They both look toward the room with the closed door. And to Victor, it seems that the air becomes even more charged between them. Is she remembering what he’s remembering? His earlier condition about her only being allowed to see his room once they were reunited.
She swings her gaze back to him and shifts from foot to foot. “We should probably talk about this baby. Try to figure out the next steps after this two weeks is up.”
He already had all of their next steps figured out. The moment he received Luca’s message, both her future and his were reset.
But…staying grounded in the present…
He raises his hands to say, “Yes, we should talk. But I'm tired. I'm sure you are too. Let's save this conversation for another time.”
Okay... Dawn hugs her arms around herself, seeming unsure of both him and their current situation. So many instincts simmer inside of Victor. He wants to push back her messy curls. He wants to kiss her and carry her like a bag full of precious diamonds back down the hallway to his room. He wants to make love to her all night long while touching every inch of the body that’s now carrying his baby.
Instead, he steps back. And forces himself to tell her good night.
“Good night,” her voice is soft as she gives him the two signs in ASL.
He heads toward his room but can’t help looking back as he does so.
She’s watching him go.
This isn’t what he wants. Them in separate rooms. But they’re in the same house.
It feels like a start.
Better than a start, actually.
He’s not sure what this is yet with Dawn, but it’s a new beginning. Just like the one growing in her belly.
But unlike the baby who easily survived her mother’s fall, his relationship with Dawn feels a lot more fragile. And he doubts it can survive this talk she wants to have with him.
So as soon as the door closes behind him, he texts Phantom.
VICTOR: “Where are you?”
Phantom immediately texts back:
PHANTOM: Personal business.
VICTOR: Need you here tomorrow for breakfast to run interference.
The dots go on for a while before Phantom finally answers.
PHANTOM: Fuck your C-drama shit but K. B there.
DAWN
I wake up bright and early the following day, determined to finally talk this out with Victor. Technically, that’s why I am here. After giving the matter some careful consideration at the hospital, I decided that I needed to convince Victor to sign an agreement handing full custody of this baby over to me. And I needed to do that myself.
I love Amber but sending her to mediate any kind of agreement is like sending a bulldog to mediate a chicken fight. No matter what you tell her to do, somebody’s probably going to get bitten.
Seriously? A voice that sounds an awful lot like Lena’s asks inside my head. You were calling him a monster back in August, but now you’re too scared to send in your demon slayer lawyer to handle the fight? You’ve got to handle this yourself?
Okay, fine. Maybe I’m also….I scramble to label the emotion, and the only thing I can come up with is intrigued. Intrigued and curious about the version of Victor who showed up at the hospital.
Every time he thought I was in the wrong before, he immediately came at me swinging. What ended us in Japan…Asher….the grocery store parking lot—it had been like, “Hello, monster!”
But not this time for arguably my biggest crime against him of all.
So, here I am, staying with Victor with the hope that I can broker enough peace between us to get him to sign custody papers. And figure out if this version of him is somebody I’ll be able to co-parent with for the next eighteen years.
So that means we have to talk. And that’s what we’ll do… As soon as I can find him. Even though I got a tour of the house the last time I was here, I still get lost downstairs. I have to ask a lady vacuuming the living room in a gray maid’s uniform where breakfast is set up.
“Breakfast is served in the main dining room,” she answers.
But instead of just pointing me in the right direction, she escorts me all the way toward the dining room on the other side of the kitchen, like I’m royalty or something.
So I’m already a little weirded out when I walk into the large room and find Victor eating at the table. Also, Phantom. “Oh, hi, Phantom,” I say. “I wasn't expecting to see you here.”
Phantom exchanges a look with Victor. And I think maybe he’ll make himself scarce like the last time. But instead, he says in a slightly robotic tone, “Good morning, Dawn. How are you and the kid doing?”
“Good, according to the doctors. I’m just a little concussed.”
Again I wait for him to either go or say something snide or leave. There’s nothing left on his plate.