Hannah had a lot to think about on her train ride home. Not only did it take longer than she planned—it was rush hour apparently and she couldn’t get to the early train fast enough to catch it. She also had Anton to think about. Of all the things that had happened today, him showing up was, by far, the strangest. And the most unsettling.

The note from him seemed to burn in her pocket as much as it burned in her mind. He still had feelings for her? After all these years? And after that kiss… Well, after that make-out session if she was being honest. It was far more than one kiss. She couldn’t deny that she was still attracted to him. She’d felt how excited he was by her, and it turned her on. She’d had to stop or she would be with him right now, possibly making a brother or sister for Melody.

Her face warmed and she shook her head. The train was not the place to be thinking like that. Melody was where her mind should be. On her daughter. She couldn’t be off making out with men when her daughter was waiting for her. But the thing was, this wasn’t just some man. It was Melody’s father. Even if he didn’t know it.

She blew out a sigh, still deciding what to do. Call him? Ignore the note and hope she never saw him again? How could she do that when all these feelings were reignited and rushing through her?

By the time her stop came, she was no more decided than when she’d first received the note. Of course, Lauren and Sarah urged her to call him. They swooned over his looks and expensive suit. He was gorgeous and rich and single? To them, it couldn’t get any better. But they didn’t know the most attractive thing about him. He was the father of her child.

Hannah knocked on the neighbor’s door later than she planned. The door flung open and Melody rushed at her.

“Mommy!” She threw her arms around her and squeezed.

“Hi honey,” Hannah said. “Did you have fun with Miss Amy?”

She nodded enthusiastically and Amy appeared from the kitchen. “Hiya!” She called out, a dish towel in her hands.

“Thank you so much, Amy!” She knelt down to Melody. “Why don’t you go on and get your things so we can go home?”

Melody ran off and Hannah went to the kitchen to talk to Amy.

“Sorry I’m late. The train home took longer than I thought it would,” Hannah said.

“It’s no problem. How was your first day?” Amy asked.

“Well, it’s over.”

“That bad?”

Hannah gave her the quick run down of how it had started, but left out the part about Anton showing up. She would tell her after she decided what to do. And she didn’t want Melody to overhear.

“I’m sure it will be better tomorrow,” Amy said with a smile.

“Ready!” Melody bounced into the kitchen wearing her backpack.

“Thanks again,” Hannah said.

“Sure thing.” Amy waved as they left the apartment.

Next door in their own apartment, Hannah prepared dinner while Melody sat at the table doing her homework. This was how it should be. Wasn’t it? Just mother and daughter together? Was it wrong for Hannah to ignore the fact that Melody’s father had shown up? That he wanted to be part of their lives?

Well, no. She couldn’t know that for sure. He wanted Hannah, sure. But he didn’t know anything about having a daughter. The way he’d talked about finding someone special was encouraging, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be a father or was ready to be. What if she let him in and he rejected them both?

Her stomach turned with the questions. It was a battle in her heart and mind.

On one hand, he looked better, was richer and more successful than he’d ever been. Being with him would mean a better life for her and Melody. But then, he’d left before and never even called. How reliable was he? Had that part changed or was he going to sleep with her and disappear again? She didn’t think her heart could take being broken by him twice.

And, of course, he was Melody’s father. Her only biological father, and no one would love Melody the same as her own father would. She hoped. Just because he was her dad didn’t mean he would be a good dad. But any father at all was better than none, wasn’t it? Didn’t she owe it to Melody to at least try? To let her daughter get to know her father?

Even if things didn’t work out with them, Melody should still have her father in her life. When Hannah had turned up pregnant at 18 as a senior in high school, her parents had shut her out. They’d kicked her out of the house and she hadn’t had much contact with them since. She knew both the longing and pain that came with missing them, and the pain that could be caused by parents who weren’t there when their child needed them the most.

Anton had proven himself to be just as unreliable as her own parents had been. That’s why she’d never told him. Well, he hadn’t called anyway, but she hadn’t tried to find him. She might have been able to track him down if she’d attempted it. But she hadn’t because she was afraid he would leave her again. And that fear was still there. But it was compounded now. Because now he wouldn’t just be leaving her, he would also be leaving Melody. And she would not stand for someone hurting her daughter like that.

Hannah had been doing this whole parent thing on her own for so long. After her parents cut her off, she hadn’t had a choice. But she’d figured it out and made it work. And she’d been fine. She’d had a baby all by herself and had raised her for nine years now alone. She’d never had anyone to help, aside from an occasional friend or neighbor, like Amy, who watched Melody from time to time.

There was a guy she started dating right after Anton had broken her heart. Thinking back on it now, it was just a rebound thing. She was hurting so badly, she wanted something or someone to take the pain. But the whole thing had been weird. She’d hidden her pregnancy from him as long she could. They’d only been dating a few days and hadn’t slept together yet when she found out. There was no way it could be anyone’s baby except Anton’s. He was the only person she’d been with.

So, this new guy was around, but didn’t know about the pregnancy, and the whole time she was crying herself to sleep, missing Anton, alone and afraid, and not knowing what to do. When she finally told the guy she was dating that she was pregnant with someone else’s baby, it had not gone well. He’d treated her badly and ended things. Then her parents cut her off. And that’s when she knew she was really alone.

She’d handled it fine since then, and didn’t need to bring anyone else in now. And there was one other thing that she wasn’t sure about. Anton had been a bad boy in high school. He was always getting into fights, causing chaos, and doing dangerous things. Back then, it had been a thrill. He was the dangerous, hot guy every girl wanted. It had been sexy. If she was being honest, it still was. But she didn’t know if that was still part of him. Was he still reckless and chasing thrills every chance he got?

There was no place for danger with a child around. She couldn’t have him driving fast, partying all night, and getting into fights. He would need to be a responsible adult if he was going to have any part in his daughter’s life. She would have to explain to him what it took to be a good parent. She’d have to make sure that he was going to be there and be good for them.

As she thought through all the things she would have to make clear to him, she realized that somewhere in the midst of her thinking and figuring, she’d decided. She would give him a chance. She had to. She owed it to Melody to at least let her meet her father.

After they’d eaten and Melody had finished her homework and gotten her bath, it was bedtime. The evening had flown by. Hannah pulled Melody’s covers up to her chin and kissed her forehead.

“Love you so much!” she said.

“Love you so much,” Melody said in return.

Hannah closed her door behind her and went into her bedroom. She held the note in one hand and her phone in the other. Then, she dialed.