Page 36 of Rhett

We clink glasses and dig into the meal. The conversation flows easily as we eat. Eve asks me about my work as a firefighter and tells some funny stories from her job as a paralegal. I can see where Sofia gets her quick wit and sense of humor.

“So, Rhett,” Eve starts as we're finishing up our meal. “Did you always want to be a firefighter?”

I nod, taking a sip of my wine. “For as long as I can remember. As soon as I finished my EMT training, I went through the fire recruit training program. Then I started at Station 47 and have been there ever since. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Sofia lays her head on my shoulder and squeezes my thigh. Fuck, that feels nice.

Eve smiles warmly at me. “That's wonderful that you found your calling. It takes a special kind of person to run into danger to help others.”

I feel my cheeks warm slightly at her praise. “Thank you. I'm just grateful I get to do what I love every day.”

“And we're grateful for people like you,” Eve says sincerely. She turns to Sofia. “Honey, this meal was delicious. You two make quite the team in the kitchen.”

Sofia beams. “Thanks, Mom. Rhett was a big help.”

As we finish up dinner, I insist on clearing the table and doing the dishes while Sofia and Eve chat. I can hear their laughter from the kitchen as I clean up. It warms my heart to see Sofia so relaxed and happy with her mom. Although it had to be hard just being the two of them. It’s obvious Sofia and Eve are close.

When I rejoin them in the living room, Eve is showing Sofia some photos on her phone. “Mom’s new office.” She shows me the picture of a decent-sized office with floor-to-ceiling windows and a beautiful view.

Sofia begins yawning again and Eve stands up. “Baby, you’re sleepy. I’m going to take off.” She comes to me and gives me a hug. “Thank you for a lovely dinner. It was so nice to meet you.”

“You too, Eve.”

I stay inside while Sofia walks her mom out and head into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Once I finish, I turn to find my girl leaning against the bathroom doorjamb.

“Well, you have Mom’s seal of approval.”

I walk toward her. “That’s awesome, baby. She seems great.” Now, I walk toward her and scoop her up in my arms, carrying her to bed.

20

Sofia

“You guys did the meet the parents’ thing?” Jodi asks quietly, while the kiddos are napping.

I nod, taking a drink of my water. “Yeah, his parents are so nice and Rhett says they like me, so that’s awesome. Mom is Team Rhett all the way. All that’s left is for Rhett to meet Drew.”

Jodi smiles at me. “Girl, I’m so happy for you. You look great by the way.” She looks me over. “You’re glowing.” Leaning forward she whispers. “Your boobs look bigger. Is that a new bra?”

I shake my head while looking down. “No new bra, but they do?”

“Miss Sofia, I don’t feel good,” one of my little guys, Drake, whines holding his stomach.

Before I can get him in the bathroom, he vomits all over the floor, and then starts to cry. “It’s okay, buddy. Let’s go into the bathroom.”

“I’ll take care of this,” Jodi says, motioning to the mess on the floor.

I nod. “Thanks, babe.”

Drake throws up two more times and then I wipe off his mouth. I feel his forehead and can tell he’s got a fever. “I’m going to call your mom, okay?” He nods as I lead him to a little cot that is far away from the other kids. Poor little guy curls up into a tight ball.

After Drake's mom comes to pick him up, I make sure to sanitize everything he touched. The last thing we need is a stomach bug spreading through the whole class.

“Poor little guy,” Jodi says as she finishes mopping the floor. “I hope it's just something he ate and not a virus.”

I nod in agreement. “Me too. We'll have to keep an eye on the other kids, just in case.”

As the afternoon goes on, I can't shake a queasy feeling in my own stomach. At first, I think maybe I'm just worried about catching whatever Drake had, but as the nausea persists, a different possibility starts to creep into my mind.

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