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Mia: I think it’s supposed to be.
Mia: BTW, Gabe let it slip to mom and dad.
Ben:how did he know?
Mia:we all talk *shrugging lady emoji*
Ben:to a 3yo?
Mia:we hide nothing. He must’ve heard us... or Zee and Haley *evil smiling emoji*
Ben:lol the worst kept secret.
Ben: how did they take it?
Mia:Mom teared up and dad laughed. I think they’re getting tired of waiting around for more kids. Zach kind of claimed Gabe, so he’s off the hook for now, but mom was starting to nag me. This pregnancy couldn’t have come at a better time.
Ben:you’re welcome ¬¬
Mia:they wanna meet her.
Ben:I need to fix everything first.
Mia: Hurry. They don’t know she’s from the coffee shop yet, but once they do, I won’t be able to keep them away for long. And by “them” I mean “mom”.
Ben:I will. Promise.
Ben:on a side note, have u talked to Aaron? We need to strategize about dealing with that guy lurking around town.
I skimmed their work talk until their latest messages. Not only wasn’t I interested in it at the moment, I also didn’t wanna learn things I wasn’t supposed to. I knew they dealt with confidential stuff, and as crazy as it sounded, I didn’t want to go over his trust.
I reached the latest texts.
Mia: have u started the groveling?
Ben:I’ll start today.
Mia:good luck *fingers crossed emoji*
Ben:Thx. I’m gonna need it.
I wasn’t sure how to feel. Reading them talk brought a new light to the kind of relationship they had. Since the first time I saw her, months ago at that posh place, I placed her in a threatening box. Since then, I’d been feeding my insecurity and blaming her for pretty much everything that wasn’t working yet between me and Benjamin. It was hard to dismantle what I conjured in my head in just one sitting. I handed his phone back, not looking him in the eyes yet.
“You have no reason to trust me.” He broke our silence. “Again, that’s solely my fault. Although I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you I’m here to stay. I just...I ask you to be patient with me. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I wanna be here. I wanna be a part of our baby’s life. If you see it in your heart to forgive me, I wanna be a part of yours, too. If you think you can forget the stupid shit I did, I want nothing more than for us to get back together. But I’ll prove my worth first. To you and to me.”
“I’m gonna schedule my first appointment with a gyno,” I blurted. I could never imagine a man would beam so brightly at the mention of a lady-parts-doctor.
“Tell me when, and I’ll pick you up. We’ll go together.” I smiled shyly, having a hard time controlling my relief for not doing it alone. “I don’t wanna overstay my welcome.” He sighed almost in pain, and I was close to asking him to stay the night. Maybe forever. “Please, let me know when you have your appointment. All of them. And whatever you need, just call me. Or text me. You can come to my place, or the company as well.” He seemed reluctant to go, and I was warring with myself to let him. With a resolute nod, he leaned over the counter and placed a sweet kiss on the corner of my lips. Before he leaned away, he whispered, with our mouths almost touching, “I’m here to stay.”
He strode to the door to leave. Right before he walked out, he turned to me. “Lock the door behind me, Forest. This place holds my precious gems.”
Despite my better efforts, I might have swooned a little.
I was still reeling from the latest events. After being heartbroken by what I saw—or what I thought I’d seen—in Benjamin’s apartment, I believed everything was over between us even before it’d started.
Then his apologies came, and even though he sounded so despondent and sincere, even though I wanted so hard to believe there was a chance for us, I was scared.
I didn’t have just me to worry about. I had a baby to protect from everything, even if it was heartbreak from his father. Not that I believed Benjamin would ever intentionally hurt our baby.
