“Maybe we should only allow them supervised visits?” she suggests.
“You might be onto something.”
A moment later our waitress appears. “Can I offer you any dessert?”
“Winnie?”
“I’m stuffed. Thank you.” She pushes her plate away with still over half of her fries remaining.
“Can I get you a box?”
“No, thank you.”
“Just the check, please,” I tell her. I pay the bill, and with my hand on the small of Winnie’s back, I lead her out of the restaurant. “You fee
l like taking a drive? We can come back and pick up your car.” Again, I’m kicking myself in the ass for not going and picking her up. I guess I just assumed since we’re both going to the same place at the end of the night, it wouldn’t matter. Regardless that we’re sleeping under the same roof, I intend to give her a goodnight kiss.
“Where are we headed?” she asks once we’re in my truck and on the road.
“I have somewhere I want to take you.”
“So you’re not going to even give me a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Fine, but I get to control the radio.” She leans forward and messes with the dial until an old Daughtry tune comes on. “I love this song. It’s been forever since I’ve heard it.”
Keeping my eyes on the road, I reach over and tangle her fingers with mine, resting our combined hands on her thigh. The drive is quiet. We’re both lost in our own thoughts, letting the radio fill the silence. It’s comfortable and normal, or what used to be our normal. We’re working our way back there.
“Where are you taking me?” she asks when we pass the corporation limits to the town next to ours.
“I thought you liked surprises?”
“I do, but I want to know more.” I hear the excitement in her voice.
“Where do you think I’m taking you?”
“I don’t know. There are too many possibilities.”
“Well, I have two places. This is the first,” I say, pulling into the parking lot of a small independent baby boutique. “I know we’re keeping it to ourselves, well, other than Chase and Gabby, but it never hurts to look, right? I mean, we’re going to need lots of stuff for Peanut.”
“Harrison.” She squeezes my hand.
I turn off the truck and chance a look at her. She has tears in her eyes. “Hey, I thought you’d like this. We don’t have to go in.”
“Are you crazy?” She smiles. “Of course, we’re going in.” She leans over and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Thank you for this. It’s sweet and thoughtful, and I’m so glad I’m not doing this alone.”
“Never.” My voice is firm. “You will never be alone in anything as long as I’m breathing.” A tear slides down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb. “Now, let’s go take a look.”
“Wow,” she says breathily as soon as we enter the small store. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Welcome to the Baby Boutique,” an older lady greets us. “Is there something I can help you with?” she asks kindly.
“We’re new at this,” I tell her. “My wife and I are expecting our first.”
“Oh.” She claps her hands together. “How exciting. Don’t worry, I’m here to help. I actually have a checklist of things for new parents. I’ve added to it over the years. But don’t go buying it all up. You’ll need to save some for the shower. The list contains a section for the big items most parents buy, and then the items you should register for. It’s great to have in case you don’t get something at your shower, you will know what you still need.”
“That’s… amazing. Thank you,” Winnie tells her.
We follow her around the store as she points out things we’ll need, and things that are not a necessity but nice to have. It’s overwhelming, but I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to something more. We’re strolling down the aisle with clothes—tiny little items—and one amongst them all stands out to me. It’s a bib that says: “I love my daddy.” It’s green and yellow, so it should work no matter what we’re having. I stand here, staring at it. I’m a daddy; it’s surreal. Winnie stops next to me and follows my line of sight. Without saying a word, she grabs the bib and continues on down the aisle.
“Thank you so much, Judy,” Winnie says as we make our way to the counter.
“You’re welcome, dear. This is the list.” She hands us a packet of stapled paper.
“Thank you. We’ll get out of your hair. I just need to pay for this.” Winnie sets the bib on the counter. I add the one I grabbed that matches it. Only this one says, I love my mommy.
“I thought we were waiting,” she asks, unable to hide her grin.
“For what? It’s yellow and green. Gender neutral.” I grin back, proud of myself.
Her smile falters. “Is it too soon? We said we would wait. Now here we are buying bibs. What if something happens?” She whispers the last part.
My heart aches at the fear in her voice, and the thought of something happening to either of them. “Baby.” I cup her cheek in my hands. “Nothing is going to happen, and in the event that it does, we’ll have it for the next one.”
“The next one?”
“This isn’t a one-and-done thing, Winnie.”
