Page 7 of Taming You

She turns back to me so quickly I’m not sure how she doesn’t fall out of her chair. “Why was she here? Oh my God, have you two been secretly hooking up behind my back? I told you guys you have my permission, why wouldn’t you tell me?”

That’s news to me. I had no idea she had given us her blessing. I shake my head, because it doesn’t matter; we’re not hooking up. Zoey is more of a relationship girl, and I’m currently in a “having fun” state—or I was, until Jayden.

“Zoey had a bit too much at the bar, I picked her up and offered my couch for her to crash. She went to leave in the morning and Jayden was in a car seat outside my door with a diaper bag.”

Josh and Liv look stunned, more than they were first seeing me with Jayden. “You mean someone left a baby unattended outside your door in an apartment building where anyone could have taken him?” Josh asks.

I nod.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters as he rubs a hand down his face.

“Look, I know you want all the answers right now, but I’d really love to tell this story only once. Can we wait until Mom, Dad, and Gi get here?” I ask.

Liv’s eyes soften as she looks at me and nods. “Can you at least tell me this, is he yours?”

I look down at the small bundle in my arms and smile softly. Running my finger down his nose, I say, “Yeah, he’s mine.”

I pour Zoey a glass of wine and hand it to her before grabbing beers for myself and Josh and making a mocktail for Liv. She’s choosing not to drink while she’s breastfeeding. She wasn’t a huge drinker before, so it doesn’t seem to be the end of the world for her.

We settle at the table, and Josh, Liv, and I slip into talks of the NHL pre-season so far. Zoey’s not as big a fan of hockey as the three of us, but I know she’s enjoying the lull before the storm that will be this dinner.

When there’s another knock at the door, I hold my breath.

Liv reaches for my hand and squeezes it in the same way we’ve done for each other our entire lives. “I’m right here. Know that no matter what happens or how this goes down, I’m always in your corner.”

I squeeze her hand back and smile at Zoey, because she was right, I had nothing to fear when it came to telling Liv. My sister has always been the understanding type, and above all, she’s loyal and supportive.

Zoey reaches for Jayden, and I pass him to her and make my way to the front door, greeting my parents and sister. Mom immediately pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek, giving it a couple of taps before she walks past me and into my place. I hug my dad before moving to Gianna. With my arms wrapped around her, I whisper in her ear, “I’m sorry it had to be this way.” Pulling back, I give her a smile, and she gives me a quizzical look.

Stepping back inside, I move quickly to Zoey’s side, running my finger over Jayden’s nose again before taking him from her and standing in front of my parents.

“Mom. Dad. I’d like you to meet my son Jayden.”

The look of hurt that crosses Mom’s face as she clutches her chest and stares at me has me almost breaking. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to do this. I understand Mom’s pain, I do, but I hope she understands mine, too. Having my son dropped on my doorstep was never my plan for building a family. I’ve always known that when I did decide to have kids, I wanted to be a part of the whole experience, the pregnancy, the planning, the birth. I’m hurt and angry I wasn’t given the chance to be a part of everything. I lost out on so much because Hazel never told me she was pregnant. I’m still trying to process that I missed out on all of it.

Dad helps lead Mom to the table, where she takes a seat beside Liv while Dad shakes Josh’s hand and kisses Liv’s cheek. Gi takes a seat beside Zoey, and we let the silence wrap around us, all of us knowing Mom needs to process this. After a few minutes, she seems to do that and wipes at a tear that’s started its way down her cheek. That tear is soul crushing.

She takes a deep breath and turns to me. “Okay, what happened, Matthew?”

My full name.Great.

I grip the back of my neck and settle into my chair. Mom watches Jayden as I tell them everything, every detail, so they have all the information. The more I tell them, the more tears build in Mom’s eyes. When Jayden starts to fuss, Zoey gets up and makes him a bottle. I take it from her with a smile and thanks and feed him as I finish the story. They all hang on to my every word, not wanting to miss a thing, and I can’t blame them.

When I’m finally done, Dad is the first to speak. “So, what’s your plan?”

Dad’s always been a pragmatist, making plans and trying to avoid anything that could go wrong.

Before I can say anything, Mom asks, “Can I hold him?”

I nod and pass her grandson to her. She stares down at him with so much love in her eyes.

“I’m going to start looking for a place to move. This works for now, but I know that very shortly, I’ll need more space and that means a house, probably. I’ve been saving, knowing it’s been in the plans, even if it wasn’t in the near future. I’ve looked into the daycare program at the office, and it’s good, so when I go back, I’ll be able to leave him there during the day. I’ve taken some time off to adjust to everything. I’ve been looking for a pediatrician so I can make sure he’s up to date on his vaccines. Beyond that, I’m not sure. It’s only been a few days, and thank God Zo’s been here, because she’s kept me sane,” I say.

Zoey gives my arm a squeeze. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve been doing a great job.”

Everyone looks at her, and her cheeks pinken.

“Thank you, Zo. For being there for Matt. I’m sure this was not on your plans for the week,” Mom says.

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