Gage felt a weird sensation zinging up his spine. It was almost time. And then…well. And then they’d figure it out. Fallon had been sort of avoiding the prep thing, but Gage knew they had to start making a space for the baby.
He just didn’t know how to bring it up.
“The doctor asked me if I wanted a hysterectomy today.”
Gage frowned as he grabbed his plate and shoved a massive bite of chicken into his mouth. “What, like…now?”
“He says I can have an elective C-section and a hysterectomy at the same time if I’m done with biological kids.”
Gage blinked at him. “Oh.”
“Is that—” Fallon went quiet as he chewed, then pushed some of the vegetables around his plate. “Would you be okay if we didn’t do this again?”
Gage let out a tense laugh. “Baby, yes. I’m totally okay if we never do this again. I’m not one of those weirdos who feel compelled to populate half the world with my seed or whatever.”
Fallon pulled a face. “Gross. Don’t call itseed.”
Unable to hide his giggle, Gage covered his face. “Sorry. But you know what I mean. There’s not some biological need for me to have kids. If it’s somethingyouwant?—”
“I don’t think I do.” Fallon set his plate down, then curled into himself a little in the way that told Gage he needed physical space. As much as he wanted to pull him close, he didn’t. “I wasn’t sure before Mango. And I don’t regret this. I really don’t. But I don’t want to do it again either.”
“Then have the surgery.”
“But are yousure?—”
“My darling.” Gage set his plate aside and twisted his body, getting as close as he could without touching his boyfriend. Heleaned his head on the cushion and looked at him for a long moment. “I’m happy with you. I love you. I love Mango. And if we reach a point where we want to have more kids, there are other ways.”
Fallon bowed his head and nodded. “My gut tells me this is it.”
“So listen to it. I’m happy with one. If you wanted a dozen?—”
“Oh my God.”
“I mean it,” Gage said, grinning. “It wouldn’t be my preference, but I’d make it work. I’d get six jobs.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love,” Gage said. He saw the moment Fallon’s body language changed, shifting to wanting touch. He opened his arms and gathered his boyfriend close, holding Fallon’s back against his chest and squeezing his legs around him like an octopus. “I am in love with you both. This is my family.”
“Then I want to do it.” Fallon leaned his head back, but the tension in his body told Gage there was more. “Um. I talked to the doctor about the paternity thing too.”
“What did he say?”
Fallon licked his lips. “That it’s unlikely to be a false negative. It can happen, but it’s not…it’s not likely to be a DNA thing. More like a lab error. He, uh…” Fallon fell silent for so long, Gage thought maybe he wasn’t going to finish his thought. “He thinks my other sexual partner should also get tested.”
Gage frowned, but then the reality of that statement hit him like a freight train. “Baby. We didn’t?—”
“I know,” Fallon said quickly, cutting him off. “I told him that. But he said that’s more likely to be the reason for the results than an incorrect test.”
“Fuck,” Gage whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Gage held him tighter. “No. No, it’s just…fuck. I learned all about that shit in sex ed, but I didn’t think it would ever…Jesus. Okay. Um…”
Fallon squirmed away from him and twisted to face him. “We don’t have to do any of it.”
“No. I know. I know.” Gage squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. “But what if I want to?”
