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“Nothing much…” I say, storing my phone in my pocket. “Mom told me to not keep Alex waiting.”
“Well, you shouldn’t!” and Bella pretends to slap the back of my head.
“I’m doing my best, Bella…” I give out a deep sigh. “And I hope your brother loves me enough to understand…”
Chapter Thirty-Four
ALEX
Thebuildersarewrappingup their work for the day, and Harlan watches with me, both standing by the door, as the nursery comes together little by little.
“Why does the baby get a brand-new room, and I have to keep the same one?” Harlan asks, pouting.
“If you don’t stop pouting, I’ll start feeding you breadcrumbs and call you Ducky,” I tease him.
“Why?” he asks, confused.
“Because you look like a duck pouting like that! Quack!” I say, in my best duck impersonation. It doesn’t get me any laughs though.
I sigh, “The baby gets a brand-new room because it’s their first roomever, Harlan! That’s what happened to you too!”
“Really?” Harlan asks in complete astonishment. “What did my mom say about it?”
I blink at the unexpected question. Harlan rarely mentions his mother, and for him to be thinking about her like this, it means something very important must be going through his mind.
“Well…” I scratch under my chin, trying to act nonchalant, but truly moved by the words of my boy.
“She didn’t say much about it, but she was really happy you were coming, and really happy to have a place just for you.”
“Why didn’t she say more about it?” he asks me, leaving his mouth ajar.
“Well, she was angry with me because I used all our money to help a friend with his business. So, she was staying with Grandma Ruth for a little while back then, even though she was pregnant. But then I went there, brought her flowers, and played her favorite song, and she came back home to me,” I say, proud of myself.
“So, she forgave you about the money?” he asks, leaving his mouth open again, which I go ahead and close myself.
“She did! And my friend paid back all the money I loaned him and then a bunch more. It’s Uncle Patrick; you know who he is, right?”
“Right,” he nods, then throws another unexpected question at me.
“Was mom nice like Liv, dad?”
The kid just punched me in the guts and doesn’t even know it.
“She was just as nice, but that’s not something you should compare. But why do you ask, buddy?” I ask with interest.
“Because Eric at school said Liv is going to be my new mom, but I already have a mom!” he says, slapping his sides with frustration.
“Oh no, Liv won’t replace your mom,” I say, waving a finger in the air. “But she can care for you like a mom does.”
“Do I have to call her ‘mom’?” he asks, this time remembering to close his mouth on his own.
“No,” I say. “I’m not sure Liv would even like to have you calling her mom, not unless you really want to…”
“No!” he shakes his head with gusto. “I think it would be weird. It would be like calling the teacher mom.”
I chuckle at his comparison and ruffle his hair. He fixes it back right after.
“It’s nice that you have an opinion of your own. And it’s nice that you think Liv is nice. Can I tell her that?”
