“Do you want to find out if it’s him?”
“No. No, it’s fine.”
“Uh-huh.” Theo puts the rattle piece and the sandpaper on the desk. “I’m going to go and see if Hendrix wants to help me make a house calendar. I can come back and do more sanding later.”
“You’re fine. I can finish it.”
“Will you show me the rattle when it’s finished?”
“Aye.”
“Great! Good chat.” He goes to the door. “You’ll teach me how to make a pencil holder?”
“Whenever you want. Just ask.”
Theo grins. “You’re the best.” He slips out of my room.
I go back to sanding before stopping. I do want to see if that was Callan getting home. I want to make sure he’s okay. Not that he’ll want me fussing over him. Last night, when we were talking, I wanted to hug him. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it when we were kids. I’d have wrapped my arms around him and held him tight. I have no clue how he’d react to a hug now. Would he press into it or push me away?
A soft knock on my door breaks me out of the prison of my thoughts.
“Who is it?”
“Me,” Callan says as he opens the door. “You’re busy.”
“Not really. I’m making a rattle for the baby. For your baby.”
Callan arches an eyebrow. “That’s kind. I’ll leave you to it.”
“Did you want to talk?”
“It’s fine.”
I fix him with a stare. “Come in.” I realise I used the tone I adopt when playing with a sub. I probably shouldn’t have, but it slipped out.
Callan lifts his chin. His eyes widen, and he stares at me for a second before nodding and coming inside. He shuts the door behind him.
“Do you want the chair?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “The bed is fine.” He sits on the spot Theo vacated and picks up one of the rattle pieces.
“They’re still rough,” I warn.
“I can tell.” He runs his finger around the wood. “I’d like to see more of the things you’ve made. Do you have photos?”
“A few.” I resume sanding the hippo. “How did it go with Niamh?”
“Strained. She’s fed up with being pregnant.”
“Ava got like that with Fiona.”
“She said she didn’t tell me she was pregnant because I don’t want kids.” Callan tugs a hand through his ginger hair. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be offloading on you.”
I put the hippo down and swivel my chair, facing him. We’re close. So close our knees almost brush. “I want you to.”
“Like when we were kids?”
I nod.
