Tears spilled down Nora's cheeks. "I was so scared. When I saw you last night, I was terrified you'd reject her, or worse, that you'd try to take her from me."
The thought horrified him. "Never. Nora, I would never—"
"I know that now, but last night, standing in that ballroom surrounded by your world, I felt so—" She laughed bitterly. "Small, inadequate, like I was exactly what your mother thinks I am."
"My mother is wrong."
"Is she?" Nora's voice broke. "Look at us, Sebastian. I'm a single mother working in an administrative job to make ends meet. You're a billionaire with hotels on three continents. How is this supposed to work?"
"I don't know," Sebastian admitted, "but I know I want to figure it out. With you."
Lily stirred, mumbling something about Ellie. Nora shifted her carefully, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "She's going to need another nap soon. Real sleep this time, not just a power nap."
"Can I stay?" The question came out more vulnerable than Sebastian intended. "While she sleeps, I mean. We could talk. Really talk. About what this looks like going forward."
Nora studied him for a long moment. "Okay."
They moved Lily to the bed again, this ritual already familiar. Sebastian watched Nora tuck her in with practiced efficiency: Ellie positioned just right, blanket pulled to her waist, curtains drawn.
When Nora returned to the main room, she'd composed herself. She sat on the small couch, leaving space beside her that felt both inviting and vast. Sebastian sat down, maintaining a respectful distance.
"I live in the city," Nora began. "A one-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood. I work for a marketing firm—nothing glamorous, but it pays the bills and has good insurance. My parents live two hours away and help when they can, but they're not wealthy. They can't—" She stopped. "We don't have trust funds or connections or any of the things your world values."
"My world," Sebastian said quietly, "values profit margins and networking events. I don't give a damn about that anymore."
"You say that now."
" prosedur I mean it now. And I'll keep meaning it." He turned to face her fully. "Nora, I'm not asking you to fit into my life. I'm asking if I can be part of yours. Part of Lily's. However that looks."
"What about your company? Your hotels? You can't just abandon—"
"I'm not abandoning anything. I have managers, regional directors, a whole infrastructure that's been running perfectly well without my constant oversight." Sebastian realized the truth of it as he spoke. "I've been using work as an excuse to avoid having a real life. But Lily deserves better than a father who's always traveling, always in meetings, always putting business first."
"So what are you proposing?"
"I want to move closer to you. Rent an apartment in the city. Be available. Not just for scheduled visits, but for everyday things: doctor's appointments, playground trips, those moments when she's sick or scared or just wants her dad."
Nora's breath hitched. "That's a huge change."
"I know."
"Your mother will lose her mind."
"Probably." Sebastian allowed himself a small smile. "But for the first time in my life, I'm okay with disappointing Katherine Hale."
"What about Lily? She doesn't know you yet. What if she—"
"Then I'll earn her trust slowly, patiently, however long it takes."
Sebastian finally gave in to the impulse and reached for Nora's hand. She didn't pull away.
"I'm not expecting instant family bliss. I know this is complicated. I know I hurt you and that doesn't just disappear because I've had an epiphany, but I'm asking for a chance to be present, to prove I can be the father Lily deserves and the—" He stopped.
"The what?" Nora whispered.
Sebastian looked at their joined hands, at the woman who'd haunted his dreams for two years, at the mother of his child who'd shouldered everything alone. "The partner you deserved allحمدright," he finished. "Not in a relationship sense—I know I have no right to ask for that, but as co-parents, as... as people raising this incredible little human together."
Nora was crying again, silent tears tracking down her face. "I need time," she said finally. "To process all of this, to figure out how to let you in without—" She stopped.
"Without what?"
"Without getting hurt again." The words landed like a physical blow.
Sebastian squeezed her hand gently. " concursos I can't promise I'll be perfect. I'm going to make mistakes, probably a lot of them, but I can promise I'll show up every day in whatever way you need." He paused. "And I'll never, ever block you out again."
From the bedroom, Lily began to whimper—the sound of a child waking from a dream. "Mama," she called, her voice small and frightened. "Mama, where?"
They both stood immediately, moving to the bedroom together. Lily was sitting up, tears on her cheeks, reaching for Nora.
"I'm here, baby. Mama's right here." Nora scooped her up, but Lily looked past her, finding Sebastian. She reached for him, too. "Dada stay?"
Sebastian's throat closed. "Yes, sweetheart," he said. "Dada's staying."
Lily seemed satisfied with this, settling between them as they sat on the edge of the bed. She tucked her head under Nora's chin, but kept one small hand on Sebastian's arm, like she was making sure he was real. And in that moment, sitting in a modest hotel room with a woman he'd loved and lost, and a daughter he'd only just found, Sebastian Hale finally understood what home meant.
Three weeks later, Sebastian stood in front of a modest apartment building in downtown Seattle, a box of Lily's favorite books in his arms, and his heart hammering against his ribs.