Page 29 of Rolling with the Single Daddies

As if on cue, Bella finishes nursing.

Instinctively, I reach for Bella while Avery regroups. The milk-drunk baby settles into my arms, and I turn to Roman. As much as Avery and I hate to let Roman touch Bella, even for a second, we agreed that we have to. I seize the moment. “Maybe you should hold her.”

“Give me my damn kid.”

“Language.” Avery nods, confirming she’s still on track with our plan.

He steps forward, arms outstretched awkwardly. The moment Bella’s in his arms, she starts wailing. Roman panics, slinging a string of cuss words.

“What did you do to her?” he accuses Avery. “She hates me!”

“She doesn’t hate you.” Avery hands him a burp cloth. “Babies cry. She needs to be burped. Put this on your shoulder, then pat her back.”

Roman shoves the baby back at Avery. “I ain’t doin’ that shit.”

Avery and I relax a little.

“Fine.” She settles Avery on her shoulder, patting her back.

“That’s why you gotta move in, do all the mom things.”

As if Bella understood our plan, she poops.

Avery deftly pulls a pad out of the diaper bag, sets it on the table, lays Bella on it, and hands Roman a diaper.

“That’s the mom shit I ain’t doin’.”

Avery makes quick work of the diaper change. “Roman, I’m not moving in with you.”

“I’ll take you to court, force you to bring Bella to my house.”

“You have every right to do that, but I’m still not moving in. Did you listen to anything I said the other day? Did you buy any of the baby stuff I showed you at the store?”

“Fuck no, that shit’s expensive.Just bring yours.”

It’s killing me to stay on the sidelines, but Avery’s got this. She’s the fiercest Mama Bear ever.

“It doesn’t work like that. The court won’t give you time with her if you don’t step up.”

“You’re the bitch not steppin’ up, not even telling me you got pregnant.”

“I won’t the be the first parent to raise a baby alone. Besides, I didn’t think you wanted a baby.”

“Not a baby, a family.”

I’m not sure what fucked-up reality he lives in that he can separate the two.

“Sometimes a baby’s the extent of the family. Do you really want to do this?”

“Come on, baby. We were good together. You looked good riding bitch, parading around as my arm candy.”

My fists ball for roughly a million reasons. But Avery was right. One step at a time. She knows him all too well, and is whittling him down.

“Can’t really do that with a car seat.”

Roman paces, dragging a hand through his hair. In a wildly strange way, I feel sorry for the guy. Avery was his. He made a baby with her. And he lost her. That has to hurt. But it’s a hundred percent on him as to why he lost her. If he’d made any effort to be a better man, Diego and I might not be engaged to her.

“Look, I’m not asking much of you, Roman. I just want you to leave us alone. It’s the simplest role ever.”

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