Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
I smile, feeling warmed by his support even if his dad and brother can’t entirely understand it. “Thanks, Jet.”
I do not expect Jet to wrest control of this conversation from his dad and brother, but that’s exactly what he does, hopping off his seat and waving me over. “I got you something at the store last night. Want to see it?”
I want to escape this conversation, so I nod eagerly and follow him to the foyer.
“It’s just something little,” he says, glancing back at me. “But I saw it and thought it would make you smile.”
Just hearing that makes me smile. “Thanks, Jet.”
He grabs a Nordstrom bag from the floor beside the wall beneath the staircase and holds it out to me.
I take the bag and peek inside. I see sleek, shiny purse straps, so I grab them and pull it out.
It is a purse, an adorable, glittery one with cat ears and sleeping cat eyes over a background of pink, purple, and teal. It’s a fun, nonsense purse, but I absolutely love it and he’s right—it makes me grin.
“This is awesome, Jet. Thank you.”
He shrugs, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I thought you’d like it.”
Impulsively, I grab him and give him a hug. He’s awkward about it, but after a second he wraps his arms around me to give me a light hug back.
___
Hours later, I lie on the couch with Milo watching a movie while he plays with my hair. He’s stretched out across the couch, relaxed. I’m lying on top of him, my face pressed against his firm chest, one of his arms curled around my waist to keep me in place.
It’s nice.
Jet and Jonathan have both gone upstairs to do homework since we all have school tomorrow, but since I’m being such a slacker queen, I don’t have any homework to do tonight.
My stomach aches a little, which somewhat ruins my enjoyment of this intimate cuddle time.
“Hey, Milo?”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
The words don’t want to come out of my throat, but I drag them out, anyway. “Do you want to have any more kids?”
His hand in my hair stills.
My heart drops into my stomach, but the question is out there now. There’s no taking it back.
“I hadn’t planned on having more children,” he says carefully.
I look down at his chest to avoid his gaze. “I don’t even just mean if I’m…” It’s too unpleasant to repeat, so I don’t bother. He knows what I’m thinking. “But in the future, if we live happily ever after or whatever.”
Milo smirks. “Happily ever after or whatever?”
I roll my eyes. “I never got the impression you were eager to get married again since you don’t even have serious relationships. And it’s fine if you don’t want to get married again, I don’t care about that. But suppose we did want to spend our lives together. What would that look like?”
At least he doesn’t sound like he wants to throw me off him and run away because I’m asking big scary questions. His tone remains calm, and he resumes playing with my hair. “Well, I imagine it would look however we wanted it to look. If we did have a child, I would prefer to wait a little while. You’re young, and I know you come from a long line of young mothers, but when you have a baby very young, there are a lot of experiences you miss out on. I had my first baby very young, and there’s plenty Edie and I didn’t get to do because of it. I don’t regret it, obviously, but now that my boys are old enough to take care of themselves, I’d like to enjoy some alone time with you for a while before we have dirty diapers and sleep schedules to contend with.”
I grin. “So you would have a baby with me.”
“If that’s what we decide together, yes. But I would prefer you be at least a high school graduate first,” he adds dryly.
“Cradle robber,” I tease.
“Hey,” he says, giving me a playful squeeze.
I grin up at him and give him a kiss. I circle back, though, because there’s still more we need to talk about. “What if the worst-case scenario happened and I am pregnant now?”
“Then it’s up to you how you want to proceed.”
“But…” I look down, unsure how to word it. “If it’s Jonathan’s, then it isn’t yours. I mean, I know I can be a single mom, but—”
“You’re not going to be a single mom,” he interrupts, sounding annoyed by the notion. “Obviously, it wouldn’t be ideal, but if you’re having my son’s baby, that’s still my family. I will be right there beside you every step of the way as if it were my baby. The situation would be a little more complicated because we would have to talk to Jonathan about it and figure things out with him, but as far as I’m concerned, it wouldn’t change anything between us.”