It’s a moment before Stone states the obvious. “I think… you know you’re invested. Just scared.”
The waitress deposits our drinks, and Stone gives her an indication to come back later.
I stew in his observation. “Yeah… I am. First it was digesting the news, I felt like someone swung a bat into my stomach. I wasn't sure that I wanted this. Then it was trying to figure out what role I would play. But the real kicker for why I didn’t sleep more than an hour last night is because…” I hate saying it.
Luckily, Stone does it for me. “You’re not our dad. You can be so much better than he ever was. Just believe it.”
“What if I get it all wrong?” I’m throwing it all on the line because we can talk about anything.
“What if you get it all right?” he counters.
I lick my lips and glance at the lake, trying to capture some peace in my head. Then I return my gaze to my brother who’s observing me without judgment.
“I don’t know how to handle a girl. At least with a boy, I have hockey. A girl? I don’t know what to do.”
He raises his brows at me. “Now you’re scared of a daughter? Nah, you’re equally excited. Either way, a child of your own is a whole different territory. You’ll just be seeing a lot of pink and purple.”
A half-smile hits me like a wave. “I guess so.”
“And just like that, we’ve confirmed that you’re doing this. You’re going to be a dad.”
I nod once in agreement. “Is it bad if I thought for a millisecond last night that I should just give Isla money in a trust fund and sign away my rights?” Shame floods me that the thought even crossed my mind.
“Uh…” He scratches his chin, debating the right words to use. “I think… if it was only a millisecond then you can let it go. Because a millisecond is a speck on the spectrum of your life, not even noticeable. Hell, you can’t be the first guy to think it if he discovers he is unexpectedly becoming a dad. Besides, you’re here telling me all of this because youwantto be a great dad. That’s by far more important.”
I think about it. “I’m not backing away from being a dad… I just don’t know how to deal with Isla.”
“Maybe… I don’t know. She can also be scared or have some reason deep within that prevented her from telling you. You’re not the only person in the world to have fears, Vaughn.”
My lips quirk out, as my brain feels fried from trying to solve the mystery. “I told her I needed space and walked away.”
He chuckles. “Sounds like you really don’t want to make this easy.”
“She never clued me in that she’s about to have a baby,” I reiterate.
“And? She didn’t exactly say you can’t be involved either. You need to talk to Isla. Sometimes we have to take the high road when we shouldn’t have to. She’s the one who is pregnant, so in this case, she wins.”
I shake my head, aggravated, as two people approach our table. I recognize Connor and Hadley right away.
“Hey… well, this is timely,” Hadley greets me, while Connor greets my brother since they know one another.
“Excuse my wife. We came for lunch and she noticed you here. Now she has a strong feeling to insert herself into situations that she should probably stay out of,” Connor attempts to explain what is about to happen.
Hadley throws him a playful glare before sharply turning her head back to me. “Isla is in misery.” She gets right to the point.
“And? She kept a big secret about my baby.”
She stands taller. “You said your baby. Isn’t itourbaby, as in Isla and you?” She’s keen to correct me.
Connor smiles tightly at me. “Hadley is concerned.”
“You know, she has her reasons for why she couldn’t tell you. She tried, a lot. So while you sit here debating how to punish her for that, just remember that all she’s done is focus on the baby, while internally she is scared out of her mind because shedidn’tget the life that this little girl is going to have.”
Fuck, it only dawns on me now that Isla and I share a similar upbringing, with absent parents playing key roles in our probably broken behaviors.
“I don’t think I should be having this conversation with you,” I inform her.
“You’re right. You should be with Isla, planning a future whether together or not. It’s eighteen years to life the way you’re now bound together.” Hadley is feisty but raises valid points.
