“Congratulations! This is the best news,” I exclaim, pulling back to see her glowing face.
“You do not know how hard it’s been to keep this from you,” she confesses, her voice tinged with relief. “Once I knew you were coming home, I couldn’t wait to tell you in person.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” I reply, feeling gratitude swell in my chest. “When are you due?”
“September fifteenth,” she says, her voice tinged with excitement. “We literally just found out a couple of weeks ago. You, Mom, and Erick’s parents are the only ones that know so far.” Her eyes sparkle as she shared her secret.
I grin, leaning back in my chair with a contented sigh. “If I’m only ever an uncle, I’msogood with that. I’m going to spoil the shit out of them,” I declare with a playful glint in my eye.
“Tone it down, uncle,” she teases, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. She pauses for a moment.
I raise an eyebrow, sensing there’s more to come. Her sudden quietness hints at deeper news. “Okay,” I prompt, my curiosity stirring.
She takes a deep breath, her gaze steady and sincere. “You might think this is weird of me to offer, but as your sister, who is healthy, happy, and still young, I want you to know that I’d be willing to be your surrogate, if that helps the conversation with Faith. I mean, I wouldn’t start the conversation with that,” she adds hastily, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.
Holy shit, my sister is offering to carry a baby for me—for us. Shaken to the core and overjoyed she would do this, I’m in awe of her.
“That is a generous and selfless thing to offer.”
“I love you. You’ll be a wonderful dad, whichever route you both decide. And if you want to have kids, then this opens up another option for you.” She chuckles and leans back on the couch, folding her arms. “Alright, enough about us. When are you going to see her?”
I pull a small business card from my pocket, the edges slightly worn from handling. “Her best friend, Kendall, gave me her card,” I reply, tapping it thoughtfully against my palm. “The first thing I’m going to do after you leave is call her.”
We spend the rest of the morning catching up while enjoying lunch together. The sunlight streaming through the large windows and deck warms the room. Eve has a remarkable way of calming my mind and helping me process my thoughts. As we wrap up the morning, she reminds me to take life one day at a time and provide Faith with the reassurance she needs as we figure things out on this journey together.
As Maya rubs her sleepy eyes, Eve glances at her watch and says, “Well, it’s time for this one to take her nap, so we’ll head out.” Her voice is soft, yet decisive, as she gathers Maya’s things. “Then you can make that call,” she adds, giving me a knowing look. “Fill me in later.” With a final wave, they leave, and the room is filled with their absence.
I slide Kendall’s card out of my pocket and make the call. Thankfully, she picks up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hi, Kendall. This is Jude. Do you have a couple of minutes?”
“Jude, yes, what’s going on?”
When she handed me her card, my mind immediately jumped to one conclusion. At some point, I’d need her help. “Can I have Faith’s address?”
“And why would you need that?” she asks.
I take a deep breath and try to organize my thoughts. “Well, where do I even start with that question?” I hesitate for a moment. “I flew into Boston last night, and I’m renting a house over on Mirror Lake for the next three months. My house in Colorado will go on the market later this week. Please don’t say anything to Faith.”
“Oh, that was fast. Holy shit, you’re here, here. Wow!” she shouts. “I want to talk to you about a few things, but first, why do you need her address?”
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, feeling the heaviness of my decision. “I told her I’d take her on a date this Saturday. She didn’t tell me not to come, just that she neededtime to sort through everything. We still have a lot to talk about. I knew if I didn’t come back home, she would think I wasn’t serious. I love her with every fiber of my soul, and I want to figure life out with her—no matter what it takes. I’m all in. As for the address, I was going to call my mom for it, but I thought you could help a guy out.”
Silence fills the other end of the phone. “Kendall? You still…”
“Yeah, I’m here. Shocked, actually.”
“Kendall, no matter what doubts or concerns she has, we can work through them together. I will not leave her again, and that’s why it was so hard for me when she left Aruba,” I say without taking a breath.
“Awe. You are exactly how she describes you. And yes, there’s a lot to talk about.”
Not that I’m surprised Faith told her friends about me, but it cements my suspicions that her friends know a lot about us and our past. It sounds like she might help me, which I can use right now.
“I’m going to give you her address and some insider info,” she says conspiratorially.
“Thank you, and what sort of insider info?”
“I can’t give you too many details, but what I can say is…since you are close by, I suggest you get in your car and drive to her house. She will be leaving in about two hours. I’d suggest getting there as quickly as possible.”
