Series: Daycare Chronicles (Book 3)
A baby drove them apart.
Can a baby bring them together?
Divorced after a heartbreaking tragedy, Mallory Harris is determined to have a family. Even as a single mother by choice with a baby conceived through artificial insemination. When her ex-husband, Braden, learns of her plan, he offers to be the donor. Mallory is touched…and reluctant. She needs to move on from Braden. But how can she say no to the only man she has ever loved?
Good second chance story. Mallory and Braden divorced after their infant son died unexpectedly. Mallory still wanted to have a family but had no plans to remarry. Instead, she planned to conceive through artificial insemination and raise the baby on her own.
This was a very unusual story. Braden and Mallory were divorced, but they remained friends. Their divorce came about because Mallory's grief was all-consuming. She felt guilty because the baby had died while she and Braden were out on their first overnight since the baby was born. She blamed Braden for them being away and felt guilty because she had been enjoying herself. The guilt made it impossible for her to be intimate with him. Braden was a man who was always in control of his feelings, and he had no idea how to handle Mallory's grief. Time with a therapist was no help because he didn't understand the advice he was given.
Three years after their divorce, Braden, and Mallory were still a big part of each other's lives. They couldn't seem to let go of some part of their relationship. However much they still cared about each other, each of them realized that they needed to take steps to move on. Mallory was determined to have a baby and wanted Baden's support of the idea. Braden was ready to break the news to Mallory that he was going to move from San Diego to LA, putting some physical distance between them. I loved how they were able to talk openly with each other about their plans, but there was also that part that was always held back. Braden has always kept a tight rein on his emotions, thanks to the drama he endured growing up. It wasn't a problem until after the baby died when he was unable to handle Mallory's grief. His need to distance himself drove her to hide her own emotions when he was around. There was no way that their marriage could sustain that.
Braden was shocked by Mallory's plan but listened to everything she had to say. But after their dinner was over, he couldn't forget about any of it. It was interesting to see that he had trouble dealing with the idea of her having a baby with an unknown man, even though he tried to convince himself it was out of concern for her. Mallory was stunned by his suggestion that he provide the sperm. She saw all the drawbacks, in spite of his assertion that he would be hands-off. But as the months went on and her pregnancy advanced, Braden couldn't stop himself from becoming more and more involved. There were many sweet scenes of him doing things for Mallory, and it was easy to see that his love was growing stronger. But he still had trouble dealing with intense emotions. Mallory fought hard against allowing herself to depend on Braden. The thought of going through the same issues of him pulling away when she needed him made her reluctant to put her heart at risk again. Both Braden and Mallory spent a great deal of time and energy second-guessing every decision they made, with each one bringing another issue to the surface.
The further along in the pregnancy, the more intense their feelings became. I liked how this pregnancy caused both Mallory and Braden to recognize the mistakes made during their marriage and resolve to change things in their current situation. It was occasionally frustrating to see how much in love Mallory and Braden were, and how afraid they were to take a chance on it. The final straw came when Braden's logical mind dictated one action, and Mallory's fears and memories made her certain that it wouldn't work. I ached for Braden as she laid out the issues as she saw them, and he couldn't understand what the problem was. It looked like it would be the end of their friendship also. Mallory was determined to ride out the pain of the loss and do what was right for the future. Braden's "aha" moment came at the hands (paws?) of an unexpected source. I loved seeing how that broke through his long-established barriers, and he finally understood what Mallory and the therapist had tried to tell him. His big moment at the end had all of the intensity of emotion that Mallory could hope for. I must admit, I would have liked an epilogue that included the birth.
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