His head whips around at my voice, and he stands quickly. “You’re up? You feel okay?” He looks worried as he stalks toward me.
“What’s happening?” My belly may have dropped, but my brain isn’t firing.
“I opened the bakery. Got Melissa out in front serving. Just your cold stuff, since I wasn't sure I trusted myself to turn on the ovens. Then I got busy here…”
I blink up at him a few times, then I look at the baby nook. It’s beautiful. All natural timber shelves and a small white feeding chair. A little table already full of diapers, clothes, wipes, bibs. There's the soft white blanket laid across the chair, looking so inviting I want to sit in it immediately.
“You did all this? This morning?” How did I not hear all this noise?
“I did. Oh what’s a five-letter word for butting heads?” He rubs the back of his head, and I look at him curiously. He has a pen in one hand and the morning paper in the other.
“Argue.”
“Nope, that doesn’t fit.”
“Clash.” I serve back to him quickly, and his eyebrows rise.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” He writes his answer, and I wonder what universe I’ve woken up in.
“Hey, Savannah! Good morning! Do you have any more of those frozen curry pies? Tim from the toy store and Bob are both after one each. Apparently, it’s their night to cook dinner, so…” Melissa walks into the kitchen with a full smile. She’s a lifesaver. I grin, my shoulders lowering before my head finally kicks into gear.
“Yes, sure, of course.” I quickly move to my freezer and pulling out pies I baked last week. “Cooking instructions are on the front. I’ll come out, and…”
“No need. Rest up. We got it.” Melissa nods to me, and I pause as I peek around the door and watch her go back out with the pies. Melissa’s serving and doing a little icing of cupcakes at the side, ready for the after-school rush. She’s selling all the goods that I had previously prepared, and by the looks of it, a few of the frozen items as well. As was my strategy.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” I frown at Griffin. I feel bad, with him here helping me when he has his own work to do.
“You needed your sleep. Here.” Griffin passes me a glass of yellow liquid that looks like pee.
“What is it?”
“Pineapple juice. It’s meant to help bring on the baby.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and I immediately drink the juice, feeling dry and parched.
“Oh, wow. This is delicious.” I look around for the bottle to see what brand it is.
“It should be. I flew it in from my Hawaii property this morning.”
I splutter on the juice, my eyes watering from almost choking.
“You what?” I wipe my mouth, as a small pain laces through my side, and I rub my belly subconsciously.
“I also thought we could go for a drive later,” he offers, not really answering me.
“A drive?” What in the world is he talking about?
“Yeah, drive over some speed humps and hills. Apparently, that may help as well.” My brain finally catches up.
“You’ve been on your app all morning, haven’t you?” My chest warms that he’s researching all these things for me. But his gaze remains serious.
“Listen, about last night…” he starts, and my heart stalls. Is this where he says it was a mistake? Is this where he says it can’t happen again? I steel myself. Was he just being a friend, helping me bring on labor by having one night of passion? It meant more to me. It felt like more to me. Self-preservation circuits through me, and I interrupt him before he can say anything more.
“You don’t have to… I know you were just trying to… It’s not your responsibility. I mean, the baby’s father already told me he wasn’t interested in being any part of this.” I’m rambling as I indicate my bump, and Griffin's frown deepens to a shockingly new depth, so I continue.
“You have work and important things… dating, maybe… I don’t know… I’m pretty sure once this thing comes out, it isn’t going back in. Like it’s a fixture in my life that’s not going to be going anywhere for a good few decades, at least. I can’t let you step in and fix everything with juice from Hawaii and sex… incredible sex… mind-blowing… amazing… I can’t let you ruin your life for me, Griffin. You have so much, and I can’t do that to you…”
His jaw looks like it’s clenched so hard he’s about to break a tooth as he steps closer.
