Page 26 of Together

“Your sister?”

“Yeah, I’m here now. She’s actually going to have a baby truly any day now.”

“Your sister.”

“Yup. Mrs. Maxi Pads,” I tell her, smiling.

“Well, shit.”

I grunt out a laugh. “It’s okay. I should have explained. I kind of knew you were thinking I was buying them for a girlfriend or something.”

“If your sister’s pregnant, why does she need maxi pads?”

“Something about after the baby comes. I honestly didn’t pay attention.”

“But you bought them for her.”

I lie back on the mattress, throwing an arm over my forehead and keeping the phone against my ear. “Yeah. It’s no big deal. Ashley?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you…” I clear my throat because saying what I’m about to say makes me nervous. “Are you planning to keep it?”

“Yes.” Her answer comes quick and sure and the relief I feel is immediate.

I blow out a breath. “Thank God.”

“I take it that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah,” I tell her quietly, emotions clogging my throat. “I am definitely okay with that. I get that this situation is far from ideal but we’ll make it work. We’ve got a lot of lifetime to catch up on and I know it will take time, but I’d really like the two of us to get to know each other better.”

“I agree. The baby deserves to have parents who at least know the basics about each other, right?”

I’m not even going to go there right now. I want to know a whole lot more than the basics but we’ll leave that discussion for later. Instead, I simply agree, “Right.”

“It’s the holidays and I’m going to be at my parents’ until the day after Christmas. You around that day? Can we maybe get together?”

“I’m here. Whenever, Ashley, I’m here. And if between now and the next time you and I see each other you feel overwhelmed, or sick, or just like you need to talk about it all, you pick up your phone and you call me.”

“I’m sure I’ll be okay.”

“Promise me, Ashley. You might not know this about me but it’s important for you to understand that I don’t sit on the sidelines well. Being a leader comes pretty natural for me so if I get bossy, it’s not because of any other reason than I like to be in control.”

“I remember a little of that,” she says shyly.

“Oh yeah? You do, huh?”

“I do.”

“You liked it.” My words are a reminder, not a question.

On the other end of the phone I hear her suck in a breath and it brings me a hint of satisfaction.

“Are we keeping this between ourselves?”

“You said you were at your sister’s house? Does she know that I was taking a test?”

I try not to groan. “Yeah.”

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