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"Just a second!" she called out, rushing to the kitchen. Frantically sweeping crumb-covered plates, utensils, and cups off the counter, she dumped everything recklessly into the sink.
Satisfied it now resembled some standard of tidiness, she hurried to open the front door where Callum waited patiently with the smell of hot, fresh breakfast foods preceding him into her apartment. Letting out a discreet sigh of relief that the place was mildly presentable, Fiona awkwardly met his eyes as he stepped inside.
She swiftly grabbed the fragrant takeout bag from Callum's hand and retreated inside without inviting him to enter. Opening a container of syrup-drenched pancakes, she shoveled them ravenously, scarcely glancing his way.
"Well? What do you want?" she muttered between sticky mouthfuls, unsure how to face the shifter before her.
Callum stepped tentatively inside, gingerly closing the door. He raised a bemused eyebrow at Fiona, voraciously hunched in the corner over breakfast like a food-aggressive gremlin.
"I just wanted to check up on you …" Callum said slowly.
She grunted in vague acknowledgment through another mouthful dripping with sugary pancake syrup.
Callum watched her warily, sitting on the couch for a few moments. Finally, he broke the tense silence again. "So about last night …"
"So, yeah … I'm pregnant."
Rummaging distastefully through a bag of takeout that had leaked, Callum kept his response short and to the point. "Trust me, I'm wildly aware."
"It's not like I planned on any of this. You’re the one who knocked me up," Fiona replied defensively.
Callum raised an eyebrow again, looking up from the sloppy bag. "I assure you, I was not accusing you of planning anything at all."
She focused on the food and chewed loudly, still staring him down belligerently. Within the span of a few minutes, she ate most of the breakfast. Wiping his hand down his face, Callum finally murmured. "So, about our situation …" Swallowing with effort, she avoided his eyes. "Well, people co-parent all the time without being in a relationship. We can figure out some custody schedule."
As the words left her mouth, her stomach dropped uncomfortably. The notion of only having her child half the time horrified her new maternal instincts. Callum shook his head adamantly. "Absolutely not. I refuse to be an every-other-weekend father."
He came over and crouched, catching her gaze earnestly. "I care about you, Fiona. We created a life together. Doesn't itmake sense to give an actual relationship a try?" He picked up a napkin and wiped away errant breakfast from her cheek.
"I mean, we have physical chemistry for sure … but is that enough?"
Callum grasped her hand lightly. "It's more than many couples start with. We owe it to our baby to make a real go of this. We could live together and co-parent. It would be better for both the child and us if we can make it work."
"I just don't know if I'm ready to give up my independence," Fiona said hesitantly. "Moving in together, it's all happening so fast …"
Callum nodded. "I understand this is a massive life change. But we created a new life together. Doesn't committing to each other make the most sense?"
"In theory, but … I worked so hard for my freedom. It terrifies me to lose it, even for this."
"Hey …" He tilted her chin up. "I would never ask you to give up everything you are. We'll make this work without sacrificing your needs."
“You really think we could do this? It sounds crazy. We just met … and I have a life and a career … and for the record, I didn't ask for any of this either," Fiona insisted defensively.
Fiona gazed into his earnest eyes. Could she trust he would protect her autonomy if she took this leap? She wavered uncertainly. Her bladder reminded her it had been a long, traumatic morning. "Excuse me, I really need to … I'll be right back," she murmured, rushing off to the bathroom.
TWELVE
CALLUM
As he paced his mate’s apartment, waiting for her to return from the bathroom, his head was unable to concentrate, which had never been much of a problem for him until now. He ran his fingers through his hair as he connected the news that she had just given him. Pregnant. With his child.
He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He remembered his childhood and everything about it. He remembered quality time with his father and being taken out to hunt for the first time.
He remembered evening dinners and everyone sitting down and chatting about their day. There were aspects he looked forward to sharing with his own child. Aspects he never thought about until now.
He wondered if she would be part of that. If she would be willing to join him. His wolf hoped so. He didn't want to just share time together. He wanted them to be together, and he was going to fight to make that happen.
He turned, looking up at her walls. He took in all her artwork and shelves of plants and pictures from different events sheattended. It was clear that she lived an exciting life filled with laughter and people.
