Chapter 286: Plan

Ryder's POV

I told them all of it.

The DNA test commitment letter first. Not a test itself. A letter drafted by Reeves, signed by me, witnessed and notarized, stating that I formally acknowledged this child as mine, that I waived any future right to question the paternity, and that I was committing to this child regardless of any timeline or circumstance. Not a document that doubted her. A document that closed the door on doubt permanently. That said in legal language what my brain had failed to say at a breakfast table: I believe you, I trust you, and I am making that belief and that trust a matter of record so it cannot be questioned again.

Jaxon was quiet through the whole explanation.

Tommy was less quiet.

"A notarized letter," Tommy said.

"Yes," I said.

"You're going to sign a legal document saying the baby is yours," Tommy said. "Before a DNA test. Before any biological confirmation."

"Yes," I said.

"Because you believe it is yours," Tommy said. "And because even if it weren't, you would want it regardless."

"Yes," I said.

"And you want to give this to Sage," Tommy said, "as the thing you do instead of another apology."

"Along with the other part," I said.

"Tell me the other part," Jaxon said.

"A public statement," I said. "Not on social media. Not a press release. Something more direct than that. I want to go to Diego and ask him to witness me saying something clearly and on the record. Not a document. Just me, speaking, to the person whose name I put in question by asking that question. I want Diego to hear me say, directly, that I know what happened in Arizona and that I have no doubt about Sage and that the question I asked at that table came from my own fear and had nothing to do with her faithfulness."

The room was quiet.

"You want to make a public declaration of trust," Jaxon said. "With Diego as the witness."

"Diego is the one I doubted her about," I said. "Diego is the one who should hear it. And Sage should know he heard it."

Jaxon looked at the table for a moment.

"Why Diego?" Tommy said. "Why not Sage directly?"

"Because going to Sage directly is what she told me not to do," I said. "She told me to leave and not come back until she told me to. I am respecting that. I am not going to her door. I am doing something that she will hear about through Diego, who is already here and who she trusts, and who will tell her what I did and let her decide what to do with it."

"And if she decides to do nothing with it?" Tommy said.

"Then I have still done the right thing," I said. "The letter exists regardless of what she does. The statement is made regardless. This is not a performance to win her back. This is me actually dealing with the thing that caused the problem."

Jaxon looked at me for a long moment.

"You understand," he said, "that signing a legal commitment letter before a DNA test is not a small thing."

"I know," I said.

"If this child turned out not to be yours biologically," Jaxon said carefully, "which I do not believe for a moment but which I am raising as the legal reality, that letter would have implications."

"I know," I said. "I want it to have implications. That is the point. I want to make a commitment that cannot be walked back. Because the problem with what I did at the kitchen table is that it can be walked back. I can say I was scared and I was wrong and I am sorry, and all of that is true, but none of it closes the door. The letter closes the door."

Jaxon and Tommy looked at each other.

"He's right," Tommy said, to Jaxon.

Jaxon said nothing for a moment. He was running it through whatever Jaxon Romano ran things through before he said yes to them.

"Call Reeves," Jaxon said finally. "Today. Get him to draft the letter. Get it signed and notarized before the end of business today."

"I'm calling him when I leave this table," I said.

"And the statement to Diego," Jaxon said, "you do that after the letter is signed. In that order. The letter first."

"Agreed," I said.

"One more thing," Jaxon said, and his voice went back to the level it had been since yesterday morning, the one that said I am still not done being furious with you. "This does not mean you go to that house. You do not show up at the door. You let Diego carry this to her. You let her decide."

"I know," I said.

"She invited you into her life," Jaxon said. "Fully. Completely. With more trust than most people give anyone. And you hurt that. You do not get to decide when the hurt is resolved. She does."

"I know," I said.

"Good," Jaxon said. He stood up. "Call Reeves."

He walked to his office and closed the door.

Tommy looked at me.

"This is the right move," Tommy said. "I want you to know I think this is the right move."

"Thank you," I said.

"It might not work," Tommy said. "I want you to know that too."

"I know," I said.

"But it's the right move," Tommy said again. "It's the one that actually deals with what happened instead of papering over it."

I picked up my phone and found Reeves's number.