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We collected a few more shells that were near us. The lull of the waves gave me a sense of calm I knew was fleeting. I embraced it, looking up when Blake pointed at a few seagulls squawking above us.
“Do you miss Grandpa?”
“Love.”
“Me too, sweetheart. If you ever stopped talking to me, I don’t know what I’d do. Even if you’re a hundred.”
He touched my stomach and rubbed. “Your brother or sister is in there.”
“Love.”
“They’re lucky to have you.”
I collected our shells in a pile.
“One day, you’ll have these as a reminder of your first trip to the beach.” I kissed the top of his head. “We’ll come back when you can play in the waves.”
“Steaks are almost done.”Patrick closed the lid to the grill.
“Smells good.”
Blake ran over to him.
“Hey, little dude. Did you have a good time with Mommy?”
“Ass.”
“He’s got me all figured out,” I said wryly.
“I thought he was talking to me.” He winked. “Want to eat out here?”
“I’ll set the table.”
“I’ve founda place to start with gummy bear.”
I wiped my lips and made a show of replacing my napkin in my lap.
“Weren’t we going to enjoy a no-thinking day?”
“I never agreed to that.” He popped a bite of steak into his mouth. “We’re of the same mind about the time split. Neither of us are happy with fifty-fifty.”
“That doesn’t mean we’ve found the solution.”
“We’ve got common ground, and that’s something.” He reached for my hand across the table. I stared at it. Patrick was way too optimistic about this situation.
“It’s nothing if we don’t have an answer.”
He made a come on motion with his fingers. “Work with me here.”
Reluctantly, I placed my hand in his. “We’ve got plenty of time to figure this out.”
“You know as well I do that Gummy will be here before we can blink. If we get the hard stuff out of the way, we’ll all be better for it.” He squeezed my fingers. “We’re both going to struggle with joint custody. Why don’t we talk about something we’re good with?”
“Like what?”
“When she’s with you, I know she’ll be in the best capable hands. I’ll worry about all of you when I’m not around, but that has nothing to do with your ability as a parent. If I could pick anyone to be the mother of my child, it would be you.”
I laughed and yanked my hand out of his. “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t we?”
