“Like ‘secret meetings at a children’s birthday party’ downlow? Or ‘hooking up in a Detroit hotel’ downlow? Or maybe ‘dirty rendezvous in your niece’s bedroom at Halloween’ downlow?”
Fuck. All this time?
Franky had texted back.
He’s such a curmudgeon! I assume Beaker’s hiding.
“This is at a delicate stage,” I growled at my nephew.
“Jason Isner, did you knock up Francesca St. James?”
“Bye, Connie.” I clicked off and returned to the text thread with the doc.
Me
Yeah, he came out for food, though.
I told Sean the news.
Doc
Oh, wonderful! How did he take it?
Me
Good. Surprised. To be expected.
The three dots popped up, did their merry little dance, then disappeared. My phone rang instead, and something crashed behind me because that dummy Beaker got a fright.
I answered the video call. “Hey.”
“Hey there!” She looked a little flushed, which sent me into a mild panic.
“What’s going on? Have you been running?”
“No, just unpacking. I did most of it last week, but I had forgotten one suitcase, and I just brought it upstairs.”
For the duration of her stint in Boston, Franky had taken over a sublet in Cambridge from another professor who was currently in the original Cambridge, as in England. Apparently, professors were guest lecturing and subletting like there was no tomorrow.
“Isn’t Rosie there? She should be helping with that.”
“She went out for bagels.” She sat down on a bed. “Tell me about Sean.”
“Nothing to tell. He didn’t really get it, but then not many people will, I suppose.”
“I told Rosie and my family, and they got it. It’s not so out there, is it?”
Now I was projecting my insecurities onto her. Just because I expected people to respond with, that guy, a dad? And with that beautiful, intelligent woman? didn’t mean she felt the same way.
“No, not at all. It’s just weird telling people this personal thing.” I wasn’t even going to bring up the fact Conor was currently flipping through the baby books I’d left out for all and sundry to find.
“I suppose it is. But when it comes down to it, this is between us, Jason. We made this decision, this pact, if you will. We’re the ones who will be responsible for loving this child. For making sure she’s never hungry or scared or unhappy. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
She was right. But that didn’t stop me thinking about Sean’s reaction and how that wide-eyed blink would be playing on repeat with everyone I told in the coming months. And it wasn’t much of a leap from that reaction to me drawing another conclusion.
She needed your sperm. That’s the only reason she’s even talking to you right now.
Because she certainly wouldn’t be, otherwise.
