I follow them to the back of the house and into the conference room. “Okay, let’s hear it,” Shelby demands, pulling out one of the chairs around the round table.
“Well, I don’t know what to say, we met yesterday afternoon,” I share, pulling out my own chair and plopping down in it.
“And?” Clarabella prompts, as she sits down next to me.
“Well, he’s her father,” I say, “and he is going to meet her tonight.”
“Holy shit,” Sofia says.
“I know.” I throw up my hands. “How do you tell your kid this is her father?” I look around the table at all of them shaking their heads, not sure what to say.
“If it’s any consolation,” Sofia adds, “I turned out fine.” I roll my eyes.
“What did you tell her about her father?” Shelby asks softly.
“That he was at work,” I tell them and the whole room again laughs. “What was I supposed to tell her?” I look around the table. “Your momma had a ho moment and boom you were born?”
“You are not a ho, nor did you have a ho moment. It was two people who had needs.” Clarabella tries to make it sound better. “Two consenting adults.”
“Who didn’t even share last names,” I add in.
“When you spin it like that,” Presley waffles, “it does sound bad.”
“Presley,” Shelby snaps at her.
“What? It does.” She looks back at me. “Sorry.”
“What if he doesn’t like the way I parent her?” I admit my biggest fear to them. It’s also the question that kept me up half the night.
“Um, fuck him,” Shelby declares.
“Yeah, that.” Presley points her thumb to Shelby. “You did the best you could with what you had, and Avery is perfect, so there isn’t anything that will happen like that.”
“Well, when is he going to be telling everyone else?” Sofia asks. “Because I was waiting all night for him to say something, and he didn’t even say a word. I mean, he came home, went to the bedroom, and stayed there all night.”
“No idea. I was, like, freaking out, so he decided we should tell his parents first and then slowly…” I trail off.
“Have you met the family?” Sofia gawks at me. “There are no secrets in that family. They pretend they will keep secrets and then one person quietly tells another and then boom there are five different text chains that you are a part of.”
“Can we focus on what the hell is going to happen?” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“You are going to go for dinner and then it’ll all be okay,” Shelby tries to reassure me.
“Sure, let’s pretend,” I mumble before I get up. “I’m going to go and get lost in my work,” I inform them, “and pretend I’m not having dinner with my baby daddy tonight.”
“Good luck with that,” Clarabella voices to my retreating back.
“Ugh, I know,” I grumble to myself as I walk back to the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee before attacking all the emails. Mondays are always a bit hectic because of the weekends, but I finally walk out of the office at five after four. Even though I was busy, I felt like every single hour was a lifetime.
When I finally pick up Avery and get her home, I start the bath. “We’re going to wash up before dinner,” I tell her, walking over to her dresser as I look through her clothes.
“Can I wear a dress?” she asks me and I nod my head, walking to the closet and seeing the four dresses she has. I call them her Sunday best clothes. She takes a quick bath and is getting dressed when my phone rings.
I rush over to the kitchen table, grabbing it out of my purse. His name flashes on the screen.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s me,” he says to me, “Stefano.”
“Yes, I know; it says your name when you call.” I laugh at him.
I hear him chuckle. “I’m outside.” My head whips to the balcony door and I quickly walk over.
“Outside where?” I ask him, my feet stuck to the floor.
“Outside your place.” It’s his turn to laugh.
“What?” I shriek before I walk over to the balcony door, unlocking it, and pulling it open.
Stepping outside and looking over the railing, I see him standing in front of the door. He’s wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt. The aviator glasses on his face hide his green eyes.
I quickly back up and out of sight. “What are you doing here?” I say quietly, so he doesn’t look up.