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The words land differently now. Not because I didn't already know that. Because every day I spend with Lainey shows me a little more of what those eleven months must have looked like.

Pregnant.

Working.

Having Charlie.

Getting up with her every night.

Making every decision.

Handling every problem.

I rub Charlie's back. "She doesn't have to do everything herself anymore."

Lorraine's eyes meet mine. "I know."

I study her gaze for some sort of challenge or suspicion, but I don't see any. It's just two words that somehow tell me I've finally earned a little bit of trust from her.

Charlie grabs a handful of my T-shirt and shoves it toward her mouth.

I pull it away. "Hey. Daddy needs that."

She immediately tries again.

Lorraine smiles. "She's discovered her mouth. Everything she can get near it goes straight in."

I grin wider, telling Charlie, "That's not yummy."

She grabs my chin instead.

I kiss her palm.

For a few seconds, the kitchen goes quiet. Then Lorraine says, "Dean's missing her badly."

"Dean?" I ask.

"Lainey's father. Charlie's granddaddy."

"Oh. I bet he is," I reply, running my thumb over Charlie's spine. Then, without thinking about it, I state, "I'm going to take Charlie to visit him today. What's your address?"

Lorraine's guard immediately goes back up. "What?"

"You said he misses Charlie. I know he couldn't get away for Thanksgiving, so I'll take her for a visit. I need to meet him anyway," I declare, my stomach flipping with a bit of nerves.

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Does Lainey know?"

"No, ma'am. I just made the decision from our discussion," I say with a smile. Then I add, "But let's not tell her."

More suspicion enters Lorraine's expression. "Why not?"

"Because if I tell her, she'll insist on coming. And her daddy and I need to have a private talk."

"About what?"

"Some things are between men, Lorraine," I assert.

She doesn't blink.