“Hi to you too,” I said softly.
He ignored that, placing a firm hand against my lower back and guiding me deeper into the chair. “Your feet are swollen again.”
“They’ve been swollen for a month.”
“You still need to sit,” he muttered.
He grabbed a glass of water and pressed it into my hand before crouching in front of me unexpectedly. His palm rested against the underside of my belly, supporting it slightly like he was instinctively trying to ease the weight.
The baby kicked.
Hard.
His eyebrows shot up. “Jesus. That one’s got attitude.”
I laughed under my breath. “They take after you.”
He didn’t smile, but something softened behind his eyes.
“You eat yet?” he asked.
“I had toast.”
“That’s not food, Hadley.”
“Cal…”
He stood abruptly. “I’ll grab you something. Protein. You need protein.”
I watched him walk away, my throat tightening at the awkward, clumsy way he tried. It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t smooth.
But it was effort.
And God, it was dangerous how badly I wanted to believe in it.
.....
The shower started filling up quickly. Eleanor floated between guests like a queen hosting a royal event, introducing me to relatives whose names I immediately forgot and friends who smiled too politely.
Eli sat in the corner with his tablet, headphones on, occasionally glancing up to make sure I was still breathing.
Games started. Laughter filled the tent. Someone forced Cal into a diaper-changing contest using a baby doll, and he swore loudly when he put it on backward, making everyone laugh.
Even me.
“Mom-to-be,” Eleanor called warmly. “Cravings update?”
“Pickles and vanilla ice cream,” I admitted.
“Together?” Jake asked, horrified.
“Obviously.”
Cal leaned closer. “That’s illegal in at least three countries.”
“Shut up.”
“Our kid is gonna have weird taste.”
