This being shopping for baby things.
The envelope didn’t contain anything crazy, but I deposited half of it and then used the final payment from Becky’s event to pay off the last of my bills.
And then just took a second to breathe.
I spent nearly a decade paying off those debts.
Now I’m free.
Just in time to support a baby.
Yeah, nope. Not going to think about that right now.
Right now, I have a little money to burn and a nursery theme to come up with. I’m thinking neutrals with a dash of color—I don’t want it to be pure Millennial Gray.
Though—I smooth my hand over my gray couch cushion—I am partial to the color.
I keep scrolling, then pause.
“Wow.” The crib in the picture is beautiful.
The key scrapes in the lock and the door opens, Leo pushing in with a bag from Bella Nonna.
My stomach rumbles and I groan. “You’re killing me.”
“It’s just a slice of that lemon cake,” he says with a smile. “You mentioned you were craving it.”
Butterflies in my stomach. “Thanks.”
He comes over and sinks down onto the couch next me, putting the bag next to my pathetic-looking project. “Not going well?”
I sigh. “I don’t think crocheting is for me.”
“Would you mind if I worked on it for a bit?”
“Really?”
A shrug. “I have a lot of trash TV to catch up on.” He leans over, presses his lips to my temple. “Would it bother you?”
I pause, consider that. “No. I think I need a break from the frustration of it.”
His eyes study mine, as though searching those words for the truth. Then he nods, snagging the mess of yarn and tucking it into his jacket that’s hanging by the front door. “The event go okay?”
“Yup.” I tell him about the theme. “It was so fun I think I’ll have to do it with the girls.”
“That sounds like fun.”
I waggle my brows. “Want to make it a coed thing?”
He shakes his head. Then his lips twitch. “Though, I could see Smitty rocking a face mask.”
“I thought the same thing!” I exclaim, laughter bubbling up in my chest. But then I still, laughter fading…because the look in his eyes?—
“You are so fucking beautiful,” he rasps.
My lungs inflate in a rush. “Leo.”
“It’s true. Don’t try to deny it.”
