10. Anders

ten

Anders

W ith a sigh, I glance at Heidi, who is still holding that adorable baby in her arms, and I wonder what our child would look like. Would he have sable-brown hair like his mother? Or would he have dirty blond hair like me? Or dark hair like Riggs? Or maybe strawberry blond hair like Bodie? The possibilities are endless, but not our reality.

I catch Heidi's eye, and she gives me a huge smile. She picks up the baby's tiny little arm and waves it at us, and my heart almost stops. Is this what it would be like if Heidi was the mother of our children? At the age of thirty-six, I'd pretty much given up on finding the one to settle down with and spend my whole life with. But then Heidi popped into our lives, and that's all I can think of. She's all I can think of. Unfortunately, she's way too young for us, and it's not fair for her to continue with a relationship that isn't going anywhere.

It's time we man up and let her live her life and experience the world until she's ready to settle down with her special someone. I choke down the bile that's rising in my throat just thinking about her with someone else.

How did one woman come to mean so much to us so quickly that we would give up our own happiness for her to find the happiness she deserves?

I attempt to smile back, but it feels forced. She must realize we have something important to talk to her about. Her smile fades as she hands the baby back to its mother, whom I assume is its mother, before skating over to where the three of us stand on the ice.

"You guys look so serious. Is everything okay?"

"We, um, wanted to let you know that our time with you is over." I stumble over the words, hating each one as they fall from my lips.

"What Anders is trying to say is that it's been fun, but it's time we all moved on." Bodie jumps into the conversation, his voice holding a little enthusiasm at the words hurting our Baby Girl, something any good Daddy Dom would never do.

That's the catch: we aren't good, Daddy Doms. If we were, we would do everything in our power to make her happy and not break her heart like I can tell we are doing now by the devastation in her eyes.

"But we just…I mean, I thought this meant something to the three of you because it meant something to me." Her dark chocolate brown eyes fill with tears but I know I have to end any hope she is clinging to with my next words.

"It's over Heidi."