“I told Brendan we’ll have to make frequent trips down to South Carolina so I can visit this cute little town he’s been telling me all about. Plus, I need to meet Austin.” Kalvin never appeared to care much about my life before, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s being sincere.
“That would be awesome,” I tell him.
“Do you know what you’re planning to do about the whole job interview and your dating life?” Pushy. Hmm.
“Not yet. That’s why I’m interviewing here tomorrow.” I narrow my eyes and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
“Kalvin, there’s something you’re not saying.” He looks super nervous all the sudden, and I believe I’m about to find out what is going on. I’ll ninja my way into his brain if I must.
“Okay, but can you not say anything to Brendan yet? I want to talk to him on my own.” That was easier than my ninja moves, but I don’t know where this could be going or whether I even want to know.
“Sure,” I tell him. I hope whatever he has to say is isn’t something I’m going to have to avoid Brendan over.
“I had this thought one day while you guys were gone. It was like a cloud broke open in my head and suddenly, I was drowning in my own tears. I realized that I’m twenty-seven and I want a family. I want kids. I want someone to call me Dad and tell me I’m their world. I’ve spent most of my twenties being selfish, and I’m sick of living that way. I think I was so cooped up in my own little world until I came out a few years ago that I needed to go wild and get partying and hangovers out of my system. As soon as you guys left though, it was like I ran dry. I suddenly wanted everything that Brendan talked about, and I was afraid it was too late after I kept shooing him off.”
“You want to have kids?” I ask, highlighting the most important part of his explanation.
“Yes. I went to an adoption agency. They said I would have a much higher chance of being a match for a child, sooner rather than later, if I was in a stable relationship.” He pauses, looking at me, likely to gauge my reaction before continuing. “I know how this sounds, Scarlett.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t sound good right now,” I tell him. “Is Brendan just part of your plan to adopt a family?”
“No, I had already started trying to mend things with Brendan.”
“Did you talk to him about any of this while you were trying to ‘mend’ things?” I ask.
“Not exactly,” he says.
“Oh my God.” I stand up and grab my head. This can’t be happening. I know Brendan wants a family and all that, but I’m positive he’d want to be a part of the decision-making process. “If he even thinks you’re just getting back with him so you two can co-parent, do you have any clue how that’s going to turn out? You should have made this decision together, Kalvin.”
“I know, but I got excited and just acted on the thought. I want to marry him and have a family.”
“For you or him?”
“Us,” he says. He’s lucky he said that. I was about to sock him in the stomach.
“If I were you, I would come clean as soon as possible before this goes any further. He’s going to be crushed when he finds out you started this without him, and he might think you’re only using him now. Personally, I would probably think that.”
“I know it’s going to be hard proving my intentions,” he adds to my lecture.
“Yeah, it is,” I snap back.
“Where are my favorite people?” Brendan shouts from downstairs.
“Don’t make me hold onto this information, Kalvin. Have this talk with him.”
“I will,” he says.
“Oh, and p.s., an adoption agency might not smile about one parent being an exotic dancer.”
“Wait, what?” Kalvin says.
“Brendan told me, sorry.”
“No, I’m not an exotic dancer. I’ve been performing as an extra for various shows in the theatre district.”
I laugh. “I should stop assuming.”
“But, wow, thank you for that compliment.”
And now I’m mortified. “Anytime.”
