“Do you need to leave early today?” I ask instead. “What time are you going to see Jane?”
“Not early. She’s in treatment until late today. I was actually hoping that you would come with me.”
“Oh yeah? Jane wants to grill me some more?” We both laugh. “Yes, that sounds good to me.”
I love Lexi’s little family; her sister is amazing. I don’t know the ins and outs of what’s going on with her in the hospital, but she certainly hasn’t lost any spunk with what’s going on. She still gives me shit. I’m glad. I like it. We have a good relationship and I really think that she does approve of me.
“Then I will take you out to dinner afterwards. I think we could use a date.”
“A date, huh?” She winks playfully. “I like that idea. It’s been crazy recently, hasn’t it?”
Our relationship is going from strength to strength, getting better every single day. I can’t see a baby bump anywhere yet, but I can see a change in her. She’s softening, becoming more motherly, growing. I hope that I am too. Maturing slowly as I become a father. God, I can’t wait for that. It’s going to be amazing. I keep thinking about it, all the time. It’s an image that sends me flying high with happiness.
My love for her grows every day as well. Lexi is really everything that I want and need, but that I didn’t know about. I never would have expected that we’d fall in love, but here we are… having everything.
Well… almost everything. There are still some areas we need to work…
“So, Lexi,” I start in the tone of voice that she just knows will lead to the same conversation that we’ve been having. “When are you going to move in with me? I keep asking and not getting anywhere…”
“Will you stop i
t? We can’t move too quickly by me living with you. I already told you.”
“Move too quickly? Lexi, I know that I love you and I want to be with you forever. Plus, we’re having a baby. How can we move faster than we are? Plus, you’re at my place all the time…”
“But being at your place a lot, and living with you, are two different things.”
“I know… living with me will be so much better, easier too. You won’t need to keep going home and getting stuff because it will already be at mine. See, it’s just more straight forward, isn’t it?”
“Ah, I see, so you’re thinking practically… I get it now.”
I toss my head back and laugh. “Yes, that’s it. See, you get me. I’m all about the practicality.”
“I’ve already told you that I might. Just let me think about it, okay?”
“I’m letting you think about it, I just know that this can only go one way. I love your little apartment and I know that you do too…” She makes a noise like this might not be the truth. “But you will need space. Babies take up a lot of room and you need that. My place is too big for just one person…”
She laughs and flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I guess that is a worry for the future…”
“Just not too far into the future, because you’ll be too big to move then.”
“How rude!” she exclaims with a little giggle. “Luckily, I’m not going to get offended.”
“Good, because I will probably be making a lot more jokes like that before the hormones fully kick in.”
“Ah.” She nods. “Because I’ll be too crazy for you to handle then. That’s really brave!”
I hold my hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Hey, Jane warned me of how nuts you can be.”
“Tut.” She shakes her head. “I’m going to leave you now so you can be rude alone.”
As she leaves my office, the gossiping girls stop, but I still know what’s going on. I’m sure everyone is curious as to what’s going on. They must have an idea, but knowing for sure is something else. I don’t care if they know or not. I’m not doing anything wrong by chasing my happiness with the woman I love. When she eventually caves and comes to live with me, everyone will know anyway. And as our baby is born, well we can’t hide it then, can we? Then there will come the day when I propose of course, and we plan our wedding…
God, I can’t wait for the way when Lexi becomes my wife. It’ll be the best day ever. I can just see her now in a gorgeous white dress and a glittering ring sitting on her finger, making her my own. Sealing our love forever.
“Oh fuck!” All of a sudden, I hear my father. He’s back to ruin my happiness yet again. He seems to have impeccable timing. Just as things start to look good for me, in he strides. And this time, it might be really bad because I’m sure that he has a revenge plan for me about to come to fruition.
This is bad because Lexi is here today. I don’t want her to hear him saying shit things about her.