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“What? I’m not wrong.”

“Yes, you are.” I sighed and ran a hand over my face. “Just ignore him. We can go inside to—”

“You’re not gonna introduce me, Cap?” Brooker asked, hand to his heart. “I’m hurt.”

“I think you’ll live.” I looped an arm around Leah’s and guided us back to the building, ignoring Brooker’s outburst.

“Will Mr. Drama King be all right back there?” Leah asked with a giggle, looking back over her shoulder where Brooker was no doubt rolling his eyes or something.

“I might hear about it tomorrow, but …” I looked over at her, at the way her fingers still fiddled with the letter. “But you look nervous and I don’t want to prolong that.”

Leah’s steps faltered and I stopped to see her looking at me curiously, brow furrowed.

“What?”

“Nothing. I just … you’re very perceptive. Thank you.”

“Of course.” We started walking again and I guided us to the PT room.

“Hmm, any reason you brought me to, what I assume, is the only room in the stadium with beds?” Leah asked as we stepped in and my whole face went red.

“No,” I said quickly. “This is just the only place I knew nobody’d be right now and … had seating.”

“Sorry.” Leah squeezed my arm before going to one of the cots to sit. “You were right, I’m nervous. And when I’m nervous I make inappropriate jokes.”

“How’s that work out with your job?” I asked, sitting on the cot next to her.

“Well, they’re eight, so it goes over their heads.”

“Ah, that must be nice. I feel like if I cracked a joke, the boys would go completely off the rails.”

“Honestly, the days when the kids go off the rails are the funnest. Partly because I have to play the straight man against twenty-five little clowns.”

We shared a little laugh that quickly died off, replaced by a heaviness I didn’t know how to lighten.

Thankfully, Leah didn’t keep me in suspense for too long.

“So … apparently your sperm is the little engine that could and I’m pregnant and want to keep the child. And just for the record, this is a choice I’m making, not some—whatever, that’s a rant for another time. But they’re genetically your kid, so I wanted you to have a choice too. About your involvement or lack thereof, not whether or not I keep the kid. Just want to be really clear on that point.”

All I could do was stare in awe at Leah as she went off on mini tangents. She was pregnant, creating life, and so confident in that decision. Not that I wanted to, but I knew with absolutely certainty that she would not be dissuaded by anything. She wanted this kid, with or without me.

And she figured that out all on her own.

“That must’ve been scary.”

“What?” Leah asked, finally stilling.

“Finding out you were pregnant and making that decision alone, it must’ve been scary.”

Leah blinked at me, eyes watering.

“I don’t know if I’d say scary. But it was … a lot, yeah.”

I stood up and took her hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”