“I’m scared, Newman.” He read the fear as she looked at him. Saw how pale she was, and pulled her onto his lap. She didn’t fight him, instead resting her head on his chest.
“How about we take this slow. For now, we’re going to be parents in….”
“Just over eight months.”
“Okay. So that gives us time to prepare. How about we take small steps and try and work out what’s best for us and the baby?”
The top of her head hit his chin as she nodded.
“And we’re friends, Hope, which is a better place to start than a lot of parents.”
“We are.”
“And I have style even if you don’t.”
“There’s that, and I care about the environment and you don’t.”
“Okay, good. So you can teach our child to recycle, and I can teach it to look good. Not sure what else there is to parenting, but sounds like a good start to me.”
She snuffled, then raised her head. They were close. Close enough that he saw the small gold flecks in her eyes.
“I may have teased you about your do-gooding, and being a nice man, but you are, Newman.”
“Aw, thanks.”
“I always thought you were too nice actually.”
“And there’s that mouth.”
“You can’t expect me to change overnight. But after telling me about your father, I understand you more.”
He didn’t want her to change, he realized. He liked her as she was. Bad dress sense, attitude, and need-to-save-the-world ways.
“I need to go back to work now, Newman.”
“Okay, but if you need anything you let me know.”
“I will, but I’m just tired at the moment.”
“No morning sickness?”
“A bit.”
“Let me know when you want to tell your mom, and I’ll come round.”
She frowned, and then slid off his lap. He missed the weight of her spread across his thighs.
“I don’t need you to help me with that. I can tell her.”
“We’re in this together, Hope.”
“Am I going to be there when you tell yours?”
Hell no.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“And yet you think I need you at my side to tell my mom?”
