Mia gave me the middle finger and I let out a hearty laugh. I’d missed this. Missed having her by my side and reminding me that, no matter who I was or what I was capable of, she wouldn’t put up with the shit I gave her. Mia was the only person, other than Dante, who didn’t hesitate to call me out, and it was thanks to her that Lydia and I had smoothed things over.
I hadn’t been able to stop myself from asking Lydia if she’d known the truth. If Mom had ever confided in her or if she’d had some inkling that something wasn’t quite right. She hadn’t. Lydia was just as floored by the news as I was and that solidified the fact that she was worth more to me than my mother.
“What do you want to look for first?” I asked, steering Mia into a baby boutique. The place was crammed floor to ceiling with anything a child could need, and I had no idea where to begin.
“I don’t know. I’ve never done this before.”
“I’m honored you’d choose your first child to be with me,” I told her. She punched me in the arm, and I wrapped it around her and pulled her tight into my side. “Let’s look at clothes.”
We meandered toward racks of clothes and I could feel Mia tense under my touch before she left my side for a closer inspection. Her fingers flicked through items and I watched her carefully. I’d never lose her from my side again. Death would be the only thing that could pull us apart, because I refused to let anything else come between us. Soon we’d be a family, a solid unit that neither of us had had the pleasure of experiencing. Mia and I would learn from the mistakes in our lives and ensure we didn’t repeat them so our son would grow up with a brighter childhood than our own.
“Luc, have you seen these?” Mia asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I took a few steps to stand behind her and looked down at the white onesie in her hand. “He’s going to be tiny.”
“Babies usually are.”
“Are we going to be able to look after him?” Mia turned around suddenly and looked up at me, panic written all over her face. “I am two months away and I haven’t gotten him a single thing. I’m probably the world’s worst mother at this point.”
“Stop. You are not the world’s worst mother. We’re first time parents. Give yourself some credit. You’ve been growing him for seven months while dealing with a few issues.” That was putting it lightly. “We’ll figure it out together. Boy’s going to need clothes, a stroller, a crib, some bottles. Let’s start with that.” I tried to think of everything Carmen and Emilio’s place had been filled with after they had Santiago. “You can double check for anything else with Carmen tonight.” The mention of Carmen seemed to calm her down; advice from a seasoned mother being more valuable than mine.
With her nerves in check, Mia and I visited store after store, taking recommendations from assistants on what would be best for our son. The last item was a car seat, something Mia had thought of last minute in her worry of how to bring him home from the hospital. With the box in my arms, we turned away from the cashier to be greeted by Jonah and Katia Shultz walking through the department store.
“Lucas!” Jonah grinned at me. He stuck out his hand and then, realizing I couldn’t grab it, dropped it to his side. “Preparing for fatherhood, I see.”
“There’s a lot to be done before he gets here.”
“A son?” Jonah asked, eyebrows moving toward his hairline. “Congratulations. To both of you.” He offered Mia a smile and I was grateful that Jonah hadn’t made it any more awkward than necessary. He was a decent man, by our standards, who kept his nose out of trouble that didn’t concern him.
“Thank you,” Mia replied. She had tucked herself in close to my elbow and seemed a little uncomfortable.
“Don’t let me stop you. We’ll see you soon,” he said and stepped away with his wife.
I caught Katia’s words, speaking before they were out of earshot. “Luc better get a paternity test once she pops that baby out. You know everyone thinks it’s Gabe’s.”
“Katia,” Jonah hissed, and the rest of his scolding was lost as they walked further into the store.
I understood now why Mia had seemed uncomfortable at the sight of Katia. When I looked at my girlfriend, she had turned a violent shade of red and her jaw was clenched. “Love,” I ventured, but she took off without a word, storming ahead and out of the store. Following behind her, I managed to catch the door with my elbow and found her waiting by the car. “Mia.”
“I just want to go home, Luc.”
I sighed and let her into the car, placing the car seat in the trunk with everything else. When I hopped into the driver’s side, Mia was still livid, her hands balled into fists on her lap. She didn’t need any prompting before she started.
“They’ve all thought that it’s Gabe’s baby ever since he took me to church,” she spat. “They think I’ve tried to get my way to the top by having sex with anyone and everyone. That’s why I left. Did you know that? I left because I’d agreed to marry you, fell pregnant with Gabe’s baby, and didn’t want you to know.”
“You kept yourself busy.” The look she shot me made me feel sorry for my son and any future trouble he found himself in. “It doesn’t matter that that’s completely ridiculous and Gabe would have been six foot under if that had been the case.”
“Take a breath, Mia. Stress isn’t good for you,” I reminded her, but she was on a roll.
“I’ve never said more than two words to Katia in my life, barely spoke to her when you introduced us at the engagement, but she’s happy to tell all and sundry exactly what she thinks of me, whether it’s truth or not.”
“But we know the truth.” Apparently, it didn’t matter.
“It’s fine for you. You can do as you please and no one will say a word, but I’m being touted as cheap and easy. I’m not taking a paternity test, Luc.”
“I never asked you to.”
“I’m not taking it to prove anything to anyone.” Mia let out a deep breath, finally running out of steam.
“Ignore them, Mia. They’re not important.” A small lie to keep her sweet for now. This would prove to be an obstacle in my plans. For both our sakes, I’d need to find a way to squash the rumor.
