“As in you and he are going to be parents.”
Staring at her blankly, I wonder how long we will go in circles. “You heard me the first time.”
She touches my knee. “How?”
“One of those annoying October storms of rain and sleet, finding shelter, and chewing on candy, you know how it goes. Then boom, a few weeks later, you learn a baby is on the way. A complete Chrismukkah miracle, right?”
“Who else knows?”
“Our parents.” As much as I want to go into every detail,I want to discuss her current situation. I refuse to make this whole conversation about me. “You know what? Let’s leave the baby talk for another time. I need a distraction, so can we talk about something else?”
“Sure. Just know that I’m here for you, and if you’re happy then so am I,” she assures me, and she means every word.
“Thanks, but you are also happy because of a certain hockey player,” I point out.
Lainey’s blush says it all. She’s completely falling for the guy she always thought she hated.
“You were watching the locker-room interviews after his game when I arrived.” There is no way I’m not calling her out on that.
And for the next twenty minutes we discuss her accidental Chrismukkah day with his family and the fact they have slept together. Tis the season. Being with Asher lately in bed, it’s different to our first night that created a baby; better.
Lainey waves her hand in front of my face. “Yoo-hoo. Earth to baby mama.”
My eyes pop out as I stall in my transport from daydreaming and re-enter the current world. “Yes?”
“I could have told you that I murdered someone and hid the body with clues for you to find to help the police, and you would have no idea.”
Shrugging a shoulder, I must admit defeat. “Okay, maybe I do need to get this whole pregnancy with the hot coach thing off my chest.”
Lainey throws her hands in the air. “Finally.”
I brush her up on my excitement, how our parents found out, and Asher’s demand that I move in with him. It’s just the one piece that I have no answer to when Lainey tries to break down what I’m feeling.
Leaning against the sofa with my feet tucked under my legs, I hold my cup of tea between my hands. “I’d be crazy not to contemplate the future. I curse schedules and biology for making me tired. New Year’s Eve the team is playing an afternoon away game, but they probably won’t be back early enough.”
Lainey is looking like a complete smartass right now, filled with glee as she both teases me and is eager to break me down. “You love New Year’s which means perfect timing for puzzle pieces to fit together and become more logical with one another about what is happening between you two. I can see it on your face that for anyone to be the dad, then you are very happy that it’s him.”
Smiling to myself, I’m aware every word she says is true. “How can I not be? I mean, maybe we had a few questionable moments, such as saying we would be only one time, or some words were not well chosen when we found out, but he is stepping up. We didn’t know one another well at all, but now we learn more every day, and it feels right. Not only that, but I want to fuck him into next Chrismukkah. That’s a bonus.”
She chuffs a laugh. “Attraction is a bonus if you are both going to try. That’s what you are doing, right?”
“Being together? I mean, maybe we haven’t said it specifically, but everything we do leads that way.”
“Well, that’s promising.”
Searching for my sweater that I threw on the arm of the sofa, I feel confident too. “It is.” I slide on my cardigan as I stand. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to get going. There are just a few errands I need to run, and I know your son will last only so long on his tablet in his room.”
“So true.” She hops up to accompany me back to the front door, then we stop to give our usual hug goodbye. “Just give it all a chance. I think you two will be fine, and I love that for you.”
I give her a knowing look. “Someone should take their own advice.”
“Get out of here.” She grins.
We didn’t thinkthis through. Am I just supposed to make space in the bathroom drawer for my things?
I’m at Asher’s house and figured I should unpack a few more things. He’s been bugging me that I haven’t been bringing over enough suitcases. His flight should be landing soon, which means I’m alone here to fend for myself. But without direction, I’m trying to skirt around boundaries.
“Meh.” I shrug and claim a drawer on the right. He’ll have to get used to my boldness. Swooping up all of his hotel shampoos, I throw them to the ground; I’ll sort it out later. I place my things in the drawer that I’ve now claimed.
