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“Nervous,” Aero admitted. “She was born to be a mother. I don’t wanna take that from her.”
“Who says you can’t give her that?” Byrd cocked his head to the side. Aero scowled at him.
The doctor held up his hands. “I understand your hesitance to have a family again, but if that’s her dream, then you need to talk to her about it. Regardless of how you feel about yourself, by all accounts, you’re an excellent father.”
Aero’s throat constricted at his words. “Was.”
“What?”
“I was an excellent father,” Aero rasped, blinking the wetness from his eyes. “Or, I would’ve been.”
“Aero.” Byrd leveled him with his gray stare. “We’ve talked about this. Losing Nora does not revoke your status as a father. She is your child, and you love her.”
Aero wanted to cry, scream, or destroy the knickknacks on the bookshelf in front of him; the sound of Nora’s name made his heartache.
“I know you haven’t completely come to terms with this yet,” Byrd continued, “but if you’re planning on having a relationship and a future with Sam or anyone else, you need to start actively confronting those feelings.”
“I know,” Aero relented, pacing once again.
“Have you told Sam about Nora and Sarah?” Byrd asked, and Aero shook his head.
“Maybe you should.”
“I can’t,” Aero choked out, stuffing his hands into his pockets while he paced.
“Yes, you can. Start small. Tell her about your childhood, ask about hers, and work up to your time in the service. See how she reacts to those topics, and if it goes well, tell her more. You don’t have to sit down and dump everything on her at once, Aero.”
Aero nodded.
“Tell me, have you actually taken the time to sit and talk to Sam? To get to know her?” Byrd asked, and Aero paused.
He hadn’t. He knew very little about Sam beyond what he picked up from Zed and Gemma, what she had shared on their brief dates, and what he had researched about her on his own. He did know that she liked having her neck kissed and the sounds she made when he touched her, a thought that made his cheek flush slightly.
“That’s what I thought,” the doctor said. “Talk to her, Aero. Get to know her. Try to relax with her. You’re so focused on what not to say or do that you’re missing out on some of the best parts of a new relationship.”
Aero considered Byrd’s observations, realized he was right, and frowned slightly. He wanted to know everything about Sam but had been so caught up in his struggles that he neglected to ask her questions or show interest in her thoughts or dreams. The realization made his stomach flip. He was such an asshole.
“Okay,” Aero agreed. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Go slow, Aero. You don’t have to figure everything out all at once,” Byrd said, glanced at his watch. “I’m not kicking you out, but it’s after five.”
Aero jolted slightly. He wanted to get cleaned up before going to Sam’s.
Dr. Byrd chuckled. “I take it you have a date.”
Aero considered lying but nodded and said, “I’m going to see Sam. I’ll try and talk to her.”
Byrd smiled approvingly, confirmed their next appointment, and wished Aero good luck.
Aero shifted in his boots while waiting for Sam to open the door. He was nervous, but the excited kind of nervous you feel while waiting for a roller coaster ride to start.
The door swung open, and Sam gasped, her hand covering her mouth in surprise.
Aero was holding out a bouquet of pink orchids and white calla lilies. It was stunning.
“Wow,” she breathed, her hazel eyes lighting up.
Aero couldn’t help but smile at her reaction. He’d searched high and low for someone who had orchids, eventually finding a florist who could fill the order.
