Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth! - Chapter 215

Chapter 215: What To Expect
Alex stepped into their home, feeling the weight of the day settle heavily on his shoulders. Normally, coming home was a relief—a place where he could leave behind the stress of work and just be with his wife. But tonight was different.

Tonight, he carried something heavier than work stress.

Emma was in the kitchen, humming softly as she plated their dinner. When she heard him come in, she turned with a warm smile. “Hey, you’re home.”

Alex forced a small smile and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling the soft scent of her hair. For a moment, he just stood there, grounding himself in her presence.

Emma immediately sensed something was off. She turned in his arms, searching his face. “What’s wrong?”

Alex exhaled deeply and led her to the dining table. As they sat down, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a small, nervous chuckle. “I got a call from Harry before I left work.”

Emma waited patiently, sensing this was something big.

“It’s about Fiona.” His voice was quieter now. “She agreed to meet with me.”

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. “She did?”

He nodded. “Apparently… she’s been looking forward to meeting me too.”

Emma reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Alex, that’s amazing. That means she wants to see and connect with you, her relation.”

Alex hesitated, his fingers tightening around hers. “Yeah. She wants to see me,” He swallowed hard, his voice thick with uncertainty. “But… what if she doesn’t want to see me because she accepts me? What if she wants to see me because she wants to tell me how despicable I am?”

Emma frowned, not understanding why Alex would think that.

“Why would you think that?” she asked and Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I mean it’s one thing to search for me, but it’s another thing to actually meet me. What if she’s angry that I forgot her? What if she resents me for not remembering her? For not searching for her sooner?”

Emma shook her head, her expression firm yet gentle. “Alex, no child would go through what you did and not forget. You were just a little boy. You were taken away, your name was changed… You had no way of knowing who she was or where to find her. She was barely two. You both got separated, baby. That’s none of your fault.”

His throat tightened. “But what if she still holds it against me?”

Emma leaned closer, cupping his face with both hands. “Then you remind her that none of this was your fault. You remind her that you were just as much a victim in all of this as she was.” She searched his eyes, willing him to believe her. “Alex, she’s been looking for you. That means she wants to reconnect. She’s not coming here to blame you, that I’m sure of.”

Alex lowered his forehead against hers, letting out a shaky breath. “I don’t know what to expect tomorrow.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how it’ll feel to see her. I don’t know if she’ll cry, if she’ll be angry, if she’ll hug me or keep her distance. I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to see me as the brother she lost, or if we’ll just be strangers now.”

Emma stroked his cheek gently, her heart aching for him. “You don’t have to know, baby. You just have to show up.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing her words. Then, he let out a deep breath and opened them again. “What would I do without you?”

Emma smiled softly. “Luckily, you don’t have to find out.”

Alex pulled her into his arms, holding onto her like she was the only steady thing in his world. And maybe, right now, she was.

“What about Margaret and Claire? I have to tell them about it,” he said and Emma nodded.

“But Claire’s not home. She’s with Chris,” Emma said and Alex nodded.

“Then I’ll just tell them about it in the morning. I’ll go check in with Maggie and then freshen up so we could eat,” Alex said and then pressed a kiss to the crook of Emma’s neck before leaving.

The next morning, the house was filled with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm toast.

Emma moved around the kitchen, setting plates on the table with the house helps while Alex poured himself a cup of coffee. Claire and Margaret were already seated, engaged in quiet conversation, but Alex’s mind was somewhere else.

He had barely slept the night before. The weight of what was to come today sat heavily on his chest. Now, as they all gathered for breakfast, he knew he had to bring it up.

Clearing his throat, he set his cup down and glanced at the women around the table. “There’s something I need to tell you all.”

Emma looked at him knowingly, having been the first to hear his worries the night before. Claire and Margaret, on the other hand, turned their attention to him with curious expressions.

“It’s about Fiona,” Alex said, his voice steady but careful. “Harry called me yesterday. She agreed to meet with me.”

Margaret’s eyes widened in surprise. “She did?”

Alex nodded. “Apparently, she’s been looking for me too. She got on the next available flight to Zeden last night. She should be arriving sometime today.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed the news.

Claire was the first to speak. “That’s… incredible, Alex.”

Alex exhaled, running a hand over his face. “Yeah, it is. But—” He hesitated. “I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know how she’s going to feel when she sees me. This is apparently going to be the first time we’re getting to see each other. I don’t even know how her face or—.”

Margaret’s expression softened and she cut in before Alex could rumble further. “She wouldn’t have come all this way if she didn’t want to see you, Alex. That should tell you something.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “Exactly. She’s been searching for you too, remember? She’s not coming to push you away.”

Claire, who had been listening carefully, leaned forward. “Do you remember anything about her? Even the smallest memory of her before the accident? Maybe how your mom used to pacify her…” Claire let her words trail off as she looked at Alex.

Alex hesitated before shaking his head. “I wish I did. I’ve been trying to remember, but… nothing. I only know what I saw in that dream. That we were separated. That I had a sister. But I don’t remember her.” He let out a frustrated breath. “What if that hurts her? What if she expects me to remember our parents and tell her about them? What if she wants that and I don’t clearly remember?”

Claire reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “Alex, no one can blame you for something that was out of your control. You were just a child.”

Margaret nodded. “And if she’s been looking for you, then she knows the circumstances. She’ll understand that you didn’t forget her by choice.”

Emma smiled gently. “You’re not alone in this, babe. No matter how today goes, we’ll be right here with you.”

He looked at them—his wife, and his dear sisters—and felt something inside him ease. He was still nervous, still uncertain. But knowing he had them by his side made all the difference.

With a small, grateful smile, he picked up his coffee again. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”