“When do you think you’d be due?”
“I put it into a pregnancy calculator I found online. It’s coming back January twentieth. It’s actually good timing as we’re slow in the winter.”
His mouth opened and then closed again, his hand going to his head to scratch. “See, I controlled myself.”
“Barely.”
“Let’s get some food in your belly. Got to feed the pea.” He stood and held his hand out to hers. “Natalie. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere. If you didn’t believe it before, believe it now. I’d never leave my child.”
She didn’t want to hear that was the only reason he was staying.
She wanted him to stay for her.
38
VERBAL UNDERSTANDING
“Are you going to let me go in with you?” Arik asked ten days later.
Natalie had gotten an appointment but not on the island. She had to go to their satellite office for the first visit or wait another two weeks. Neither of them wanted that, so she’d taken the appointment first thing in the morning and would go to work after.
“If you want to,” she said. “I’m glad it’s not with Ava.”
“Who’s Ava?”
“A distant cousin. And though she’d keep it to herself I was pregnant, I’d like to tell my family first. After this I’ll schedule everything else on the island and it will be easier.”
They’d just pulled in front of the building, him shutting his SUV off. His hand reached for hers between them on the seat.
“Are you feeling better about things now?”
“I’m not sure better is the right word but calmer for sure.”
He’d take that.
Once he found out she was pregnant, he’d been reading everything he could, making plans he wasn’t sharing with her, and imagining his life with a family he’d always dreamed of.
“We need to talk more once this appointment ends, remember? That was the agreement.”
He hated to come up with another “contract” but that’s what he did. Or what she did.
Nothing in writing. No signatures required.
More like a verbal understanding. No baby talks until it was officially confirmed.
With the amount of work he’d been doing for the past ten days, the time flew by.
He’d taken Don up on the offer. He wouldn’t regret it. It was six months tops. The time he’d signed his lease for. It’d work out well and he’d be done before his child came.
“We will,” she said. “I promise.”
They got out of the car and made their way into the building.
He took a seat while she gave her name; they’d said she was all set and she sat next to him.
Neither of them spoke, which he was fine just watching the news on the TV.
“Natalie?”
