I’m doing just that, sipping my coffee while eating a bagel with avocado when I get a ping from a notification on my phone.
I open it up to see an email from Director Olsen, congratulating me about the pregnancy and letting me know my options for maternity leave. While I knew I would take a few months off after Blueberry was born, I never considered taking an entire year off teaching. But with my desire to compete again, on top of having a baby, it might be the best choice despite how much I’m enjoying my job.
It’ll allow me to focus on myself training-wise and be a present mother to my baby.
I know Quentin plans on being hands-on, even when I eventually move out, so I know I’m going to have support, which is reassuring.
Although the idea of moving out makes my stomach twist because if I’m being honest, I don’t want to be on my own anymore.
I shake my head, trying to getthosethoughts off my brain.
I need to focus on what’s important, which is talking to him about this. So when he gets home today, I’m going to be sure to mention it so that we’re on the same page going forward.
I’m rinsing off my dishes in the sink when I hear the front door open and close. What the fuck? Quentin isn’t supposed to be home until noon.
Turning the sink off, I cautiously call out, “Who’s there?”
I really would not survive in a horror movie.
“It’s just me,” Quentin calls back, making my chest deflate as I let out a sigh of relief.
He comes around to the entrance of the kitchen, the sight of him making my chest ache, because it feels like I just got back something I’ve been looking for.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I opted to fly home earlier,” he says as he walks toward me.
“How come?” I ask as I try my best to fight off the need to pull him into me for a hug.
“I may have been more eager to get home than others,” he says with a small smile, stopping right in front of me.
He was eager to see me? My body warms at the sentiment as an overwhelming need to be in his arms consumes me.
I can’t contain myself any longer as I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into me for a hug.
He’s stiff for a moment, then wraps his arms around me and hugs me as tightly as he can. Tension I didn’t realize I was holding loosens every second I’m in his arms.
“Miss me?” He huffs a laugh as his chin rests on top of my head.
I pull back, making him move his head as I say, “Blueberry did, yes.”
As if he knows I don’t want to say the words aloud, he doesn’t push it and says, “I missed you both.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads from cheek to cheek, nor the way the butterflies in my stomach take flight.
“Thank you for keeping us well fed while you were gone. I appreciate it,” I tell him as we pull apart.
“Of course,” he says dutifully. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good today. No body aches or anything. But I did want to talk to you about something,” I reply, wanting to discuss the email I got from Lisa.
“What’s up?” he says, taking a seat at the island.
I follow suit, taking a seat beside him. “I got an email today from the director of ESA. She congratulated me on the pregnancyand made me aware that they offer year-long maternity leaves. It has me thinking that I would like to take the year-long leave, if that’s okay with you?”
I leave out the part about me competing again because I don’t feel ready to talk to him about that just yet. Because I’m scared he might think differently of me for being a coward and not coming forward to the public about it.
But any woman knows that making a claim of harassment and wrongful termination from a male isn’t a walk in the park.
I also just want to do this on my own, not needing his involvement in the matter.
