“How is she doing?” I pose the question to both of them.
Niko responds first, “She’s good.” For a second, I swear it looks like Silas flinched. He stays silent, though.
“Silas?”
It’s a moment before he responds, “HIPPA.”
“I’m not asking for health information, I’m askingyouhow is she doing as a person? Come on,please. Is she happy?” I don’t know what I hope the answer is. If she’s happy, I’ll want to die, but if she’s not…I’ll still probably want to die.
“Yes.” “No.” They both answer at the same time. Niko looks at Silas, but Silas remains looking at my hand.
“What-what’s going on, Silas?” I ask, legitimately scared of his answer.
“I don’t know, man.”
“Youwon’torcan’ttell me?”
“Can’t.”
I just nod in response. God, I hope nothing is wrong with her. Or the baby. I also selfishly hope this means she hasn’t moved on yet.I hope.
EIGHT
Britain
“Eden! Come to Auntie Brit!” I reach out for the baby and tears fill my eyes.Fucking hormones. She reaches back, and once I have her, she lands a slobber-filled kiss on my chin. I laugh, “Hi, baby. I missed you!”
“Aww, I missed you too, Brit,” Damian responds. I just roll my eyes. He bends over slightly, giving me a kiss on the cheek before moving around Jess and me to place suitcases inside. Then he’s back out the door.
“How was the flight? With Damian?” I laugh. Jess and Damian always got along fine, but I wouldn’t go so far to say they weretight. After the whole ‘leaving me for Summer’ thing, relations haven’t exactly improved.
“It was good. He was on the phone the whole time. So honestly, it was perfect.” This time Jess laughs, the sound bringing me comfort. I reach over and give her a hug with the arm not wrapped around Eden. Jess being here makes my life infinitely better. She balances me out. She’s everything I’m not.She’s bold, vivacious, stylish, dark hair and tan skin; she’s my better half nowadays, truly.
“I needed this,” I whisper to her. “Thank you.” She just nods her head and I release her.
“Okay, so show me around. I need to see this place!”
“You’re the one who found this house in the first place. You probably know it better than me.” I’m not joking. Jess and I spent hours on video calls picking out furniture, walking the layout of the new house.
“But that was just pictures. Also, how did James do?”
“James was great, a perfect gentleman. Very helpful. I did not lift any fingers.”
“Damn right,” Jess says fiercely. I laugh.
“Alright, ladies. That’s all the bags from the car. Where do they go?”Right.
“Jess and Eden’s stuff goes in the guest room on the main floor.” Bouncing Eden on my hip, I guide them both down past the courtyard and my office to the guest suite. Eden giggles when I jostle her in my arms, and I smile down at her. I can’t believe I’m going to have another baby. The tears start to form in my eyes and I sniffle, trying to will them away.
“You okay, babe?” Damian places a hand on my back gently as he asks. It’s oddly intimate. “Brit, sorry.Notbabe.Brit.” He drops his hand quickly. Jess looks at me, raising both eyebrows in question, but I just shrug my shoulders in response.
“I’ll take her while you show Damian where he’s staying,” Jess says as she reaches for Eden. I pass the baby back to her mom and proceed to lead Damian upstairs, wondering what the heck that was all about.
“So, sorry this isn’t like an ideal sleeping arrangement, but the only other room I have is the nursery.” I open the door to the sparse space. The only thing that was done in here was a freshcoat of paint and two pieces of furniture. The crib is sitting on the far wall and the twin daybed is up against the opposite.
I laugh. Damian asks, “What’s so funny?”
“The irony is, I don’t know how many nights I wished you would’ve just taken over and slept in the nursery to give me a break every once in a while. And now, here you are, sleeping in the nursery.”
