He pulls back, then he reaches forward and starts the car.
“As I was saying. Now that I’ve succeeded in making this the most depressing six-month anniversary possible, let’s go meet this kid.”AdamI glance at Katie, who sits next to me in the waiting room at the hospital. Apparently, we’re not the only ones keen to meet little Anthony. It takes her a few minutes to notice me looking at her, because she’s talking to her aunt, but when she does, she grins at me.
I smile back, but I feel bad, laying all that family shit on her. I know she asked, but it was still pretty heavy. My complicated history was something I’d been wanting to speak with her about, but I couldn’t find the right time. It’s not exactly first date talking material, and then after Vegas, the time we had together was so precious.
“I love you,” she whispers in my ear, kissing me on the cheek. I raise my eyebrows at her. “What?” she asks.
“You’ve done that ten times since I told you about Tom.”
“I’m sorry.” She winces. “It’s not that I feel sorry for you, I promise … I just …” She sighs. “I guess it just makes me realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by people I love.” She pauses. “Your mom loves you a lot, you know.”
“I know she does,” I say. “But a child needs more than love. It needs support, guidance. stability,” I say.
“When did you get so wise?” she asks, leaning up to kiss me.
“I’ve always been wise,” I assure her. “Maybe you just haven’t been open to seeing it?”
She laughs and nudges me in the side, the she looks up as Julian bursts through the door. He beams, his expression a mix of happiness, anxiety and relief.
“You should go and talk to him,” Katie suggests.
I shake my head. “No. This is his and Lily’s day. I’m not making it about me.”
We haven’t spoken properly in months, unless you count a few passing words here and there, when it couldn’t be avoided. There wasn’t even anger there anymore. There was nothing. That was worse than if he hated me, because at least then he still gave a shit. I sit up a little straighter when he walks in our direction.
“Hey.” He smiles.
“Hey.”
He sits down, just as Katie stands up.
“I might go talk to Aunt Jane,” she says, pointing to a lady opposite us.
I raise my eyebrows at her and she nods her head at Julian.
Could she be any more obvious?
She walks off, leaving us alone. Neither of us say much for a while, but for once, the silence doesn’t feel forced. I catch Katie’s eye. She smiles at me, then her expression turns to confusion. She fumbles through her bag for her phone, glaring at me as she pulls it out. I’m confused too, but then I start laughing.
“You could’ve had it all, I would’ve given it to you raw,
You’re all I thought about, I wanted you without a doubt …”
Fuck. I’d forgotten about that.
I look down, trying to hide my amusement. Judging by the soft ripple of laughter, everyone else is doing the same. I had such high hopes for our relationship that I left one memo on her phone, just as one final reminder of me. Of course, the plan wasn’t for it to go off in the middle of a crowded waiting room, consisting mainly of her family.
“You?” Julian grins at me.
“Yeah. She’s gonna kill me,” I say with a laugh. “But I’ll make up for it later.”
He raises his eyebrows. I laugh. “That too, but not quite what I meant. It’s six months today since I knocked on the door of that hotel room and she opened it.”
Which also makes it six months since Lola and he broke up.
And six months since Louis dug his family’s grave.
It turned out Lola was a major player in the family business, too. All the trips she took where she told Julian it was to further her aspiring modeling career were actually her recruiting vulnerable, poverty-stricken women in Russia, to come over to the states.
All three of them pleaded guilty, along with another ten people, who played varying roles. But Alberto, Louis and Lola were the main players, and they’ll be spending the next thirty or so years in prison because of it.
I grin, picturing Alberto with his own Tiny.
“You never did tell me how you knew they were at the hotel,” Julian reminds me.
“That’s a long story.” I chuckle. “Maybe I could tell you over a drink one night?”
“I’d like that.” He smiles at me, then gets to his feet. “Now, do you want to meet my son?”
“I can’t wait.” I grin. “Just like I can’t wait to tell him stories about his father.”
“I won’t have you being a bad influence on my kid,” Julian grumbles as we walk down the corridor, collecting Katie along the way.