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“No problem. I’m just glad you’re here. I normally hate doing random visits, because people tend to freak out a bit when a case worker just shows up on their doorstep, but…”
Yeah. Like I was starting to freak out now. My bottom lip trembled slightly, and I bit it to keep it still, then asked, “So, what’s up?”
“May I come in, Ms. Rhodes?” Mrs. Thompson said, giving me another warm smile that helped take the edge off my anxiety. “I have news on the DNA results. Is Mr. Kelley here too?”
“Please come in, we’ve been anxious to hear the results. And yes, he’s here,” I said, stepping back, then glancing over my shoulder to where Gabe was in the kitchen, feeding the baby. I gave him a pointed stare, and the second he saw the social worker, he froze, then stood and picked up Savannah to join us in the living room. Blood rushed through my ears, making it hard to hear and even harder to act normal, but I did my best. I led Mrs. Thompson into the living room. “Please have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Thompson sat, putting her leather bag down by her feet. Gabe and I sat on the sofa across from her, sudden tension curdling the air. Unaware of the significance of the moment, Savannah continued gurgling happily on Gabe’s lap, gnawing and drooling on the fingers of one hand while beating his leg with a stuffed toy with the other, an orange splotch of pureed apricots on one of her little cheeks. I licked my thumb and reached over to clean it off her skin, then cleared my throat and whispered to Gabe, “She has the paternity test results.”
“Oh,” he said, frowning down at the top of the baby’s head like it took him a second to register that. Then he looked up at me, his eyes wide. “Oh!”
Luckily, Mrs. Thompson seemed like an old hand at this, and she put us out of our misery fast. “Normally the lab calls directly, but after everything that’s happened, I wanted to deliver the news myself. I hope that’s okay. Congratulations, Mr. Kelley. According to our test results, you are the biological father of Savannah Barnes.”
For a second, we both blinked at her. Then Gabe’s scowl transformed into a grin so wide, I thought his face might split in two. He stood and whooped so loud that Savannah squeaked with surprise, while I sat there trying to take it all in. Gabe was Savannah’s father. That was good. Better than good. That was everything.
Next thing I knew, Gabe had pulled me up too. He had Savannah in one arm and me in the other, and he was twirling us around and laughing with pure joy. It was like something out of a corny cable movie, but man, it felt good and real and true.
On top of that, I’d thought Gabe was gorgeous before, but seeing him so open and happy, after what we’d shared the other night about closing ourselves off… Well, it was a sight to behold. His mood was contagious, and soon I was grinning like a fool too. Even Mrs. Thompson was on her feet, clapping and smiling.
Maybe there was something to be said for letting people close after all.
“So what happens next?” Gabe asked, once we’d all sat down again.
“Well, there’ll be a custody hearing,” Mrs. Thompson said, smoothing a hand down her skirt. “But it shouldn’t be any more than a formality.”
A new thought burst my happiness bubble. “What about the other petition? From Elijah Harris?” His name stuck in my throat like a cancerous lump.
“He dropped his petition this morning, after the lab called him with his results.” Mrs. Thompson’s smile faded. “Your custody is basically a done deal, Mr. Kelley. Blood relations are typically given custody unless there’s powerful evidence to show that the child might be harmed if placed with them. Those test results will therefore factor heavily into any decision made by the courts.”
“Right.” Gabe reached over and took my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Well, that’s good, then.”
“It’s excellent,” Mrs. Thompson agreed.
“Can I get you some coffee or tea?” I offered, realizing I was being a horrible host. “We should have champagne or something to celebrate.” Then I remembered, “Crap, except I don’t have any here. There’s some at the tavern, though, if you want to wait. I can run down and pick up a bottle.”
“Oh, no. No.” Mrs. Thompson checked her watch, then stood, her smile warm. “Thank you for offering, Ms. Rhodes, but I really need to get back to my office. Busy day. Besides, drinking on the clock is frowned upon, so...”
“Right. Sorry.” I waited while she gathered her bag and said goodbye to Gabe and Savannah before following her to the door. “Well, thank you for coming over to let us know in person. It’s wonderful news, and we really appreciate all you’ve done for us during this process. It’s not easy.”
“No. It’s not. But it’s very much worth it. And you’re welcome, Ms. Rhodes. Congratulations again,” Mrs. Thompson said before leaving.
I kept myself together until I locked the door.
“This is so fantastic!” Gabe said from behind me, dancing Savannah around the living room again. “I can’t believe how wonderful it feels, knowing I’m her dad. I never wanted to be a father, but now I’ve never felt so relieved in my life. We did it, sweetheart,” he said to Savannah, who was obliviously cooing and squeaking in response. “You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go!” He then blew a raspberry on her tummy, which made her giggle.
I leaned back against the door, just watching them, smiling. It was fantastic. Perfect, even. But in the recesses of my brain a spot of darkness spread, blotting out the light. Our conversation from the other night crept back in. About how he kept everyone at bay so it wouldn’t hurt too much if he lost them.
And yes, he seemed happy and content now, here with the baby and me. But what happened when it was time for him to rejoin his SEAL team? He was still in the military, which meant he’d have to go when they called him back on deployment.
Sure, we’d opened up to each other while he’d been here. Shared things, more than just our bodies. Our thoughts, our feelings, our hopes, our dreams. Even so, I had the feeling that he was holding something back from me. Maybe he always would. Maybe it was his way of getting one step closer to goodbye.
But I didn’t want to ruin the moment, so I kept those shadows to myself for now. I changed subjects entirely, trying to keep the light mood going. “We need to go to the grocery store this afternoon. Savannah’s nearly out of formula and baby food, and the pantry’s almost empty.”
Savannah squealed again, waving her little arms around, all but vibrating with energy. It was quite clear that all the excitement had overstimulated her, which meant strapping her into a car seat would not go well for anyone. I winced.
“Or maybe I’ll go by myself, and you can stay here with her,” I said, heading for the kitchen to make a list. “Anything in particular you want me to pick up? Snacks you like? A certain kind of cereal?”
When he didn’t answer, I turned to find he’d followed me into the kitchen. He put Savannah back into her seat before giving me a look.
