“Ready to go?” she asked.
“Ready,” Luke agreed. They put on shoes and headed out to the car, where Luke got in the driver’s seat. It was uncomfortable for Bella to drive now that she was very pregnant, so Luke usually took over that duty. “Where to first?”
“The Rose Garden,” Bella told him. She instructed him on where to turn, and they drove through the city to the garden on the other side. There, they parked and got out. The garden was fairly empty, given that it was a weekday, but there were a few school groups walking between the rows of flowers. Luke and Bella followed the paths, smelling fragrant blossoms and comparing their favorites. It was the kind of very couple-y activity Luke hadn’t done in years.
From there, they went to the waterfront, where they strolled along a multi-use path with cyclists and roller skaters andjoggers, taking in the views of the slow-moving Willamette River on one side and skyscrapers on the other. They chatted about hobbies and teased each other, conversation flowing easily.
The last stop of the day was the zoo.
“I know we’ll probably be back here with our little one,” Bella said as they walked in the front gates, “but the zoo really is special. I loved coming here on field trips as a kid.”
“I haven’t been to a zoo in years,” Luke admitted. “What should we see?”
“There’s a great elephant enclosure,” Bella told him. “Follow me. I know all the paths — or I did, twenty years ago.”
“It’s nice to think of our kid running around here,” Luke said as they walked past a penguin enclosure and towards a marine-life exhibit.
“It is.” Bella glanced at him.
“Which is maybe something we should talk about,” Luke continued. “We haven’t discussed it, but I was wondering if you’ve given any thought to the arrangements once the baby comes. I would love for you to stay with me and for us to be co-parents, but I understand if you have something else in mind.”
Bella was silent for a few moments, and Luke held his breath, barely noticing the sea lions on the left or the otters on the right. Then she looked at him and smiled.
“If it’s really okay with you, I’d love to stay. It would be nice for the little one to have two parents involved in his daily life. Once I start working again, I’ll chip in on the rent and everything.”
“We can discuss the details of that later,” Luke said. He owned the house outright, but he didn’t feel like now was a good time to bring it up. There was no way he’d let Bella give him a dime.
“Great.” Bella took his arm. “It looks like we have a plan. We just don’t have a name yet.”
Luke tried not to think about how nice it felt to walk with their arms linked like this, even though Bella was just keeping steady on the uneven path.
“You’re right. We still need a name.”
They fell easily into a conversation about names, and Luke hid his smile. He was happy that Bella would stay with him. Overjoyed, even. This was the best possible news — he’d be there to see his son grow up firsthand, and he’d have more time with Bella.
After the zoo, Bella directed him to a local restaurant. “This is one of my favorites,” she explained. “I know the owner, even. And all the food is locally sourced and curated for maximum flavor.”
The owner came over to greet them and got them seated right away in a little booth tucked away in the back, even though the restaurant was crowded.
“We’ll take the chef’s special,” Bella said as they sat down. She glanced across at Luke. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds great,” Luke agreed. The waiter nodded and left. Luke looked around. The restaurant was incredibly romantic, with candles and vases of roses on each table. Most of the patrons appeared to be couples, ranging from young people in their twenties to one couple who looked to be in their sixties. As Lukewatched, one man got down on his knee and proposed to his girlfriend, and the restaurant erupted in cheers. Luke and Bella clapped too, before turning back to each other.
Luke felt suddenly awkward. It was usually easy to feel like he and Bella were just friends, but in this atmosphere, it was harder. He couldn’t help remembering their night at the hotel, flirting at the bar, dipping their feet in the pool, and going up to his room afterwards.
Bella seemed to be feeling a little awkward, too, because she took a long sip of her water and sighed. “If I weren’t pregnant, this would be wine.”
Luke chuckled. “Agreed.”
“You could still get wine.”
“No — as long as you can’t drink, I won’t either.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She looked especially lovely in the flickering candlelight, with her brown hair down around her shoulders, and her cheeks a little pink from the sun.
“How noble.”
“I try.” Luke toasted her with his water glass. “Also, my mom told me not to drink while you were pregnant.”
Bella chuckled. “Really?”
