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“He’s a lot furrier than Baloo.” Chance moves over to the sign that tells us more about sloth bears. He recites, “Sloth bears are the only bears to carry their young on their backs.”
“Well, this bear carries his cub on his chest,” Isaac says. “But I think we need to make a pit stop. Someone needs a diaper change.”
We check the map for the restroom, and thankfully, it’s not far past the sloth bears. We pass some monkeys on the way, and Chance tosses them pieces of banana from the cups. They catch it just as Zach said they would before scurrying off.
“I love that they run free here,” I muse as we stop at the small building.
“They’re so happy.”
“They are.” Isaac nods. “It’s lovely. Hey, I’ll be right back, okay?”
He disappears into the men’s room, and I turn to ask Chance if he needs to go, but Isaac is back in no time.
“There’s no changing table.” Isaac shakes his head. “That’s inconvenient. I have a portable thing, though. I’ll just have to lay her on my lap.”
“They have to have a changing table. Pretty sure that’s like a legal thing.” I peek into the women’s room, and there’s a pristine changing table right near the entrance. “There’s one in the women’s room.”
“Well, shit.” Isaac stares at the women’s restroom, then down at Quinn. “Watch the door, please. You can warn anyone that I’m in here so they’re not startled.”
I nod in agreement, and he hurries inside, his lips pinched. I have to say, I’ve never gone anywhere where I didn’t have a changing table, and I’ve never thought about men’s restrooms not having them.
When Isaac reappears, Quinn is wide awake, her big eyes staring around in wonder. She’s just a few weeks old, but she’s already starting to show her little personality, and I have a feeling she’s going to be feisty.
“Want me to carry her for a while?” I offer. I haven’t been around her a whole lot, but something in me aches to hold her, to cuddle a baby.
“Sure, if you want to.” Isaac carefully removes the carrier and latches it onto me.
“You know, I would have loved having this with you, Chance,” I say as we head toward the giraffes. “This is so much easier on your back.”
“It really is,” Isaac agrees.
He keeps glancing over at me as we walk, and when Chance runs ahead to the fence, I finally whisper, “What is going on with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time I look over, you’re looking at me.”
“Oh, well…” He smirks, leaning over and pressing a kiss to my cheek. I lean into his touch, his scent wrapping around me—his familiar minty deodorant mixed with the natural outside smell. “I love seeing you with Quinn and hanging out with Chance. This day just feels really fucking perfect.”
“Hey, Isaac! We can get giraffe food over here,” Chance calls, glancing back at us with wide, bright eyes and a huge smile.
“I’m coming, buddy. We’ll get some.” Isaac squeezes my hand before taking off at a sprint, and I watch the two of them for a moment before looking down into Quinn’s huge blue eyes.
“Hey, pretty girl,” I coo, hoping she doesn’t scream at me. “You look so cute in your little hat.”
Her mouth splits open into a wide, toothless smile, and my heart jumps at the sight. I wrap my arms around her, the emotion overwhelming, and I get exactly what Isaac meant now. My earlier worries that it might be too soon for this step start to dissipate, blowing away in the light evening breeze, and are replaced with something hopeful, looking forward to the future. Because now I’ve got the café, I’m going to have my son, and maybe I can have love too.
TWENTY-ONE
ALMOST A SADNESS
“Do you think Ashley and Kyler are awake?” Phoebe whispers, glancing in the back seat of her car at Chance. “He’s out, for sure.”
When we hooked Quinn’s car seat up in here, I also hung up a mirror to help us keep an eye on her. “She’s out as well.”
“They were going to a movie and dinner. I’d say they’re not home yet.”
“Well, do we need to drop you off? So that you can get her settled?”
