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“I’m just glad you’re still here, making it work. I’d be lost without you. So would your clients.”
“I’m grateful they’ve been willing to shuffle their appointments around. I’ve told them all it’s temporary, I think that helped.”
“You’re great with people, always genuinely interested and friendly. And you’re excellent at your job. That’s what helped.”
“Thanks. Still, it’s a temporary inconvenience. Things should settle into a routine once my parents are back. My mom committed to looking after Sachi until I find a good sitter with an available opening for an infant. Which is not as easy as it sounds.” He laughed at the insanity of it all. “None of it is easy.”
“You thought it would be?”
“I didn’t think it’d take over every minute of my life, like Leigh said it would.”
Brian nodded. “Back to the subject of Leigh. You didn’t say how things are going. I’m guessing well, since that’s the second time she’s come up in this conversation.”
“I think ‘going well’ is a bit too generous.” More than a bit. The memory of her face when he left her house Sunday afternoon flashed in his mind.
Beautiful, as always. Wearing her emotions as if they were bold makeup. As always. She’d been hesitant to promise their relationship would last. To admit her true feelings.
He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t had the time or opportunity, thanks to a crying baby and work commitments. Things that hadn’t changed since he loaded Sachi into the car he’d borrowed to accommodate her infant seat, then driven off to a home that wasn’t his own. His life was organized chaos at best. He didn’t blame Leigh for hesitating.
“Leigh’s amazing,” he said, answering Brian’s unspoken request for elaboration. “She’s more understanding and patient about everything than I have any right to hope for. But this isn’t the kind of relationship she wants—us barely having time to see each other. Hell, it’s been three days since I’ve had time to say more than a couple of generic words to her on the phone. I won’t be surprised if I get a ‘this isn’t working, have a nice life’ text.”
“You think she’d do that? Break things off via text?”
He shook his head. “No. She’s more mature and personal than that. She’ll dump me face-to-face.” A reality so possible and, just like everything else in is life, so completely out of his control, he couldn’t help laughing. Then laughing some more when Brian joined in.
The volume of their combined hilarity drew every eye in the club. Sam forced a cough to cut off his laughter. Brian employed a similar tactic, bringing an end to their ruckus.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Brian said. “Laughing is a good thing. And for the record, I’m betting she sticks around. Only dumps you if you do something stupid. Somethingelsethat’s stupid.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Sam snorted a single laugh. With his track record, the point was valid. But he was done making stupid choices. As for the ones he’d already made, he was done regretting them. After all, the stupid thing he’d done with Michelle that weekend in Toronto had brought Sachi into his life. Something he would never undo, even if he could.
* * *
LEIGH
“Mommy!”
If it were physically possible to jump out of one’s skin, Leigh would’ve left hers behind the instant she heard Lennox’s high-pitched voice. Her feet didn’t touch the bottom three treads as she leapt from the third step, stuck the landing and rounded the banister, en route to the source of the shriek.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, crossing to the couch where Lennox sat, wide-eyed and gape-mouthed.
“I found something between the cushions.”
Leigh’s racing heart skidded to a halt. Oh God. Not the condom. It couldn’t be—Sam would’ve disposed of that properly, she was positive. But the wrapper…maybe. She held her breath as Lennox brought her hand around from behind her back.
“Are you going to have another baby?” Lennox thrust a tiny white sock forward in a gesture that could’ve been accusation or proof, subject to interpretation.
Closing her eyes momentarily, she sent a string of thank-yous to the universe. And one to Sam, for taking care of that wrapper.
“No, honey, I’m not having another baby.”
“Are you sure? Maybe you should check again.”
Leigh smiled. “I don’t need to check. I’m one hundred percent sure I’m not pregnant.”
“Oh.” With that single word, everything on Lennox’s face drooped.
