Crazy in Love

As much as I like that her sense of humor is intact, I worry that she’s not fully processing what’s happening. “If Natalie is the delivery person.” Taking her hands away from her face, I then ask, “Did you know at dinner? Is that what was on your mind?”

“No. If I had, I wouldn’t have announced my pregnancy to a room full of people.” Her arm flies out. “I don’t even know who’s out there. Please tell me not my parents.”

“I don’t know.” I take her spot on the toilet, needing to get my thoughts on this situation together. When I scrub my hands over my face, I feel her standing against me.

She takes one of my hands and opens it to expose the palm. Her lips press to the skin, the kiss unhurried, her lips lingering. I watch her kneeling before me with her eyes closed, taking in everything about me, and notice how our roles have changed.

When she looks up, she asks, “Are you okay?”

“You’re pregnant, and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

“Yes.” Worry weaves through her eyes as she stares into mine.

How can she even think of me at this time? I caress her cheek, seeing the change in her happening before my eyes. “I’ll be okay. How about you?”

“A little numb. A little okay.”

It’s not what I expected from her. This news is . . . well, not what I thought I’d hear for years. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m thinking I need to face my demons and join the party. They already know, so maybe I should join the party and have a laugh with them.”

“Laugh?” I ask before realizing who they really are to her. “Maybe so. They’re your friends who care most about your well-being.”

A beat doesn’t pass before she picks up on what I said. “Friends, not family?”

“I don’t know, Tatum. I didn’t put the party together.” Angling toward the door, I add, “I can go do reconnaissance.”

Nodding, she adds, “And can you ask Natalie to bring some of her makeup?”

“Sure.” I open the door and look out. Natalie is leaning against the wall with a clear bin in her hands. I still close the door behind me, needing to talk to Natalie alone for a minute. “Are her parents here?”

“No,” she whispers. “I got a card, though.”

Hrm. I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about that. Yes, she’s embarrassed over the pregnancy announcement, but I’d like to know what their excuse is for missing her birthday? That seems like a lot to deal with at this moment, though. “She wants makeup.”

Holding up the small bin, she grins—not full of happiness like it should be on this occasion but sympathy instead. “I got her covered.”

I see Nick across the way. He’s sitting like a nervous soon-to-be dad in a waiting room.

“Is she sure she wants to have this party? Everyone will understand if she wants to leave,” Natalie asks.

“I don’t know. Whatever she wants is probably best.”

I exhale when my chest gets tight. Rubbing over the knot with my fist, I take another breath.

“Are you okay, Harrison?”

“Me? I’m fine.” I hate that she felt the need to even ask. That makes me wonder what clues she picked up on. I move out of her way. “I’m going to talk to Nick while Tatum gets ready.”

Before I slip across the entry into the other room, I feel her hand on my back. When I turn, she says, “It’s all right not to know how to feel. It’s a surprise for both of you.”

My throat feels thick when I swallow, and my mind is muddled. I nod, but I’m not sure why. I just know I need fresh air. When I head for the front door, Nick says, “What are you drinking?”

I could be good and order a bottle of water or even a soda. But I know damn well that I need something stronger. “My usual.” When I step onto the stoop, it feels like a lot of night has passed though it’s still young. I sit on the top step and look down at the sidewalk, trying to wrap my head around the facts of what just happened.

Tatum’s pregnant.

I’m going to be a dad. Or maybe she chooses something else . . . That’s a discussion for another day, or at least, not in the middle of her surprise birthday party. I pull out my phone and flip to a few photos taken before I left California. It was an impromptu going away dinner with just my family.

It didn’t matter that I reminded them I’ll be flying back and forth. My sister took the lead and organized for all of us to get together. A photo of my niece and baby sister smiling like goofballs fills the screen. A lot has happened since Catalina, and I need to figure out how best to handle this.