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Thankfully oblivious to my mental overstep, she clarifies, “An agency is going to get it. You want Otto to watch the games, so you need someone who will enjoy them. But not some superfan you have to worry about being more into you than him.”
Definitely not an issue for Nora, who, incidentally, thinks of everything. “Sure you don’t want to stay yourself?”
I don’t know why I said it, except— well, except that she’s the only reason I’m going to be able to get on that plane tomorrow. I trust her. I like her, and I like the way she is with my son. And I’m nervous as hell about finding someone half as good a fit as she is.
She doesn’t look at me, instead focusing intently on the water glass in her hand.
Shit.
“Two weeks, Axel. A month, max. I can’t stay longer.”
“I know. I was just—”
“Wishing things could be a little simpler?”
For a hot second, I think about saying no. Telling her the truth, that something simple would be amazing, but convenience wasn’t the only thing behind that ask. “Caught me.”
I head back into the living room. “When’s the new couch arriving again?”
“Wednesday,” she says, passing me to gather up her laptop and notebook. “Told you you’d want one.”
“Yeah, you did.” Settling for the chair opposite hers, I sit back with a groan. Otto burrows against my shoulder, and I rub a light circle on his back. “Sorry, bud.”
Pushing that bit of rebel hair from her face, Nora looks up from her stuff. “Give me a second to put this in my room and I’ll take him so you can go to bed.”
“Nah, we’re good.” I nod to the laptop. “Applying for jobs or looking for an apartment?”
“Little of both. I applied for two jobs and replied to a listing for a roommate. We’ll see if anything comes back.”
“It will.” This woman can do anything.
Soaking in the slight weight of Otto against my chest, I close my eyes. I was so ramped up, but now— damn.
A few minutes later, Nora’s close, whispering my name as she starts to slip her hands beneath Otto.
I cover her hand with mine, only meaning to let her know I’m awake. That she doesn’t need to take him. But that contact.Jesus.
My eyes open and she stills, hovering over me, gaze meeting mine. Holding.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
She nods but doesn’t move, and the part of me that’s more than just grateful to her for what she’s doing for me, the part that remembers what it was like to have her laughing for me, how it felt like there was some kind of magnetic draw between us— that part wants to pull her in too. Hold her with one arm and Otto with the other.
I must be more tired than I thought.
Letting her hand go, I give her a quick smile. “Probably time for all of us to hit it.”
We lock up the apartment and turn off the lights. In the nursery, I do a diaper check and change Otto into his jammies and cap. Gently scooping him up, I give him a last kiss.
Nora’s watching him, and something about the look in her eyes has me grinning as I hold him toward her in offering.
She lets out a soft huff of amusement but nods and leans in to kiss his other cheek with a smile.
“We need to add hugs and kisses to the wish list.”
She nods, whispering, “He’ll have all the snuggles.”
