Chapter 287 Give Me Another Chance
"But I'm good being with Spring right now. What else is there to talk about?" Susan shot back, all fired up.
Deep down, Susan was super touchy about raising Spring. She was freaked out that Seb might wanna snatch Spring's custody. She knew if Seb made a move, she'd be totally helpless.
Seeing Susan's fierce pushback, Seb dialed it down a notch. "Aren't you wiped out taking care of her solo? Your recent hospital stint says it all. You're running on fumes, and if you keep this up, Spring ain't gonna get the care she needs."
"What are you getting at? You swore I'd take care of Spring and you wouldn't fight for custody," Susan said, giving Seb the side-eye.
Seb suddenly got it and grinned.
"What's so funny?" Susan snapped, glaring at Seb.
Seb dropped the smile and said, "First off, let me clear the air; I ain't got any plans to fight for Spring's custody, and I never will."
Susan looked at Seb, totally floored, and asked, "Then what do you wanna talk about?"
"I got a pitch. If you're down, cool. If not, no biggie. Just pretend I never said anything," Seb said, all serious.
"Spill it; I'm all ears," Susan said, finally letting out a breath. As long as he wasn't gunning for custody, she could roll with it.
Seb laid it out, "I suggest Mary takes care of Spring during the day. You can go snag a job. Ditch the online store; it's a grind and going nowhere. You're a CPA, so landing a gig should be a breeze, and the pay won't suck. Plus, you'll have a solid future. Evenings, you can be with Spring, so you won't drift apart. Think of it like hiring a nanny for Spring, that's all. Whatcha think?"
Susan was actually kinda thankful Seb had thought it through so well.
She'd mulled over this idea before but bailed for a bunch of reasons. Now that Seb brought it up again, she was still on the fence.
"Of course, I'll cover Mary's paycheck," Seb added.
Susan frowned and said, "That's not what I meant."
"I get it, but I'm still Spring's dad. It's only fair I chip in for her expenses," Seb said.
Even though Seb's plan was solid, Susan felt lost at the thought of not being with Spring all the time, so she hesitated.
Seeing her waver, Seb nudged, "Even if you work, there are weekends. You can hang with Spring then, and also look after Hayden. You'll be juggling two kids."
Those words sealed the deal for Susan. She knew that making more money was the ticket to giving Spring and Hayden a better life down the road.
Even though Seb was loaded and she didn't have to sweat about Spring and Hayden, she was still their mom and wanted to show her love through her own hustle.
So, the next moment, Susan nodded. "Alright, I’m in."
Seb's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Susan then nervously added, "But you better keep your word and never fight for Spring's custody!"
"Okay, I swear, now and forever, Spring's custody is all yours!" Seb nodded.
"Thanks," Susan said with a smile.
She wasn’t sure if that "thanks" was for herself or for Spring.
"I'm Spring's dad. It's my job to do anything for her," Seb said.
But Susan frowned and said, "Yeah, it's your job to do stuff for Spring, but I'm also benefiting here. You don’t owe me anything, so I gotta thank you."
Seb forced a smile, not really knowing what to say.
Then Susan added, "We agreed you’ll cover Mary’s costs for taking care of Spring. I’ll handle all the other stuff like formula, diapers, and everything else. We’ll co-parent Spring. As for Hayden, he’s in an international preschool, and the tuition is way too high for me. So, you take care of Hayden, but I’ll still do my best as his mom."
Seb frowned and after a long pause, he said, "Susan, do we really have to draw such a hard line between us?"
Susan looked at Seb, surprised.
Seb’s deep eyes stared at her, filled with sadness, helplessness, and a hint of longing. His gaze was so loaded with emotions that Susan was momentarily stunned.
She froze, and Seb took the chance to step forward and reach out to grab Susan’s shoulder.
Seeing Seb approach, Susan instinctively took two steps back, leaned against the wall, and stared at him with a look of fear. "What are you trying to do?"
"I..." Seb’s hand hung in the air for several seconds. He was heartbroken. Was Susan really that scared of him?
But who could he blame? It was all on him. His past actions had really messed her up.
So, Seb took a step back, putting some space between them, and explained, "I didn’t mean anything else. I just wanted to say..."
"If you’ve got something to say, just say it. No need to get all handsy," Susan said, crossing her arms. Her tone was sharp, but it couldn’t completely hide the fear in her heart.
"Don’t be scared. I’ll stay right here and not move," Seb said, looking down at his feet like he was drawing an invisible line he couldn’t cross.
Susan turned her face away, not looking at him, but her ears were still on high alert.
Seb stood still, his eyes locked on Susan, and said, "Susan, we’ve missed out on so much. Now we have Hayden and Spring. They’re our shared responsibility. I know I’ve hurt you deeply and caused you a lot of pain. But for the sake of our two kids, can you give me another shot?"
Susan couldn’t help but laugh coldly.
Her cold laugh was full of disdain which made Seb feel a sharp pain, his eyes becoming anxious.
"Don’t use Spring and Hayden as an excuse. Let me be clear, there’s no chance for us now or ever!" Susan said firmly.
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