“Sure.” I hesitate. This is the first time my dad has offered to host dominoes, so I want to help make sure it goes off without a hitch and his buddies have a good time. But when I made my coffee earlier this morning, the folding table and chairs hadn’t moved from the garage, and the kitchen is still untouched. Something other than Dad’s fussing is most definitely up. I take a few extra minutes in the kitchen to nose around for some clues before I throw a snack tray together.
AHA! Dad’s laptop, open to Expedia, is plugged in at my kitchen desk. I look at his recent search history and see he’s been on several travel websites in the past week. Is Dad going home? Is he taking a big step and finally joining an organized trip for seniors? He’s always wanted to go to Italy.
“DAD, I need to talk to you for a minute. IN PRIVATE!” I holler, heading toward the living room, sans snacks, ready to snatch my dad away from his company for a round of What the heck is going on here?
I stop fast in my tracks. Fitzroy is standing in the middle of my living room looking terribly pleased with himself, and next to him is Leo. Touché, Dad. The opinions I thought you were holding close to your chest about the baby, you just laid them out pretty for me to see.
“I’m off to the Y, then. The boys are all in a lather wanting to know if I was able to pull this surprise off,” Dad says, collecting his gym bag from where it was hidden behind the curtains. “You two have a lot to catch up on and discuss. I hope you’ll be joining us for dinner, Leo, I look forward to getting to know you better. I think we need to treat you to a good ol’ American cheeseburger. Nina, you up for grilling?” Dad insists in the form of a question, patting Leo confidently on the back. His cunning ways keep on coming.
“Nowhere else in the world I would be,” Leo says, salivating for a burger before breakfast. Or hopefully salivating over seeing me.
“It’s settled then. See you around six thirty p.m., we’ll have a beer,” Dad singsongs triumphantly as he heads out the door exceedingly pleased with himself. “Oh, and Nina, I’ll be going home on the seven a.m. flight to New York tomorrow morning. You and Leo have some important decisions to make, and you don’t need your old man hanging around while you do it.”
The front door clicks closed, and I jump into Leo’s arms, sending him stumbling back onto the couch. “You’re here! I can’t believe it, you’re really here!” I realize I’ve been suppressing how terribly I’ve missed Leo in the name of surviving. It’s either that or the horny pregnancy hormones kicked in seeing Leo’s biceps stretch the arms in his T-shirt. I plant kisses all over his face, neck, and head, each peck affirming he’s truly home. “Oh, I see how it is. I was such a great long-distance girlfriend, you couldn’t stay away.” Suck it, Sloan, and your sway over my boyfriend. “Did you catch me pretending to be Zen when I thought I had to make it four months without you? I was good, right? Wasn’t I? I knew I was. You have to tell Marisol I killed it. She had her doubts, and I think she even bet against me with Roan.” I keep pecking away at Leo like a starving bird.
“Other than your eyes bugging out every time Sloan passed by my desk, you did all right.” Caught. “And since when do you use the word Zen?” Leo laughs.
“Oh, I’ve become a whole new woman since you’ve been gone.” Leo raises his eyebrows in hungry interest. “Okay, that’s not really true, but I do have a few new pairs of sneakers you’ve never seen. Also, Marisol and I discussed going to a pottery class but decided to try out a new Vietnamese restaurant instead. And I’m still playing it cool with Xandra and her mysterious behavior.” Leo looks at me like he’s not buying it.
“By playing it cool, you mean you didn’t hop on the first plane to New York to explain our hot kiss to your kid?” Huh, maybe Leo does know more about the crazy things parents do on behalf of their children than I’ve given him credit for.
“I didn’t even search for a cheap last-minute ticket,” I say proudly. I’ve been obsessively counting the days until Xandra gets home for Christmas so I can grill her in person and get to the bottom of what’s been happening with her and Dash at school.
“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be in Borneo? I thought you were going to check in with me today or tomorrow.”
“I’m checking on you all right.” Leo slips his hand under my short hemline. He’s getting right to business opening the candy shop back up, and I don’t mind a bit. “Checking on you and my baby.” His hand moves right past my sweetness onto my belly. “The trek was just a ruse to keep you from trying to contact me so I could pack up and fly home without blowing our surprise.” Leo’s stroking my belly like he’s trying to coax this baby out of my bottle. I wish I had on yoga pants, I’m feeling a little exposed with my dress now hiked up over my hips and my end-of-the-week underwear on display.
“Our surprise?” I ask. Though I know the answer.
“Let’s just say, among other things, I’m learning that willfulness is a Morgan family trait,” Leo whispers, nuzzling my neck.
“Yeah, Fitzroy’s determination is legendary,” I offer, wriggling my clavicle away from Leo’s lips. I’m not feeling it with the mention of my father. “When he wants something done, he gets it done. Did I tell you about the argument over my prom dress?”
Leo shakes his head no as his hands continue to wander.
“Well, that’s a story for another time. Back to today.”
“Hold on,” Leo rolls me off him and reaches into his back pocket. Out comes a stacked bundle of paper that he carefully unfolds and presses flat on the coffee table.
“Go ahead.” Leo kisses me and nods to the papers indicating he wants me to read them. The first email printout is from one Fitzroy Morgan, dated Halloween.
FROM: Fitzroy Morgan
DATE: October 31
SUBJECT: Time to come home
TO: Leo West
Dear Leo,
I dislike email so I will keep this brief. You are now going to be a father. Nina needs you here so she can see this baby is a blessing. For all of us.
Fitzroy Morgan
The man likes to make his point in as few words as possible. Next page.
FROM: Fitzroy Morgan
DATE: November 1
SUBJECT: Time to come home
TO: Leo West
Dear Leo,
I went to the offices of Smith, Bodie, and Strong and met with your boss. She’s a lovely woman. After we exchanged pleasantries, she assured me that if you returned home early from your post in Singapore your job will be waiting for you.
Fitzroy Morgan
I skip over the details of the remaining brief emails and count only the pages. Twelve emails in total, at times three a day, all seemingly with the same message: Come home. You’re going to be a father. Nina needs you.
I’m mortified, but also surprisingly grateful. It’s not my father’s job to determine what I need, but he’s not wholly wrong either. I didn’t know how to talk through my concerns about having a baby with the daddy half a world away. So, I didn’t. But my not doing it didn’t mean I didn’t need to.
I can’t imagine how he figured out where Leo works. Then to go to downtown LA to meet with Leo’s boss on behalf of his daughter, that’s channeling Mom-level madness right there.