I’m smiling as I load up the back of my truck with purchases. When I finish, I get into the driver’s side. “One more stop.”
Sassy holds her hands up. “No, we’ve done enough shopping today.”
I feel as if I’m pushing my limits with her. “Okay, how about if I promise I won’t buy anything while we’re there, but we will window shop and look at things.”
She perks up a little. “You promise? No buying anything… just looking.”
I hold my hands up. “Scouts honor.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Elijah Wolfe, you forget I know you, and I know you were never a scout.”
I pull out of the parking lot and drive down the street. “Fine, I promise then.”
I drive into Jasper and stop at the baby super store. Sassy looks at the store and then back at me. “We’re not buying anything, Eli.”
I put a hand to my chest. “I promise. I will not buy anything today. We’re just window shopping.”
I walk around and help her from the truck, and then with my hand to the small of her back, I guide her into the store. We’re met by a sales associate who hands us a guide to everything we may need.
It’s like a little booklet, and it has categories on it. I’m a little overwhelmed by it all, so I imagine Sassy is too. Her face is pinched as she looks around the store. I fold up the booklet and put it in my back pocket. “Come on. Let’s just look.”
We go through the store aisle by aisle, and eventually she starts to loosen up. She’s talking about things she wants to buy, things she wishes she had, and things she knows she needs to buy soon.
I ask her questions as we walk around. “Have you picked out a theme?”
She laughs. “Well, it was going to be pink bows, but that’s not going to work now. I’m not sure. I saw a safari print on Pinterest that I really liked, but maybe I’ll just do it in yellows and blues.”
We get to the cribs. “These are nice. Are you thinking white, light wood, or the dark wood?”
She tilts her head to look at them. “White for sure, but I’ll probably just get a bassinet at first. There’s not really room for a crib at Kane’s house.”
I commit it all to memory, everything she says she likes, wishes for, or says is cute. I want her to have everything she wants.
We walk through the rest of the store and talk about diapers and what brands she likes or has heard good things about. Bottles, breastfeeding, I just let her talk. I hear the fear in her voice aboutit all, but I try to soothe her. I know she’s going to be a good mom.
We’re almost through the whole store when she asks, “What about you? You think you’ll ever have kids?”
I look at her possessively. I want to tell her that I want her to be the mother of my kids. I want her to know that I want the child she’s carrying to be mine. I want it all with her, but I don’t think she’s ready for that. All I can say is, “Yeah, I do want kids.”
She nods and looks away.
I reach for her hand. “What else do you want to look at?”
She puts her hand to her belly. “Honestly? I’m ready to put my feet up.”
I stop walking and look at her. I’m not ready for the day to end. “What do you think about picking up dinner and then going back to my house to wash all your new clothes?”
She’s about to say no, but I put my hands on her shoulders. “That way you won’t have to go up and down the stairs at the apartment building. We can watch a movie in between loads.”
She looks at me, unsure. “Are you sure? I’m sure there are other things you’d rather be doing on a Saturday night.”
“Nope. You will never wear out your welcome with me.”
She leans her head back and smiles up at me. “Where did this guy come from? This flirty, touchy, feely Elijah?”
I loop my arms around her and hook her to me. “This Elijah is not holding back anymore. I see what I want, and I’m going for it.”
She blinks. I don’t miss the look of hope on her face, and then she tries to tamp it down. “No expectations. No?—”
