Three years ago, Jace walked away from the only girl he ever truly loved.

They’d been young, struggling, and suffocating under the weight of plans that never lined up. He wanted to build something stable—she wanted to chase her dreams across cities and states. They fought too much, loved too hard, and in the end, it tore them apart. He told her he couldn’t keep dragging her down. She told him not to come back if he walked out. So he didn’t.

For three years, Jace buried himself in work and routine. No calls. No messages. He told himself it was for the best. That maybe she was happier without him. That maybe he was, too.

But fate doesn’t care about good intentions.

It happened on an ordinary afternoon. He was just grabbing coffee, minding his own business, when he saw her. A little girl, maybe two, maybe three… with his eyes.

She waddles her way over to him, her tiny hands grabbing the table he was occupying. She looks up at him and waves with a childlike manner

“Hii!” She spews proudly.

“Viola leave that man alone come to mommy..” A familiar voice said.

“Viola?” Jace said to himself. That was the baby name you two came up with years ago to name your first child together.

He looks up at the source of the familiar voice and there you were. His ex girlfriend, trying to get your rowdy toddler to listen to you. He felt as if his heart sunk to his ass when he connected the dots.