She leaves and I head back into my room, then wash and dry my hands before I slip on another pair of gloves. “You ready to get back to it?” I ask my client.
“Yeah, I promise not to be a bitch about the shading,” he teases, “so let’s get it done.”
“Just saying, everyone I know has issues with shading, and you’re getting it in an area that is relatively sensitive. Probably feels like little zaps of static electricity, right?” I ask as I settle in my chair once again.
“Got it in one, but I’m sure there’s not much left, so I’ll deal,” he replies.
“Do you want to grab a bite to eat tonight?” Abyss asks as he pops his head into my room.
“Um, I have therapy after work,” I admit.
“We can go after that if you want,” he says.
I take a deep breath, blow it out and reply, “Sometimes, I’m not in a good headspace afterward, Abyss, are you sure you want to put yourself through this?”
“Sweetheart, I’m gonna say this and I hope you understand. Being with a man who wears my cut means that we’ll go through good, bad, and ugly times. You going through therapy says a lot about who you are as a person, and I wanna know everything there is to know.”
“But am I that? With you, that is,” I ask.
He moves closer and pulls me into his arms, looking down at my upturned face. Leaning in, he kisses my forehead and says, “Absofuckinlutely. You’re mine, Shelly. My ol’ lady, which I know Livy has explained to you what that means.”
“But we… we haven’t even done much more than kiss, how can you be so sure you wanna tie yourself to me? What if we’re not compatible in bed? What if we don’t have the same ideals concerning kids or anything like that?” I worry out loud.
“I was positive from the first time our hands touched,” he says, “and as for being compatible, our kisses are downrightcombustible, and it’ll be my job to ensure we’re good in that respect. As far as kids, I’m happy with however many you’re willing to give me.”
“Being pregnant again scares the hell out of me,” I admit.
“Because of Amberlea,” he states.
“Kind of, yeah,” I reply. “I mean, the doctors said that if not for the accident, she’d probably have been just fine, but it’s a worry for me.”
“Then when it comes time for that, we’ll make sure we find just the right doctor who can address each and every concern,” he promises. “Now, do you know how many more babies you’d like?”
“Four, I always wanted four,” I whisper. “So, I guess three more.”
“Or five more so it’s an even number, including Amberlea,” he replies.
“You’d consider her as one of the babies too?” I ask, my brows raising in shock.
“Yes,” he says. “Any kids we have down the line will know about their big sister. I may not have been her biological father, but she’s part ofyourhistory so we’ll tell them about her.”
Tears well up in my eyes at his words. My little girl, who didn’t get a chance to live, will still have a legacy of sorts.
She’ll be remembered, which is all I ever wanted to happen.
Remembering what he originally asked, I say, “If you’re willing to wait until I’m done, I’d love to have dinner with you.”
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Abyss
One of thethings I’ve grown to admire about Shelly is her tenacity. It’s obvious that she still occasionally struggles with what happened to her as well as her former partner and baby girl, but she smiles and laughs more these days. I’m sitting in my office doing paperwork, yet again, and wondering if I can hire someone just to handle this hassle for me, when Mack pops his head in the doorway.
“Got a minute?” he asks.
“Come in, you’re saving me from paperwork,” I reply.
