I tip my chin in an eager nod. “Yes! It was more… ethereal magic than Christmas magic. It would have made for a cool picture, though.”
Phoebe nods and looks into the stroller. “Uh oh. Someone is playing with his ears. Time for us to be heading home, I think.”
I’m sure the confusion shows on my face because she then says, “He’s getting tired. He always grabs his ears when he’s tired.”
“Really? That’s what that means?” There’s yet another thing that I didn’t know about babies. “I think I’m going to need a manual for him,” I joke. “I can’t keep up with all this new information.”
Phoebe laughs. “I’ll lend you some of my baby books. You’ll be an expert in no time.”
“Nice try. You already told me those books can’t agree on a single thing. I’ll end up more confused than I am already. No, I need to rely on my powers of observation and my listening skills.”
She shakes her head and laughs. “I did say that, didn’t I? I’m sure between MaeLynn and I, we can set you straight anytime you need help. She seems like she knows what she’s doing.” Phoebe gets the stroller turned and heads back toward my car. “It’s too bad we didn’t last longer at the farmer’s market today. I saw a few things there that my mom would absolutely love. She’s a huge fan of that cottage core type of design but with a snarky twist. A few booths there looked like they had her brand of kitsch.”
An idea forms in my head, and before I can stop myself, I blurt it out. “What if Lincoln comes to nap at my place so you can shop while I watch him? I live not too far from here. You can even take my car if you want to go somewhere farther away.”
She jerks the stroller to a stop and her eyebrows meet in the middle as she stares at me as if I’ve lost it.
“I mean, only if you want. I need the practice, and I’m sure I can look after him for a short while during his nap.” She starts walking again without answering. “I have everything I need,” I continue. “You can come and inspect it all before you decide. Or you could stay at my place while he naps, if that would make you more comfortable. It’s up to you.”
We walk in silence all the way back to my car, and I’m sure I’ve blown it. She doesn’t trust me enough yet to leave Lincoln with me, and my suggesting it now has forced her into the position that she has totellme she doesn’t trust me. I’ve made her uncomfortable twice today.I’m such an asshole.
She gets me to buckle Lincoln in and then checks the straps again. When we get into the vehicle, she puts a hand on my arm to stop me from starting it. My heart races, and a hundred horrible scenarios rush through my head.She’s telling me she doesn’t want me around Lincoln. She’s regretting ever finding me at all. I’m going to have to go to court just to visit my son on alternating weekends.
“I think we should go to your place,” she says. “I don’t know if I’ll leave him with you yet, but I should at least look at the space. To ease my mind. I’m sure everything is fine but…Sorry.”
I blow out a relieved breath before looking over at her and smiling. “I get it. There’s nothing to be sorry for. You’re his mom. It makes sense that you’d want to make sure I have a safe space for him. I’d be more surprised if you didn’t want to check it out first.”
She gives me a tentative smile. “Yeah?”
I nod. “Definitely.”
Her smile grows. “Okay.” She nods. “Okay, then. Let’s go to your place.”
I start the car and grin the entire three-block drive to my building.
“You live here?” She’s looking up at the building as I pull into the parking garage. “It’s so tall.”
I open my window and scan my parking card at the security gate, nodding to the guard who waves me through. “It’s forty-three stories. Only about half of those are residences, though. The rest are offices.”
I park in my private space and get out. Phoebe joins me beside Lincoln’s door, his diaper bag already in her hand.
“You can go ahead and get him out,” she says distractedly.
Her head swivels as she takes in the other vehicles. Most are high-end luxury vehicles, hinting at the pretentiousness of my neighbors. Even my vehicle is on the pretentious side, but I bought it mostly to keep my mother off my back. If it were up to me, I’d still be driving the old Jeep I had in college. I used to love driving it out to local hiking spots and going off grid for a few days. My mother always thought it looked low-class. But I have to admit, the SUV is proving to be useful now that I have Lincoln to think of. It has high safety ratings and tons of space for a car seat in the back.
And I could still drive to hiking spots and take it off-grid if I wanted to. I just haven’t had the time yet.
I unbuckle Lincoln and snuggle him to my chest. I’m still a little nervous holding him, but I’m much more comfortable than I was that day in the lab. With a little more practice, I should be an expert. Or at least somewhat competent.
“Elevator’s over here,” I say, turning and leading her to the silver doors at the end of the lot. “It’s a secure building. You need a card to get into the lot, and a card to get into the elevator from the parking garage. There are security guards at the main entrance, and nobody gets in unless they’re approved.”
Her shoulders relax. “That’s great. Sounds very safe.”
The doors open and I let her get in first, then I follow. I swipe my keycard and press the button for the penthouse, a pang of worry hitting me out of nowhere. What if she hates my place? It is a little extravagant, and not something I would buy now. Couple the penthouse with my vehicle and I look like a rich asshole, which is the farthest thing from who I am. I’ve spent so long doing things my parents’ way, to keep them off my back, that I’m living a life I don’t even recognize. Maybe I need to buy a house with a yard for when Lincoln gets older? I smile as the thought of us playing catch together crosses my mind. Yeah, I think I’d like that.
“If you decide to leave Lincoln with me when you go shopping, I’ll give you my keycard so you can access the elevator and parking garage. Oh, I’ll call security when we get up to my place so I can have you added to the list of approved visitors, too.” I turn to see her looking at me with her mouth hanging open. “You know what? You’re right. I’ll have them make you a keycard. You’ll probably have to go to the security office so they can get your picture, but it will be a lot easier for you in the long run to have your own entry card.”
She shakes her head and looks pointedly at the elevator’s control panel. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear a single thing you said. Did you hit the buttonfor the penthouse?” Her voice takes on a high-pitched tone. “You live in the penthouse?”
