Page 263 of When a Soul Cries

Rome laughed as he lowered Halo into her high chair. She protested for all of three seconds before he slid her cup in front of her.

I gave him a look while reaching for the silverware. “You are entirely too pleased with yourself.”

His grin followed me toward the table.

At least dinner was handled.

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The second I sat down, I felt the entire workday catch up with me.

Halo sat between us in her high chair, happily picking through pieces of food on her tray while Rome slid one of the containers toward me.

“Eat. You look tired.”

I gave him a look as I reached for my fork. “That’s because I am tired.”

He smiled and leaned back in his chair, finally turning his attention to his own plate.

For the first few minutes, neither of us talked much. I was starving, and Rome seemed content to let me eat. Every once in a while, he’d reach over and move Halo’s cup away from the edge of her tray before she could send it flying to the floor.

But the word she’d said at the door kept replaying in my head.

I took another bite, chewed slowly, then set my fork down.

“Can I ask you something?”

Rome looked up from his plate. “What’s up?”

I glanced at Halo before meeting his eyes again. “Are you okay with what she called you?”

His chewing slowed. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked over at Halo, who was busy smashing a piece of food between her fingers.

“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “Caught me off guard, though.”

A small laugh escaped me. “I could tell. Your whole face changed.”

His mouth curved briefly before his expression softened. “I just didn’t know how you felt about it.”

That made me pause.

I reached for my drink and took a sip before answering. “Honestly? It surprised me, but it didn’t bother me.”

Rome studied me for a second before nodding.

“I ain’t trying to make it into something it ain’t. She’s a baby.” His eyes shifted toward Halo, and a small smile touched his face. “But I ain’t gonna lie. It felt good.”

Something warm settled in my chest as I watched him glance at her again. I hesitated, turning my fork between my fingers before another question slipped into my mind.

“Have you ever thought about having kids of your own?”

Rome’s eyes came back to mine. “Yeah.”

I waited, expecting more, but he only took another bite of his food.

“That’s it?” I asked, my brows lifting. “Just yeah?”

A slow smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he finished chewing. “What you want me to say?”