Chapter 134 One Hundred & Thirty Four
A quiet Saturday morning..
The word hovered over Izzy’s mind as sunlight crept softly through the kitchen blinds. She sat at the breakfast table, a cup of coffee growing cold in her hands, her eyes staring at nothing. For the past few days, her thoughts had been restless, tangled in memories she didn’t know she was ready to face, yet knew she had to.
Dominic. The name had invaded her dreams, her waking hours, even the soft moments with Brian and Steven. She hadn’t stopped thinking about the fundraiser she had coming up, about the hurt of seeing him after six years, about the weight of the truth she had finally told him… Brian’s existence, the money, the lies. And more than that… she had been wondering if she had been fair to her son by keeping him from his father.
She had agonized over it, turning over every possible outcome in her mind. Would Dominic respect her rules? Could he handle seeing Brian without imposing himself? Would he demand more than she was ready to give? And could she trust that letting him in now, after all these years, wouldn’t shatter the fragile life she had built with Steven and Brian?
Her coffee cooled further, untouched. Steven entered the kitchen, yawning, his hair mussed from sleep. He leaned against the doorway, watching her quietly for a moment before speaking.
“You’ve been quiet all morning,” he said softly.
Izzy blinked, finally meeting his gaze. “I’ve… been thinking.”
Steven walked over and set a hand lightly on hers. “About Dominic?”
She exhaled slowly. “Yeah.”
He nodded. “I figured. It’s a big step.”
She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the cup. “I… I think I’m ready. I want Dominic to see Brian.”
Steven raised an eyebrow, both surprised and supportive. “You’re sure?”
“I am,” she said firmly. “I’ve thought about it long and hard. Brian deserves to know his father. And… it’s time I stop holding onto all this fear.”
He smiled faintly, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Then let’s make it happen the right way. Proud of you my love”
Izzy nodded, her stomach tightening with a mix of nervousness and resolve.
By mid-morning, she had called Dominic, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.
“I want you to come over,” she said simply. “Today. We need to talk.”
“I’ll be there,” he replied, his voice cautious, a hint of hope threading through it. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m ready.”
Once the call ended, she turned to Steven. “I need your help with this,” she said.
He nodded. “Whatever you need. Just tell me am here for you baby.”
She took a deep breath. “The first thing is boundaries. Our son, Brian… he’s my priority. You need to understand that. No one—especially his mother… gets anywhere near him. Not yet, anyway. And no sleepovers. He can see him twice a week, supervised. Until I trust him completely, that’s how it will be.”
Steven gave a reassuring smile. “Understood. I’ll back you up.”
Her gaze softened. “Thank you. I… I can’t do this without you.”
He squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to. We’ll do this together.”
By the early afternoon, the doorbell rang, echoing through the quiet house. Izzy’s chest tightened. She smoothed the front of her shirt, exhaling, and went to answer it.
There he was. Dominic , more composed than the last time she had seen him.
“Hi,” he said softly, hesitation and hope threading through his tone.
“Hi,” she replied, her voice firm. She stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.
Steven met Dominic’s gaze from across the room, his posture protective yet non-threatening. Dominic gave a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment, before turning his attention back to Izzy.
“Before you say anything,” Izzy began, placing a hand on the back of a chair, “I need to make some things very clear.”
Dominic’s face hardened slightly, understanding immediately that this wasn’t a casual visit. “Go ahead,” he said.
“You will see Brian,” she said. “But under my rules. No interference, no overstepping. My son is my priority. Your mother… she doesn’t come anywhere near my son. Not now. Not for the foreseeable future.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened. “I understand.”
“And you only get to see him twice a week,” she continued. “No sleepovers. Until I trust you to be part of his life without disrupting it, that’s how it will be. Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” he said again, his voice firm.
Izzy exhaled, a small measure of relief passing through her. “Good. That’s the first step.”
Dominic nodded, taking it in. He glanced at Steven. “And… you’re okay with this?”
Steven gave a faint smile. “I’m here to support Izzy. Brian comes first. That’s all that matters.”
Dominic’s gaze softened slightly, but there was still a tension in the air. The past six years had left their marks…deep ones…and none of them could erase that overnight.
Izzy guided Dominic through the living room. “Brian,” she called softly.
The little boy looked up from the toy car he was playing with on the carpet. His eyes widened when he saw the stranger standing in the doorway.
“Honey,” Izzy said gently, “this is… someone very important. This is… Dominic.”
Brian blinked, tilting his head. “Hi.”
Dominic knelt slightly to lower himself to Brian’s level. “Hi, buddy. I’m Dominic.”
Brian’s gaze flitted to his mother, seeking reassurance. Izzy smiled softly. “Brian, I want to tell you something exciting. You have two dads. One is your Daddy Steve, who’s been with you since the day you were born, and loves you every day. And one is Dominic. He… he’s your other dad. He helped make you.”
Brian’s eyes grew wide. “Two dads?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Izzy said gently, crouching to meet his gaze. “One daddy is here every day, taking care of you, loving you, and keeping you safe. And Dominic… he’s your other daddy, and you’ll get to see him sometimes. Just like how we talked about visiting friends, you’ll visit him and he’ll be part of your life.”
Brian tilted his head, thinking. “Okay,” he said finally. “But… you’re my number one Daddy , right?” He said to Steven
Steve knelt beside him, pulling him into a hug. “Always. Always number one,” he said with a grin.
Dominic swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. “I… I’ll always care about you, Brian. I promise,” he said softly, careful not to scare him.
Brian’s small hand reached out and took Dominic’s finger. Hesitant, careful… then relaxed slightly. “Okay,” he said again.
Izzy felt like she could breathe after Brian said okay.. she knew he definitely did not understand what she meant .. but some day.
Once Brian had returned to his toys, Izzy turned to Dominic. Her voice was firm. “I want to be clear. This isn’t a free pass. You’re welcome to be part of his life, but you need to respect the boundaries I set. Twice a week visits. No unsupervised time. And absolutely no one from your family trying to manipulate or control him. Do you understand me?”
Dominic nodded, his face serious. “I do. I… I’m sorry it took me so long to realize what I missed. I’ll respect your rules. I just… I want to be there for him.”
Izzy softened slightly, but kept her guard up. “Good. That’s all I can ask for right now.”
There was a pause, the tension lingering in the air. Dominic looked around the room, taking in the home she had built, the life she had created with Steven, and the boy he had never known.
“I just… I don’t want to mess this up,” he admitted quietly.
“You already almost did,” Izzy said bluntly. “But you’re here now. We’ll see if you can do better.”
Dominic nodded, the weight of the moment pressing on him.
After a few minutes, Izzy excused herself to check on Brian. She glanced back at Dominic. Dominic’s gaze lingered on her, an unspoken apology in his eyes.
Steven gave a reassuring nod. “He’s trying,” Steven said quietly.
Izzy exhaled, shaking her head slightly. “I know. I just… I have to protect my son first. Always.”