Chapter 23 - Sonya

The front door creaks open, and I’m instantly on alert, setting Fiona’s bottle down and heading toward the foyer. Jack’s footsteps are heavier than usual, and I’ve had this uneasy feeling in my gut all day. I expected him back earlier, but something must’ve gone wrong because it’s nearly dark now, and the tension I’ve been carrying around hasn’t eased up one bit.

“Jack?” I call out, quickening my pace. “What happened?”

But as I round the corner, my breath catches in my throat. Jack isn’t alone. A woman clings to his arm, stumbling slightly as he helps her inside. Her clothes are torn and dirty, her face is marked with cuts and bruises, and she looks like she’s been through hell. But it’s the familiarity in her features that stops me cold.

“Sonya,” Jack’s eyes darting between me and the woman. “This is Casey… Fiona’s mother.”

I stare at them as my mind scrambles to catch up. Casey, the woman who left Fiona behind, who walked away without a second thought. And now she’s here, looking like she barely made it out of whatever mess she got herself into.

“Hey,” Casey murmurs. She tries to stand straighter, but her legs wobble, and Jack’s grip tightens around her waist.

Jack’s concern is written all over his face, but his gaze flits between Casey and me as if trying to gauge how to handle this. “She got caught up with some rogues,” he explains. “We found her tied up with some other women. She’s hurt, and she needs a place to stay while we figure things out.”

Casey lets out a pained sigh before she asks, “How’s Fiona? Is she okay?”

Jack’s expression hardens, and he shakes his head. “She’s fine, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to see her right now, Casey. Not until we sort everything out. I don’t want to confuse her.”

Casey’s face falls, and for a second, I almost feel sorry for her. But I remember the way she left Fiona behind, the way Jack had to step up without any warning, and any sympathy I might’ve had evaporates. Still, I bite my tongue and swallow my feelings. Now’s not the time.

“I’ll get some towels and water,” I offer, heading to the bathroom to grab supplies. I can hear Casey mumbling something to Jack, but I can’t make out the words. My heart thuds as I fill a bowl with warm water.

When I return, Jack’s helping Casey onto the couch. He’s focused, trying to keep her comfortable, but there’s a stiffness in his movements that tells me he’s struggling to keep his emotions in check.

“Here,” I say, setting the bowl on the coffee table and handing Jack a washcloth. “Let’s clean up some of those cuts.”

“Thanks,” Casey murmurs, glancing at me for just a second. “I’m sorry to show up like this. I just… I didn’t know where else to go.”

Jack dabs at a cut on her cheek. “You’re lucky we found you when we did. It could’ve been a lot worse.”

As Jack tends to her, I stand back, folding my arms tightly across my chest. I watch them closely, trying to read between the lines of their interactions. There’s history here, a past that I can’t ignore, and it’s making my stomach churn. Casey leans into Jack’s touch, brushing his arm with her fingers, and I catch the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. A smile that sends a sharp pang of jealousy through me.

“I was just trying to enjoy some freedom,” Casey explains. Her voice is small, almost childlike. “But things got out of hand, and I ended up with the wrong crowd. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Jack finishes cleaning the cut and sits back. “You walked away, Casey.”

Casey’s eyes glisten with unshed tears, and she nods, her shoulders slumping. “I know. I’m sorry. I regret it every day. I was stupid, and I thought I needed to find myself, but all I found was a lot of bad decisions.”

The room falls silent. I want to say something, to tell her that she doesn’t get to play the victim, but Jack’s expression stops me. He’s not angry with her, not entirely. He’s hurt, and he’s caught between his past with Casey and his present with Fiona. And, maybe, with me.

“Get some rest,” Jack finally says, standing up and gesturing toward the guest room, the room I used to sleep in before I started sharing a bed with Jack. “We’ll figure out what to do next in the morning.”

Casey nods, and as Jack helps her to her feet, I can’t help but feel a twist of something ugly and raw in my chest. Watching them like this, the way Jack’s trying to be the bigger person, the way Casey latches onto his kindness—it’s stirring up emotions I don’t like one bit.

I hover in the doorway as Jack leads Casey to the guest room. Fiona’s soft babbling from her crib in Jack’s room echoes down the hall, a reminder of why Casey’s presence here feels like a disruption. Jack’s shoulders are tense, his movements careful as he helps her settle onto the bed, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m intruding on a moment that’s not meant for me.

“Thanks, Jack,” Casey says, her voice soft as she sinks into the pillows. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just… I needed help.”

Jack stands at the edge of the bed with his hands stuffed into his pockets, as if he doesn’t quite know what to do with them. “We’ll figure it out,” he replies. “For now, just rest.”

He turns to leave, and his eyes briefly meet mine. There’s something there—an apology, maybe—but it’s gone as quickly as it came. He brushes past me, and I follow him out, closing the door gently behind us.

“Thanks for helping,” he murmurs, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up in every direction. “I know this is… a lot.”

I nod, swallowing back the emotions that threaten to spill over. “She seems pretty shaken up,” I say, trying to keep my tone neutral, but it’s hard when my insides feel like they’re twisting into knots. “I get why you’re doing this.”

Jack sighs, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes briefly. He seems to be searching for the right words. “She’s Fiona’s mother,” he says. His voice is tinged with something I can’t quite place. Guilt, maybe. Or regret. “I can’t just turn her away, no matter how much I want to.”

I nod, understanding but not really wanting to. “You’re doing the right thing, Jack,” I tell him. “Fiona deserves to know her mother, even if it’s complicated.”

He opens his eyes, and there’s a softness in his gaze that makes my heart clench. “I don’t want her to be confused,” he says quietly. “Fiona deserves stability. I don’t want Casey’s sudden appearance to mess that up for her.”

