I pause at the room Lorissa is occupying. The door is closed, but I push it open and peek in. She looks up from her phone, meeting my eyes.
“Everything okay?”
She smiles, but I can tell she’s done with this whole pregnant lady bit. “Yes. Uncomfortable being fat.”
I chuckle. “Almost done, Lor.”
She sighs and sets her phone in her lap. “I know.”
“You need anything before I head to bed?”
Lorissa shakes her head. “Nah. I’ll hobble my way down to the kitchen if I need a snack.” She inclines her head at the nightstand where I count no less than four glasses of colored liquid. “Already have a plethora of drinks.”
I snort. “Wasn’t sure what you wanted or…?”
She rolls her eyes, but her smile gives her away. “Jalon brought me a drink an hour ago. Levis brought me a drink right before that. I brought one upstairs, but I’d been asking about apple juice in the kitchen and was told they were out. I said it wasn’t a big deal and chose grape juice. Twenty minutes later, Casey was bringing me a glass of apple juice since she was able to track some down for me.”
“So you’re not being taken care of is what I’m hearing.”
Lorissa grins. “You have a great family, Voss. Baby boy is going to be so damn spoiled.”
“He’s going to be fucking loved,” I insist. “You can interpret that as spoiling if you like, though.”
“He is,” she agrees. “I’m glad.”
“You can change your mind, you know,” I offer for maybe the hundredth time.
“I know. Maybe I will.”
She won’t. That’s okay. I get it. Parenthood isn’t for everyone, and that’s completely okay.
I cross the room to kiss the top of her head and place my hand on her stomach. Baby boy is fast asleep, though. Just like his mama should be. “Good night.”
“You’re up late,” she comments as I head back for the door.
“Always work to do,” I say, shrugging. “Lost track of time.”
Lorissa shakes her head. I wave as I close the door behind me and cross the hall to my own room, stripping on my way to the closet where I toss my day clothes into the hamper and slip into a pair of shorts.
Then I stand over my bed and stare. It’s empty and cold. My gaze wanders to the door. I wonder if Brek is awake.
Licking my lips, I decide I’m going to check on him. You know, just in case he’s lonely. Or horny. Perhaps our horny cycles have synced, and he’s horny right now, too.
That’s a thing, right?
I leave my bedroom again and head down the hall to where Brek’s room is sandwiched between Jessica’s and Levis’. I don’t knock, but as I did with Lorissa’s, I push it open just enough so I can peek in. Unlike Lorissa, the room is dark and silent.
This means I should return to my room, right?
Instead, I silently step further into his room and shut the door behind me. For just a minute, I let my eyes adjust and then make my way to Brek’s bed.
He’s sleeping in the middle of it. This enormous bed, and he’s smack in the middle. I wonder if that was a decision or just where he ended up.
I take my glasses off and set them beside his on the nightstand before kneeling on the bed so I can poke him. Brek startles awake.
“What?” he mutters, looking around the dark room for the emergency.
“Oh, good, you’re awake. I was afraid I wouldn’t catch you before you fell asleep.”
