When I just stared at her, her smile faded. “I’m sorry. I saw you with your partner in the waiting room and saw in your file this was for court, so I assumed...”
A thread of anger wound through the fear. “He’s not my partner.” It felt like the wrong thing to say somehow, but I didn’t have the energy to explain things or scold her for making assumptions. “Are we done?”
She nodded and shot to her feet. “Yes. I’m sorry, Mr. Barron, if I overstepped. You’ll get a message in three to four days with the results, and we’ll send the official documents to you.”
Evie tucked her head against my neck, sniffling and teary eyed, tired out from all the strange happenings and business of the day. Her morning nap didn’t last long, and she usually went down for the afternoon around that time. She’d fall asleep in the car on the way back to the apartment. I wished I could let go as easily.
Sam stood up as soon as we walked through the door, caring eyes on mine. No wonder the nurse thought we were together. Anyone could read the emotion behind that gaze. It loosenedsomething inside me. Was it silly to lean on a man I’d only known for a few weeks? It was unprofessional, but he hadn’t officially been my nanny since leaving Halcyon.
I rested my hand on his back as we headed to the exit door. “Let’s go home.”
***
Kelly and Alex, the couple who’d just signed the contract for a June wedding, filled our first official meeting with smiles and enthusiasm. I could usually get caught up in the romance of planning weddings, but the dark cloud hanging over my head made it impossible. I tried to focus on florist and bakery portfolios, color swatches and font styles for invitations and seating cards. I encouraged them to share their vision of the perfect day with me.
“Are you thinking something traditional like roses or more casual or modern? Kelly mentioned a meadow theme on the phone.” Thoughts of the phone made me peek at my own where it lay screen up on the table next to me.
Three days had passed since the appointment at the genetic testing clinic, and I’d nearly thrown up and broke down crying four times since then. Texting and calling Sam helped. The evening he spent at my apartment helped even more. We filled the time playing with Evie and then, after she went to bed, making out and frotting. Sam dedicated his best efforts to making me forget the fear, and it worked until we finally came down from our orgasm highs.
Sex relieved stress, at least for a little while, and Sam’s friendship made everything a bit easier. I tried really hard not to imagine what more could feel like, but I wanted it. Deep down, nestled next to the sheer terror of losing Evie, lay a spark of fervent desire that Sam and I were heading toward forever.
Alex gazed at his wife-to-be lovingly. “I think wildflowers, right Honey Bunny? You had those Pinterest boards you showed me.”
I gave him credit for that. Too many grooms opted for the nod-and-agree version of wedding planning. Whatever worked for them, I guessed, but sometimes it seemed straight men believed they weren’t supposed to care about things like flowers and place settings. If I ever got married, I hoped my partner and I could work together on the plans. Before my mind could head in that direction, I forced it back to my clients. I couldn’t afford to mess this contract up.
When she bounced and nodded, I swiped to another collage graphic on my tablet. I’d built a collection in a variety of colors, styles, and price points. “We could do loose bundles with ribbons or a denser bouquet style. Perhaps something cascading. Do you have your gown and bridal party outfits picked out already? The bouquet shapes should complement them.”
The meeting rolled on, and I managed to make a good impression and get some concrete ideas about what the couple wanted from me. The signed contract assured a nice chunk of income, but good online reviews and referrals were the lifeblood of success. The moment they left with bright smiles and waves, I grabbed my phone and swiped to the messages.
Nothing from the clinic yet. I tapped on Sam’s name instead.
Gilbert:Should I call them? I feel like I’m shaking apart.
Sam hadn’t gone back to his classes yet. He’d told me all about his master’s program over grilled chicken and salad onenight. It sounded like tons of work, but his intelligence and compassion would end up helping a lot of kids down the road.
It took a couple of minutes for my phone to vibrate with an answer.
Sam:Take a deep breath. If they don’t send the results by tomorrow at noon, then you can call. How’d your meeting go?
We texted back and forth for a while. He told me about his roommate, Emilio, stealing his coffee but sharing his mom’s lasagna to make up for it. I told him about networking with a new photo booth operator I might suggest for future receptions and Evie dancing toMamma Miawhen it played in the florist’s shop I visited the day before.
An ache grew in my cheeks, and I looked up, surprised to find myself smiling. I rented the little office by the hour for client consultations and follow-up meetings, and I should have left ten minutes earlier. It wasn’t a place to hang out, and I didn’t want to learn everything about Sam through texts. I wanted him on my couch, preferably in my arms.
Gilbert:Are you free later? Or now? Want to come over for dinner with me and Evie?
Maybe I should ask him on a real date. Maybe cooking dinner for him at home could be like a real date? I wouldn’t have to find another babysitter at least. My former one decided to stay in Montana after the holidays, and I didn’t want to think about looking for another. I knew I had to. With Sam’s school startingup again soon, I needed to call the agency for another option. The high school girl who sometimes watched Evie could work for an hour or two on weekends or evenings, not full-time on my busy days.
In the beginning, I’d taken her along to vendor meetings and appointments with clients. It worked most of the time, but she was just a portable potato then. Clever scheduling during her frequent nap times helped avoid issues. As she grew, she wanted to move and play. She had opinions she voiced rather loudly at times, and it would only get harder once she learned more words. It wouldn’t be fair to my clients, professional contacts, and not to Evie either.
Sam:I can be there in twenty minutes.
I was already pulling on my coat and heading for the door. If I drove fast, I would make it before he got there. He knocked on the door three minutes after I thanked and paid the babysitter and sent her on her way.
Evie squealed when she saw him and high-speed crawled in his direction while trying to wave at the same time. Somehow, she managed not to tip forward onto her face. She left a tiny pink sock behind in her rush to get to one of her favorite people.
Sam swept her up into his arms and kissed her cheek as she babbled at him and waved her arms around. “Hello, Evie. Did you have a wonderful day full of exciting things?” He listened to her babbling and interjections of ‘Da!’ with a smile on his face.
“Sounds exciting to me. Anything involvingDais rather amazing.” he said and then turned toward me. He shifted Evie to his other hip and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips.
