Raven sat down with a thump, blinking at him. “I need to schedule you an appointment, don’t I?”
“Like I’d let anyone else do it. Yes.” He shook his head. “I didn’t know what to say. I felt uncomfortable, and?—”
“Is Laird not going to…” Naomi waved her hand. “You know…”
“No. I mean yes, he says he’s in all the way; he wants to move in and everything. Like he wants to be a family.” And that was wonderful and scary all at the same time.
“Is that what you want?” Raven asked, his tone super-gentle. He knew Raven had struggled with some of this with Ben.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, I don’t want to want it, but I do, so bad, which makes me sound crazy, doesn’t it? But I do hope he’s permanent. So he can be part of the baby’s life.”
“Hey, if it’s early days to know how you feel, so be it. I like the man, though, if that helps.” Raven’s smile made tears sting his eyes.
“I like him a lot too. I met his best friend, Nick, again. He’s another EMT.”
“Oh, so, that’s his partner?”
He nodded to Naomi. “Yeah, he’s a really good guy. He cooked dinner, it was nice. We played a round of cards. It was very normal.”
It was funny because it seemed very normal for him and Laird. They didn’t tend toward nine-to-five types of lives.
“That’s too cool.” Naomi beamed at him. “I like that you’re meeting friends and family and stuff.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s time, huh?” He patted his belly. It was still perfectly flat, but he’d found a heartbeat. It was real.
They were having a baby. They were pregnant.
He might just throw up.
Raven gave him a knowing look. “Naomi, can you set up room two?”
“Sure, and I’ll put breakfast in the breakroom.” She winked broadly and left them.
“Are you okay? For real?”
“I don’t know. I—I’m terrified. I want to be okay. I want to be excited and easy in my skin…” But he wasn’t.
“Do the cats like Laird?” The question came out of left field.
“What?”
“The three muskakitties? Do they like him?”
He grinned at Raven, and he had to nod. “They adore him. It’s unnatural.”
“I bet. I mean, those three.”
“Yeah, he’s always bringing them little treats and toys and…” Devon took a deep breath. “Oh, you are evil, making me think logically.”
“I learned avoiding hormonal thinking from the best.” Raven winked at him. “Seriously, honey. I think it’s amazing that he’s stepping up—for you and for the little one.”
“Yeah. I’m about eighty percent sure I heard a heartbeat.”
“Eighty percent, huh? Impressive.” Raven winked athim. “Lord have mercy, sweetheart. Please don’t try to do this all alone. We’re your team.”
He burst into tears at Raven’s sweet words, and his best friend grabbed him and held on, letting him cry through his storm.
Raven just patted his back and murmured things, and he was so grateful for his best friend at that moment, so happy to let go of the panic and worry and inertia.