“And it won’t,” I assure him, though I’m not entirely sure if I’m trying to convince him or myself. “We’ll figure it out.”

He nods, and for a moment, we just stand there with the weight of the day pressing down on us. I can tell he’s exhausted, not just from the mission but from the emotional rollercoaster that Casey’s arrival has brought. I reach out, grazing my hand against his arm, offering silent support.

“Why don’t you go check on Fiona?” I suggest gently. “I’ll make sure Casey’s settled.”

He hesitates but then nods, giving my hand a quick squeeze before he heads down the hall. I watch him go, my heart aching at the sight of his slumped shoulders. He’s carrying so much right now, and I wish I could take some of that burden off his back, but there’s only so much I can do.

I turn back to the guest room, steeling myself before I step inside. Casey’s eyes flutter open as I approach, and she offers me a weak smile. “Thanks for letting me stay,” she says, her voice rough and thin. “I know it’s… complicated.”

I force a smile, trying to keep the judgment out of my eyes. “It’s fine. We’re just glad you’re safe.” I don’t mention that she’s the last person I expected to see, or that the sight of her with Jack makes something ugly twist in my chest. Instead, I busy myself with adjusting the blankets, fussing over details to keep my hands from shaking.

Casey watches me, her gaze lingering in a way that makes me uncomfortable. “Jack seems happy,” she says, her tone casual but probing. “You must be good for him.”

I glance up, caught off-guard by the statement. There’s a slight tilt to her lips, something that could be a smirk or just a remnant of pain. “He’s a good guy,” I say simply, not wanting to get into the complexities of whatever this is between Jack and me. “He deserves to be happy.”

Casey nods, her expression softening. “I’m glad he has someone like you,” she admits, and for a moment, her vulnerability peeks through. “I didn’t handle things well. I thought leaving was the best thing for Fiona… and for me. But looking back, I just… I screwed up. Big time.”

I don’t know what to say to that. Part of me wants to tell her she’s right, that she did screw up and that Fiona deserved better. But another part of me, the part that’s learned to navigate the gray areas of life, understands that people make mistakes. Big ones. Ones they can’t always take back.

“It’s not too late,” I offer cautiously. “You’re here now. You can still be part of Fiona’s life, if that’s what you want.”

“I do,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “More than anything. I just hope Jack can forgive me.”

There’s a pang in my chest at her words, and I can’t help but wonder where I fit into all of this. I’ve been there for Jack and Fiona, been part of their little world, and now Casey’s sudden reappearance feels like a threat to that. But I can’t let my insecurities dictate how I handle this. Jack needs support, not someone clinging to what-ifs.

“I think he will,” I say softly. “But it’s going to take time.”

Casey gives me a grateful look, and I step back, letting her rest. I close the door behind me, my mind racing. This wasn’t what I signed up for when I decided to stay in Green Lake, but life has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it. I just hope I’m ready to catch this one.

I try to swallow the lump in my throat as I step into the living room, leaving Jack and Fiona behind. The door clicks softly shut, but the weight of everything doesn’t ease. I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, but the tightness in my chest remains. Jack’s got his hands full, and maybe it’s better if I’m not constantly hovering around, watching from the sidelines as he tries to make sense of the mess Casey’s arrival has stirred up.

I’ve never been good at standing on the sidelines. Not when it matters.

So I do the one thing I can think of: I give them space. The next few days, I spend more time with Piper, Jane, Riley, and Lenny. We spend hours at Piper’s place, drinking coffee and cocktails that are always too strong, talking about anything that isn’t Jack, Casey, or the tangled web of feelings I’m caught in. I laugh at their jokes, try to let their lightness seep into me, but there’s a part of me that’s always somewhere else—wondering what’s happening back at Jack’s, wondering if Casey’s weaseled her way into more than just the guest room.

“So, what’s holding you back?” Jane asks one afternoon as she watches me from across the table. “You’ve got a free ticket back to Stardust Hollow whenever you want. What’s keeping you here?”

I glance up from my mug, trying to buy time as I think of a good answer. “I’ve got things here,” I say, but even to my ears, it sounds flimsy. I haven’t exactly set down roots in Green Lake. Sure, I’ve been staying with Jack, and there’s Fiona, but those things aren’t permanent. They never were.

“Come on, Sonya,” Riley cuts in, nudging my arm with his elbow. “We miss you there, you know.”

Lenny nods, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, forget about your ex and his cronies. Who cares about what they think? They’re not the ones who matter.”

But it’s not just the people. It’s the whole damn place. Stardust Hollow is where I fell apart, where everything went wrong, and I can’t help but feel like going back would be like stepping into the past, like I’d be picking up right where I left off. And I can’t do that. I don’t want to.

“It’s not just that,” I finally admit. “It’s not just about the people or the gossip. It’s… complicated.”

Jane raises an eyebrow. “Complicated how? Because it sounds like you’re just making excuses, Sonya. If you want to stay here, that’s fine, but don’t lie to yourself about why.”

I shift uncomfortably, feeling their eyes on me, waiting for an explanation I’m not sure I can give. Because deep down, I know the real reason. It’s not Stardust Hollow that’s the problem—it’s Jack. It’s this little life I’ve started to imagine with him, with Fiona. It’s the way I’ve fallen for him, slowly and completely, without even realizing it until it was too late.

But now, with Casey in the picture, all those daydreams feel like they’re slipping through my fingers. I’ve seen the way Jack looks at her, the concern in his eyes, the history that lingers between them like a shadow. He’s trying to do right by Fiona, trying to keep things together, and maybe that’s why I’ve been able to stay this long. But with Casey around, there’s a chance for them to be a family again. A real family.

And where does that leave me?