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“The baby she is pregnant with.”
“Oh, I thought it was the one she was getting from the store later,” I say, and she glares, the little wrinkle in her forehead sending heat through my body. “Be real, Claire. She isn’t going to give us her baby.”
“But she is.”
I feel like she’s growing a few more heads at this point. “Baby, stop.”
“Jude, seriously,” she demands, and I drop my head to the side. “Really. Tristan had said when I first met her that she didn’t want to keep the baby, but she couldn’t get an abortion. I said nothing, I promise. These last couple months, she’s never talked about the baby, or even wanted to. She knows it’s there, but it scares her. She’s young, and you know how badly she wants to get into medical school. But a baby will hold her back—”
“But it’s her baby,” I stress. “And like you said, she’s young. She’ll figure it out. We’ll help her.”
“Jude, seriously, this is helping her. I have said the same thing to myself for the last three months, but today, she honestly looked me in the eye and asked me to adopt it. Told me she wouldn’t want anyone else to have it but us.”
I refuse to get caught up in this matter. “Claire, we’re trying to find a surrogate.”
She shakes her head almost violently. “I have been looking at profiles for two fucking years, Jude, and I can’t find anyone because I don’t want anyone carrying our child but me.” When her eyes flood with tears, I have to look away. “I can’t give you a baby, and it kills me—”
“It’s me too, Claire. It’s not all on you.”
“But it’s my job,” she cries, her big fat tears running down her beautiful face.
“No!” I yell, getting fucking frustrated. “Your job is to love me. You don’t owe me anything but fucking love, and I won’t tell you that again.”
The tension is high, and both our eyes are flooding. I pull my gaze from hers, slowly shaking my head. When her thumb catches one of my tears, I cover her hand with mine and squeeze it. “We want a baby, Jude. Tristan wants medical school. We can help each other out, and she can be the cool aunt. I would want her in its life.”
I swallow hard. I want this, I do, but something is holding me back. “She’s okay with this? I don’t want you to get your hopes up
and she changes her mind.”
“Jude, when they asked if she wanted to know what the baby was, she said no. I asked if she was sure, and she said she didn’t want to know. I’m telling you, she isn’t messing around. She wants this.”
I blink and swallow hard. “And you’ll be happy? Even though we didn’t make this baby.”
She nods slowly. “Will you?”
“I will if you are,” I say as a promise. “All I want is for us to be happy. But, Claire, these last three years have been rough. I don’t want her backing out and crushing you.”
She swallows visibly. “I know, but maybe this is the answer to our prayers. And I honestly don’t think she will change her mind.”
Our gazes stay locked as our labored breathing fills the room. It all seems too perfect and I’m honestly terrified, but I’d do anything for this woman. I take in a quick breath as I reach into my pocket. “I’ll call our lawyer.”
“I’ll get Tristan.”
She jumps up, and I bring my brows in. “Where is she?”
“In the car,” she gushes as she runs to the door.
“What if I had said no?” I laugh, mostly at her excitement.
Her blue eyes dazzle. “I wouldn’t let you.”
* * *
And that is why I love her more than anything.
Claire never settles for anything less than exactly what she wants. I lace our fingers together, and she squeezes mine. “No matter what, Claire. We got this.”
She nods. “I’m just worried what Tristan will say about the move, and I can’t leave her right now.”
