“I really was going to ask you guys, but then I got busy and just forgot.”
“Like I said, well played.”
****
Jessica
Adam and Brian were outside while Lainey made Alan make up the bed in the guestroom for his assistant and her boyfriend. At the same time, Jade, Kristy, and I worked on the centerpieces in the kitchen. Lainey walked in with Conor on her hip, and as she opened a cupboard, pulled out a baby bottle, and casually remarked, “I’m so excited for us to be neighbors! We can carpool to the bakery!”
She set the bottle down on the counter and looked over at me. “You are coming back to work after your honeymoon, aren’t you?”
“I think so. Alan hasn’t said I couldn’t.”
Lainey’s eyes grew wide as she scooped formula into the bottle. “He’snot the boss of you. You’re an adult woman.”
“Yeah, well, I had to ask permission from my parents to come here tonight, so, being an adult hasn’t meant much.”
Lainey replied, “Trust me, Alan will not expect you to ask permission for anything.”
And Jade added, “I can’t imagine he’d even want you to.”
I let out a big sigh. “This is all so new to me.”
Lainey shifted Conor again and pulled me in for a side hug. “You’ve got a lot of people who care about you to help you navigate things—yours truly included.”
“I know,” I whispered. “Thank you for everything. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be marrying Kevin tomorrow instead.”
That thought made me shudder.
Kristy gently said, “Can I ask what happened with Ruthie’s dad?”
As much as I hated even thinking about Jonathan Ross, these ladies had come to be my friends and confidantes, so I felt like I owed them that much.
“I thought once I told him I was pregnant, he’d propose and everything would be okay. Instead, he acted like he didn’t even know me and started dating my friend two days later.”
Kristy scowled. “What a douche. And your ‘friend’ sounds awful.”
“You’re right on both accounts.” My laugh lacked any humor to it. “After Ruthie was born, my parents demanded a DNA test, and it proved Ruthie is his. But I didn’t want to add his name to her birth certificate; I’d have to go to court to haveit changed because there’s no way he’d voluntarily sign the form. And besides, he doesn’t deserve to be listed as Ruthie’s father.”
“Well, fortunately, after tomorrow, Ruthie’s going to have a terrific daddy,” Lainey replied.
My sigh sounded defeated, even to my ears. “I still don’t understand why Alan wants to marry me.”
Jade smiled. “Oh, honey. He was smitten with you the second you dumped those cinnamon rolls on him.”
****
Alan
I’d finished getting the guest room ready for Sarah and Greg and was walking into the kitchen when I heard Lainey say, “You were smart not to put Jonathan’s name on Ruthie’s birth certificate. It’ll make it easier for Alan to adopt her if he’s not listed.”
“Alan’s not going to want to do that.”
I declared, “Sure I do,” as I walked in.
Jess seemed surprised, and asked, “Really?”
“Ab-so-fucking-lutely. The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
