Papa Shane tilts his head, looking at me like I’m a moron, his expression unimpressed. “What’s insane is you sitting here, moping around as if she’s packing up and moving to another country,” he says and stretches his bruised legs with a wince. His knee cracks this time, and he mutters a curse. “You want to always be there for her and the baby, right?”
“Of course. What a stupid question.”
He raises his hands in mock surrender. “Then why not show her through action if words don’t seem to come easily?”
I open my mouth, then shut it. I don’t have an answer. Not a good one, anyway.
Papa Shane sighs and gets up, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Look, I get it. You want her to live with you but don’t want to push her into something she might regret later. So why don’t you show her how you feel instead? Do something nice that shows your commitment to her and your kid.”
A brilliant idea hits me following his words. “I could set up the nursery in her place.”
“Now you’re getting it. Fuckingfinally.”
I push to my feet, eager to get started. “I need a favor.”
I explain my plan, and he agrees to get Lee. Jasper, who has been sipping his protein shake on my other side, stops mid-sip. He swallows, then wipes his mouth with his hand. “Let me guess. You want him to go to the baby store with you?”
“Not only him. Lee, too.”
“I see,” he sets his bottle down, looking far too entertained for my liking. “You’re assembling the Dad Brigade. A bold move.”
I ignore the jab. “They’ve done this before. They’ll know what to get.”
Jasper studies me for a beat, then shrugs. “I’ll join you. Could be fun to see you sweat over all the decisions.”
Felix, who’s been undressing on the other side of the room, perks up like a damn dog who has heard the treat bag crinkle. His head snaps up so fast I’m surprised he doesn’t get whiplash. “What’s fun?”
“We’re going shopping for baby stuff,” I admit.
“You mean right now?”
“Yeah.”
Felix shoves the rest of his gear into the hamper and claps his hands together in glee. “I’m coming.”
Jasper snorts. “You don’t even like kids, dude.”
“That’s not true. I like them in small doses and when they aren’t loud or mine. Plus, I want to see Rasmus trying to pick out stuff he thinks the baby needs.”
I glare at our goalie. “I hate you.”
“You say that now but wait till I help you pick out one of those baby mobile things with the most annoying jingle on the planet.”
Jasper swings his bag over his shoulder. His smirk is pure evil. “Alright, let’s get the dads and get this over with before Ras has a meltdown in the middle of the shop.”
I don’t dignify his comment with a response, already marching toward the door. “We’ve got two more joining,” I tell Shane and Lee, who are already waiting for us.
Lee eyes our teammates. He squints as if he’s trying to do complicated math. “You two have kids we don’t know about?”
Felix grins, all teeth. What a dork. “No, but if Ras is panicking about baby gear, I’m reserving the front-row seat.”
Our teammate chuckles, shaking his head.
“Alright, let’s go educate the rookie daddy,” Papa Shane jokes and pulls out his car keys. “Time to learn the fine art of baby shopping. First lesson: don’t let them trick you into the wipes debate. It’s a trap.”
“There’s a wipes debate?” I ask, confused. “I thought wipes were good, no?”
Lee sighs dramatically. “Oh, Ras. You sweet summer child.”
