“That bad?” she asked.
“Any time they are in the same room it’s like that. The same table... that was my fault for taking the easy way out wanting to make my announcement once instead of twice.”
Natalie laughed so hard on the other end of the line that he could almost feel the joy hundreds of miles away. “You know as well as I do that wasn’t the easy way.”
“No,” he said. The smile filled his face and he wished she could see it. “But it’s over with. I made it clear that I didn’t have to tell them this early or at all. I could have just surprised them with a baby.”
“I thought you might do that.”
He’d joked about it a few times.
“It’s wrong. And maybe I didn’t want you to judge me for being that cold.”
“Arik. Your relationship with your parents is just that. Yours. I can’t judge it or tell you how to handle it.”
“But they will be our child’s grandparents,” he said.
“And I know beyond a doubt you can handle them if need be.”
“Thank you for that.” He needed that small spark of confidence from her as proof that he hadn’t completely screwed everything up over the past month.
“I don’t want you upset with me for speaking the truth. I feel you are.”
“Not really. It was more a shove in the face to get my shit together.”
“You have it together,” she said. “Things are still fresh with us and we are working through it. I know you’re not going anywhere. I believe it. If you’re holding onto that fear, let it go. You know I’m not leaving.”
Not the island, but if he kept his crap up, she might leave him.
“I’ll do better. I promise. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said.
“Still?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t get mad, but are you still at work or home?”
It was almost five.
“I’m home. I have to work tomorrow. I only worked a half day two days earlier in the week. I’m not overdoing it and I don’t want you to worry if I am. Hunter won’t let me anyway. Neither will anyone else in my family.”
“I’m glad to know so many are watching out for you. Are you biting their heads off too?”
The silence that followed made him wish he could rewind time and keep his damn mouth shut.
“I’m sorry if I’m a little testy. I want to blame it on the hormones, but some of these things have to be said.”
“They do.”
“And just so you know, you’re not the only one getting that tone of voice.”
“Phew,” he said. “Now Ireallydo feel better.”
43
GATHER MY THOUGHTS
