The Conspiracy of Baby-Switching novel Chapter 45

Gabriel

“Exactly.” I take a big gulp of my drink. “She did come to see me weeks later, and I wouldn’t see her because I was in meetings and…”

“Don’t make excuses, she should have told you. That is need-to-know information.”

I exhale heavily. “I know.”

“Oh my god.” Her eyes search mine. “You have children?” I nod sadly.

“Don’t be sad, this is wonderful.” She takes my hand over the table.

“What did Ariana say?”

“I didn’t tell her.”

“What?” she snaps. “Why not?”

“Because Violet doesn’t want me in their lives.”

She stares at me, horrified. “So?”

“She’s told everyone that they were conceived using IVF and donor sperm and she asked that if I can’t be a devoted father then to step aside and leave them be. She doesn’t want them missing an absent father.”

“Oh.” Her eyes hold mine. “How do you feel about that?”

I shrug. “It’s for the best. I’m a workaholic who lives in New York. These children are eight hours away and…” My voice trails off. “They can’t miss what they don’t know.”

She slumps back in her chair and thinks for a moment. “What are they like?”

“I have photos.” I open my phone and swipe through to a photo I took of Lucia at the game. “This is Lucia.” I pass the phone over and Claire smiles as she looks at it.

“Look at her, she’s beautiful,” she coos.

“You’ve never seen a more gorgeous child, Claire.” I smile proudly. “So smart and sweet.”

Claire smiles sadly. “And the boy?”

I swipe through my phone again, I took a few photos of photographs that were in frames on the mantle, I knew I would want to look at them later. “This is Dominic.” I pass the phone back to her and she gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. Her eyes rise to meet mine. “He’s so…”

“Like me.” I finish her sentence. “A total little prick.”

She giggles. “Really?”

“Ugh.” I sip my drink. “Totally unmanageable. We fought the first time we met.”

“Oh.” She puts her hand over her heart as she swoons. “They are so beautiful.”

I sip my drink and put my hand up for another.

“Strong children need strong parents, Gabriel,” she says. “If you want to be in their lives, don’t let Violet dictate what you can and can’t do.”

“But…”

“No buts. They can come visit and vice versa. Why do you think it has to be all or nothing?”

“Violet said…”

“Fuck Violet,” she spits, “I’m sorry, you are their father, this isn’t all about her.”

“But it is.”

“What do you mean?”

I hesitate before letting the next sentence leave my lips. “I can’t see Violet and not want her. If I see them, I have to see her, and I can’t be married to one woman while wanting another.”

Her eyes widen as she finally begins to understand the full complexities of the situation.

“Didn’t think so.” She continues. “If Vee was Italian and you and her dated back then, would you have proposed to her?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to hurt Ariana. She is the nicest person I know; she doesn’t deserve this.”

“You can’t marry someone because they are nice, Gabriel. You can’t marry someone to not hurt them. Marrying her while you have feelings for someone else is more painful. How can you possibly think that this marriage is going to work?”

“I get married in three weeks,” I whisper angrily. “It is too late to . . .” “Call it off?” She cuts me off.

“Yes.”

I stay silent as I think.

“Tell me this, Gabriel…if you marry Ariana, can you honestly tell me that you will never think of your children and Vee again? Are you going to regret this for the rest of your life?”

The thought of never seeing Lucia and Dominic again hurts my heart and her silhouette blurs.

We sit for a moment as we ponder over everything.

“If you are calling off this wedding, you need to do it today. Do not put Ariana through being stood up in the week of the wedding. She deserves better than that.”

“I’m not calling off the wedding,” I snap. I tip my head back and drain my glass. “I’m a man of my word. I’m marrying Ariana just like I said I would.”

“Fine,” she snaps.

“Fine,” I fire back.

“I’m not coming to your wedding.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t watch you make the biggest mistake of your life.”