“He saw what shit parents did to kids when you were growing up—”
“Not firsthand,” I argued.
“True,” she conceded. “He got placed when he was so little I don’t think he remembered his life before, thank God. But he still saw all those foster kids coming in and out of your house. Our family knows what that can do to a kid more than most.”
“I’m just glad I’m going down there and my mom isn’t,” I said. “If the mom doesn’t let us see the baby…”
“Yeah,” Ani said softly.
“Where you guys at?” Bram called from the front door, letting himself in.
“Kitchen!” Ani yelled back, smiling.
“Come on in,” I said drily as Bram strode into the room. “Make yourself at home.”
“Always do,” Bram replied, leaning down to give Ani a kiss and take Arielle from her lap. He looked at my plate and grimaced, glancing back at Ani. “Please tell me you didn’t eat whatever that is.”
“I didn’t.” She laughed.
“Tastes all right,” I said, taking a bite. “Add enough spices and anything tastes okay.”
“Did you put corn in that stir-fry?” he asked, pulling out a chair. I just shrugged. I’d used up the last of my perishables, so I considered it a win.
“Leaving in the morning?” Bram asked.
I looked at Ani and she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I thought you were working late today.”
“Nah,” he said, kissing at the tiny hands trying to grab at his beard. “You got so much shit done this week, I didn’t have much to do.”
“Oh, shut it,” Ani mumbled as I gave her a look. “We wanted to come see you before you left.”
“You could’ve just said that.”
“No, I couldn’t. You would’ve said you were tired or something so we wouldn’t come over.”
“I am feeling pretty beat.”
“Liar.”
“Are you guys really that worried about it?”
“We just don’t want you to go down there and run into a bunch of shit,” Bram said seriously. “You should have one of us go with you.”
“Pretty sure I can handle it,” I said, shoving food into my mouth. The colder it got, the worse it tasted. I needed to finish it before it became completely disgusting.
“I don’t like it,” Ani said, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. “What if she’s a complete bitch?”
“Then I’ll deal with it. Jesus, you two act like I’m going to fight a kraken.”
“At least Kate’s down there,” Ani mumbled.
“I haven’t told her I’m coming down.”
“I may have let it slip,” Bram said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.
“Seriously?” I asked in irritation, giving up on the food in front of me. “You guys are seriously the most meddling people I’ve ever met.”
“Look in the mirror,” Ani retorted.
“I don’t meddle. You come to me,” I argued, getting up to dump the food in the garbage. “I let you figure out your own shit.”
“He has a point,” Bram said.
“Oh, boo hoo, Trevor,” Ani snapped. “You have family in the town you’re going to and they’ll probably want to see you at some point. Poor baby.”
“I told my parents I’d stay there but I was planning on getting a damn hotel. You know she’s going to want to be in the middle of it all,” I said, referring to Kate. “She’s a problem solver and it’s driving her insane that I asked her to stay away from that Morgan chick.”
“Her name’s Morgan?” Ani asked curiously.
“Yeah.”
“What’s the baby’s name?”
“I have no idea,” I said shortly. I turned to the sink and quickly washed my dishes while the kitchen grew quiet except for Arielle’s gurgling.
“Come on, baby,” Bram finally said as I finished up the last pan. “Trev’s probably got a million things to do tonight.”
I didn’t turn around when they got up from the table, but I stopped what I was doing as Ani came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I love you,” she said, laying her head against my back. “Let us know when you get to the hotel tomorrow, okay?”
“Sure,” I replied, patting her hands with my wet ones.
“Keep us updated,” Bram ordered as Ani let me go. “We all want to know what’s happening, too.”
I sighed and turned. “I know you do. I’ll let you know what she says.”
“I just hope she’s open to letting us get to know them,” Ani said with a shrug. “We don’t have to be best friends, but I can’t imagine having Hen’s little girl out there somewhere and not knowing how she’s doing.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said, following them as they made their way to the front door.
The responsibility I’d taken on when I’d insisted on talking to the mother of Henry’s child myself sat like a weight on my shoulders. I’d never had a hard time with people. Usually I could make them comfortable pretty quickly during conversation, and even though I didn’t necessarily like that many people, most of them liked me. I was a generally likeable guy.