“Sofia’s great-grandmother makes the best,” he shares and I nod my head.
“There is nothing she can’t cook and it’s always the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” I chuckle. “Her potato salad is hands down heaven.”
“Her chicken fried steak with gravy,” he counters, and I groan. “I’ve never seen my uncle Matthew shut up faster in my life.”
We both laugh. “So,” I start, “where do you work, exactly?” We’ve skated around the fact that he’s here, but we’ve never discussed him staying here permanently. I was under the impression he would get to know Avery and then he would jet out of town, coming back a couple of times a year. I think I tried to tell myself that to prepare for when he did leave. I also tried to tell myself that I wouldn’t care, but it’s evident to me it’s really going to suck when he does leave.
“I work all over, really,” he says, sniffling as he finishes cutting the onion. “The head office is in Washington.” My head spins as I think about how far away that is from us. “But I was in San Francisco right before the wedding.”
I gasp and look over at him. “That’s on my bucket list, I’ve been to LA before, San Diego but San Fran,” I tell him, “I’ve never been, but there was this special on television once. My dream is to watch the sunrise over the Golden Gate Bridge.” I shake my head. “Above the clouds.” I smile at him.
“It’s magical from the pictures I’ve seen.” It was going to be my graduation gift to myself but, well, having a baby canceled that.
“I didn’t really sightsee. I was in the office for seventeen hours a day.”
“Well, I highly recommend it if you go back,” I tell him, even though I’ve never been.
“Noted,” he says, putting the onion in a bowl before placing the knife and the cutting board in the
sink. “Do your parents know about Avery?” I look at him as he walks over to get another cutting board and knife before standing next to me. “I know they kicked you out and all that.” I see his hand grip the knife handle, his knuckles turning white. “But did they know you gave birth?”
“I don’t know,” I answer him honestly. “After they made me choose her or them, I left town.” I avoid looking at him, embarrassed my family did that to me. The hurt simmers under the embarrassment, especially since his family has welcomed us with open arms, never once judging me.
“My sister was on my side for a bit after I left, my brother, well, he’s always been a dick, so he was on my parents’ side. We would text and talk daily, but then she quickly changed her tune when my parents threatened to withhold her allowance from her.” I shrug, trying to push away the sting of tears.
“After that, I erased them all out of my life.” I take a deep inhale. “I wasn’t going to share the best thing I’ve ever done with them.” I look at him. “They didn’t deserve her.” I smile thinking of the little human we created together.
“I’m sorry you did that alone,” he says softly.
“It’s okay.” I turn and lean my hip onto the counter. “I will never, ever regret Avery.” I stop talking for a second. “With that being said…” He looks over at me as he dices the ham. “We didn’t use protection this time. I want you to know I’m protected.”
He nods his head. “Doesn’t matter to me,” he assures me, putting down his knife, turning to face me, his own hip on the counter. “But just so you know, I’ve never been without a condom.”
“The condom didn’t work the last time.” I try to make a joke.
“Look at what we created without even trying.” He smirks at me. “Can you imagine if we tried?”
His eyes darken.
“Yeah, because that would be smart.” I fold my arms over my chest. “Let’s have another child together when you don’t even know where you will be in a month.”
His eyebrows pinch together. “Where do you think I’ll be in a month?”
“Well,” I say, wanting to kick myself for saying anything, “probably in Washington working.”
“Why would you think that?” he asks me, and I throw up my hands.
“Because that is where your office is,” I reply, trying not to sound like this bothers me. “How can you have an office in Washington and live here?”
“I don’t have to go to work every day,” he says calmly. “That’s the perks of owning the business, plus I never work in the office, I’m always off-site.”