Chapter 39 - Telling Alex
We decided to tell Alex before we told Clara, out of respect for the co-parenting boundary.
We met him for coffee at a neutral café downtown.
Alex looked nervous when we sat down. He saw the ring almost immediately. His eyes flickered to my hand, and a complex array of emotions passed over his face—grief, acceptance, and a profound, lingering regret.
"We wanted you to hear it from us first," I said gently.
Alex took a slow sip of his black coffee. He looked at Mark, assessing him not as a rival, but as the man who was officially stepping into the permanent role of stepfather.
"You're a good man, Mark," Alex said, his voice rough but sincere. "You've been better to them than I was when it counted."
"You're her father, Alex," Mark replied respectfully. "That doesn't change. We’re on the same team."
Alex nodded, looking down at the table.
"When the tunnel collapsed..." Alex started, his voice breaking slightly. "When I got that radio message... I realized I had spent five years taking you for granted. I thought I had infinite time to fix my mistakes. I was wrong."
He looked up, meeting my eyes.
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"I'm happy for you, Maya. I truly am. You deserve someone who doesn't make you wait."
It was the closure I didn't know I still needed. The final tether to the past simply dissolved.
