.

I let out a slow breath, leaning back in my chair. “You can be involved, Ryan,” I say, my voice steady but guarded. “But you must prove that you’re serious. This isn’t just about you and me anymore. It’s about the baby.”

Ryan nods, understanding flashing in his eyes. “I will, Tess. I’ll prove it to you. I promise.”

As we sit there in silence, the future feels uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, I feel a small flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Ryan has changed.

But only time will tell.