“I think about everything,” he said. “I just don’t always talk about it.”
That was so specifically, perfectly Nash that I had to press my face into his shoulder for a second.
“Okay,” I said. “So what do we tell her?”
“Nothing yet,” he said. “Today you’re just here. You’re having breakfast with us. Nell’s going to be thrilled and she’s not going to ask hard questions because she’s five and you being here is already the best thing that’s happened to her this week.”
“Can we at least compromise and keep our sleepovers secret for now?” I asked. “Everything I’ve ever learned about child psychology is screaming at me to take this slow and careful.”
“Strikes me as odd you would be worried about that when you spent the past twelve hours begging me to put a baby in you.”
I shoved him gently. “Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not judging you,” he said. “I’m just noting the contradiction.”
“The contradiction can coexist,” I said. “I can want a baby and also not want to traumatize your five year old by having her walk in on us.”
“She’s not going to walk in on us.”
“Nash.”
“I have a lock on my bedroom door.”
“That you used last night?”
A pause.
“I’ll use it going forward,” he said.
I laughed despite myself. He pulled me closer, pressing his lips to my hair, and I felt him smile against my head.
“Hey,” he said.
“Mm.”
“You’re good with kids.”
“I know,” I said. “That’s my whole thing.”
“I mean with Nell specifically,” he said. “You already know how to read her. What she needs. When to push and when to back off.” A pause. “Just trust that. Everything else we’ll figure out.”
I thought about that.
He wasn’t wrong. I did know Nell—had known her for two months, had watched her carefully, had learned the texture of her anxiety and her joy and the way she processed things. I knewshe needed consistency and honesty and low-pressure warmth and someone who showed up the same way every time.
I could do that.
I was already doing that.
“Okay,” I said. “Vibes-based parenting. I’m in.”
“There she is.”
“Don’t make it a thing.”
He was already getting up, reaching for his jeans, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “I do need to get Nell, though…so I guess we should probably decide. You staying or not?”
I bit my lip, but really…I was just pretending to think about it.