I turn my attention to Judy, who rattles off a total, and I insert my card into the machine. She bags up my purchase and we’re on our way. We step outside onto the sidewalk and I clasp her hand. “I mean it, Winnie. I’m not here because you’re pregnant. Sure, that might be what gave me an in. What gave me a chance to slither back into your life, but regardless of the baby you’re carrying, I’m here. For this one, and the next one, and as many after that as you want.”
“I love you, Harrison Drake.” My heart flips over in my chest. After losing her, and never thinking I would hear those words again, every time it’s as if it’s the first time. They’re words I will cherish always.
“That’s good, baby.” I lean in close. “Because you’re stuck with me.” I kiss her forehead. “Now,” I say, pulling back. “Ready for our second stop?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure you could top this one.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.” I open the door for her.
It doesn’t take us long to get to the next stop. It’s just a couple of blocks down the street. “Is this where we’re going?” she asks, hopeful, as I pull into the lot for the new bookstore.
“Yep. You said you’ve been wanting to go, right?”
“Yes, but I didn’t expect you to take me.”
“Why not?”
“You’re not exactly a big fan of bookstores.”
I shrug. “I’m a Winnie fan. Besides, I need a book myself.”
“Oh, really? What book would that be? We’ve known each other for years and I’ve never seen you read a book.”
“Well, maybe there was never anything important enough, or interesting enough to hold my attention. Besides, this is my second. I already read the first one, but this one is dad specific, so I’m going to read it too.”
“Oh, I have to hear this. What book are you after?”
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I go to my pictures. I took a screenshot of the book a “new dads” website said for me to get. I rattle off the title, “The Expectant Father.”
I close out of my images and lock the screen before looking at her. Again, there are tears in her eyes. “Pregnancy hormones.” She smiles. “No, that’s not it. It’s you. You’re so confident about this. About us.”
“Of course I am. But I’m also scared and nervous, and anxious that I’m going to be a bad father.”
“Never,” she says firmly. “We’re in this together, right?”
“Yes.” That’s all the answer she needs. She collects her purse and climbs out of the truck, with me scrambling to do the same and catch up with her. “Don’t get lost,” I tease her as we enter the building.
“No promises.”
“You got your phone, right?” I ask seriously. My girl loves books, so I might need it to find her in this place. It’s a huge two-story facility. She waves over her shoulder, already heading off to explore. I ask for help, and I’m directed to the parenting books. I find the two that I had taken pictures of and then venture into the children’s section. They have toys, books, and some clothes. I scan the books. I find one with a green monster on the front. Because I’m Your Dad is the title. I skim through it and it looks good to me. I add it to my pile and head off to find Winnie.
I make my way to the section that has romance hanging in big letters from th
e ceiling. If I know Winnie, this is where she’ll be. I spot her at the end of the aisle, book in one hand, reading the back. A mesh bag over her shoulder already holds a few books. Her other hand is nestled over her still flat belly.
My heart trips over in my chest. I knew the minute I first laid eyes on her that she was special. I wanted her then, but now it’s more than just want. It’s as if I need her to breathe. My eyes drop to her belly. I bet she has no idea she’s subconsciously protecting—cradling—our unborn child.
I step quietly down the aisle. She doesn’t look up from the book she’s pondering. Sliding my arms around her, I rest my hands over hers. Over our baby. “Marry me, Winnie.”
“Oh my, Javier, what would Harrison think?”
“Harrison thinks you’re pressing his buttons,” I growl, kissing her neck.
She turns in my arms, green eyes smiling up at me. “I love you, Harrison Drake. There is no doubt in that. I still think we need some time.”
“Time for what? We love each other. We’ve always loved each other. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation. The divorce never should have happened.”
“Just time. There have been a lot of changes, the divorce, the baby… all in a matter of a couple of months.”
“I’m not going to stop asking,” I promise her.
She nods. “I know. I just… want things to be settled a little more. Besides, I thought you were going to woo me.” She grins.
“Baby, I have the rest of my life to woo you.”
“Yeah?”
“Promise.” I kiss her softly on the lips.
She steps out of my hold, effectively breaking the kiss. “You have what you came for?”
“Other than that smile on your face, yes.” I point to my stack of books I set on top of the shelf before pulling her into my arms. “How about you?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for tonight,” Winnie says a few hours later. We’re sitting on the couch, her feet resting on my lap, a blanket thrown over her legs.
“I had a good time. I miss it… spending time with you.”
“You see me every day,” she reminds me.
“I do. It’s not the same. Tonight was different. It was time carved out just for us.”