Chapter 4 Taking Chances

AUSTIN'S POV

The park was full of sounds of children laughing and leaves moving softly. You could also hear dogs barking here and there. I sat on one of the benches, looking at Jamie as he ran to the playground, his little legs moving very fast. He talks about the park all day at home, whenever he comes here.

He was full of life and energy. My boy.

I'm Austin Perkins, the only son of the Perkins and the director of Perkins Group. I was raised to be perfect, focused on business and growing the company. I didn't have time for women, I see them as distraction. But I once made a mistake of having a one-night with my secretary on a business trip. But we both went on acting like it never happened before she suddenly quit after few months. I had no idea why until she showed up after five years and told me I have a son.

It felt like a dream to me. One day, I was a career-driven man, always busy going to meetings and travelling. My life was all about work and building the company. And the next, I was a father to a five year old boy and a husband.

I didn't have the time to process any of it.

Zoe walked toward Jamie, smiling so bright, her dress moved gently in the breeze. She pushed him on the swings. He laughed so happily and carefree.

I rest my back on the bench, letting out slow breaths.

Zoe had been my assistant for years. A very good one.

She was brilliant, good at getting work done, and always prepared for anything. She knew my plans better than I did, knew what I needed before I asked, and remained calm even when under pressure. We worked great together, and I completely trusted her.

Until the night that changed everything.

We had been on a business trip, a high-stakes deal that required late nights and too many drinks. I wasn't the type to mix business with pleasure, and Zoe had never been anything but professional.

But that night, something changed.

I had been drinking, and she also had a few glasses. Maybe it was the stress of the deal, maybe it was the way she laughed at something I said, or maybe it was the warmth in her eyes when she looked at me.

Whatever it was, I had leaned in. And she hadn't pulled away.

It was a mistake.

At least, that's what we both decided the next morning.

No awkwardness, no drawn-out conversations. Just an unspoken agreement to pretend it never happened.

We went back to work as if nothing had changed.

And then, a few months later, she resigned.

I had been too preoccupied to question it. I didn't think much of it at the time-people left jobs all the time. She was good at what she did, and I figured she found a better opportunity elsewhere.

So I just let her go.

I never asked her why she was leaving. Never checked in. Never once considered that something deeper was happening.

And now, five years later, I knew the truth.

She had left because she was pregnant. Because she had been carrying my child.

She had gone through the pregnancy and given birth alone. Raised our son alone.

And I hadn't even tried to stop her from walking away.

I made my hands into fists, a feeling of shame washed over me.

How could I have missed that?

Zoe had gone through so much, and I had just gone on with my life, for the past five years, unaware.

I looked at her now, standing beside Jamie, her hands steady on the swing chains as she pushed him forward. She laughed when he kicked his legs out, urging her to push him higher.

She was different now.

Not just because she was a mother. There was something else.

She was quieter, more reserved. The sharp, confident woman I had worked with seemed... subdued.

At first, I had told myself it was because of everything she had been through. Being a single mother, raising Jamie on her own, and suddenly stepping into a marriage she hadn't planned and moving down to Sydney-it was a lot.

Maybe I had broken something in her when I let her go so easily.

The guilt in my chest twisted tighter.

I couldn't change the past. I couldn't take back what I had done.

But I could do right by her now. By both of them.

I had married Zoe because it was the right thing to do. Because Jamie deserved to have both parents in his life.

I didn't love her.

And I know she didn't love me either.

But I can still be a good husband to her and a good father to our son.

She looked at me from across the playground. She gave me a gentle smile, and waved at me.

I paused before I stood up. I walked to meet them.

When I reached them, Jamie was smiling. He looked up at me. "Daddy, look I'm going so high!"

I forced a smile. "I see, buddy. You're flying."

Jamie beamed, his laughter filling the space between us.

Zoe looked up at me. "Thank you for doing this with us today. It means a lot."

I nod my head in agreement and put my hands into my pockets. "Yeah. I'm happy I finally did. Jamie had always wanted to do this."

Her smile slipped for a moment, it was as if something about what I said troubled her.

She looked unhappy, but she covered it up with a smile, and turned back to face Jamie.

"We should do this again some other time." she said, looking at me.

I hesitated.

Zoe and I barely spent time together outside of the house. Our marriage wasn't built on love or affection-it was a practical arrangement, built around Jamie.

But as I watched her with our son, something in me softened.

She had done this alone for so long. She deserved a husband who will always be there for her, after everything she's been through. And I can only try to make up for the years I've missed in their lives.

"Yeah," I finally said. "Maybe we should."

Zoe smiled, and she looked relieved.

I'm not sure what the future is going to bring, but there's one thing I know for sure.

I had already failed them once.

I wouldn't fail them again.

The sun was setting. Jamie was finally tired after running around the park for hours, now he was sitting on a bench not too far from us, eating the ice cream Zoe bought for him.

Zoe and I stood close to the swings watching him.

I moved, with my hands in my pockets. There was something I had been thinking about since, but I wasn't sure if I should say it.

But if I was serious about making things right, about been there for both of them, then I have to start somewhere.

I breathe out slowly. "Zoe,"

She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

I paused, feeling unsure. 'Am I making a mistake? What if she says no? What if she thinks I'm forcing something that isn't there?'

Then I thought again. 'This isn't about love or romance. It's about making an effort.'

"I was thinking...." I rubbed the back of my neck. Maybe we should go out to dinner..Just the two of us."

Zoe blinked. "What?"

"A date," I made it clearer. I know our relationship started differently, but we're married now. Maybe it would be good if we spend some time together. Alone. Get to know each other personally."

She looked at me in surprise. She didn't say anything, for a moment.

She opened her lips slightly, as if she was going to say something but then she closed them.

For the first time since we met again, I saw something in her eyes–hesitation, fear or maybe something deeper than that.