Page 59 of Entirely Yours
Pulling back, I tuck a rogue piece of hair behind her ear. “That first night we met, you told me roses were fickle. Do you remember?”
“I do.” She grins. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
“More than I could have imagined. But I think you think fickle is a bad thing.” My brow furrows. “Thea, you’re loyal, careful, strong. You may be slow to trust, which makes sense given everything you’ve been through, but you are quick to defend those who have earned that trust. Rosie fits you—maybe a bit prickly at first, but always worthy of admiration.”
“I think you have on rose-colored glasses,” she counters.
“Maybe I do. I hope they never come off.”
She shakes her head. “Being with your new niece made your baby fever even worse, didn’t it?”
It’s a deflection, I know. She’s never had someone want her for exactly who she is.
“I would feel this exact same way, even if you weren’t carrying my baby. I need you to understand that.” My tone is serious and she instantly sobers.
“It’s… harder than I thought it would be.”
“I know, but trust me, okay? Try withme,” I beg.
“Okay,” she whispers. “I’m trying. I want to try.”
Our kiss is deep, full of unspoken promises. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I lift her up onto the counter. My hands explore every inch that I can reach. Our breaths quicken, tongues meeting in an insatiable dance. I’m about to carry her to my bedroom, or honestly bend her over the counter when she pushes me back.
“Wait! I still want to find out what we’re having.”
“For dinner?” I’ve completely forgotten what we were talking about before we started making out.
She laughs, smacking me across the chest. “No! The baby! Let me grab my phone.”
Right, the baby. Now I remember. My stomach feels like it might fall out of my ass.
Thea comes back, typing something out on her phone. Once she’s done, she looks up at me. “Ready?”
Yes. No. “Yes,” I answer.
She turns around, leaning into my chest so I can peer over her shoulder and read what’s on the screen. A lab report pops up, and we both scan, trying to figure out what it’s saying.
“There.” She points. “‘Fetal Sex: Male.’ Holy shit.”
It’s a boy.
“What am I supposed to do with a boy?” Thea asks, laughing in disbelief.
“I’m no expert, but I would assume when they’re babies, it’s pretty similar,” I joke. “How do you feel?”
“Surprised…” she admits. “But also excited. I’ll have to see if Elaine can give me some advice.”
I have no doubt my mom would be overjoyed if Thea asked her for advice. Kissing the top of Thea’s head, I soak her presence in. I almost ask her to move in, it’s on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t want to ruin this moment.
Before I work up the courage to do it anyway, Chloe runs in,shouting “JuJu!” when she sees me. The opportunity passes, and I promise myself to find a way to ask her soon. Maybe not today, but soon.
“There’s a Bardot family tradition that my dad did with us as kids, that I would really like to do with Chloe.”
“You have my attention.” Thea smirks. Chloe has already gone to bed, and Thea’s head is resting in my lap. I braid and rebraid her hair as she watches reruns ofJeopardy!I’m nervous for this conversation because I never want to assume anything about what Thea might be comfortable with or what my role is in Chloe’s life.
“Dad always took us kids out of the house for a few hours on Saturday mornings so Mom could sleep in. We’d get donuts, go to a park or indoor playground depending on the weather. Sometimes it was just the Sassafras rec center so we could get our energy out by running circles around the gym. It became known as Dadurday, and it’s one of my favorite childhood memories. I’d love to do it with Chloe. I-I know I’m not her dad, but…” I trail off unsure how to finish that sentence.
I’d like to be, feels like I’m comingon too strong.
