Page 68 of First Comes Forever

“I’ll pay for the IVF—”

“Adam,” I interrupt sternly.

“Let me finish,” Adam insists, holding up his palms. “It’s conditional. I get something out of it too. I want us to sign an agreement.”

I clear my throat and peer at him through slits. “Did you fall down, bump your head, and suddenly decide you want to father a child?”

He shakes his head, placing his hand on my knee through the comforter. “I’ll pay for your IVF with a donor, is what I mean.”

“Oh.” I’ll admit, that’s a little disappointing, but after what Adam told me last night, I’m not surprised he’s not ready to leap back into a insta-family situation. “What do you mean it’s conditional? What would you get out of it?”

“I love being Uncle Adam. The time I get to spend with Carson is everything to me. But it’s usually brief. Between Alex and Tara, and her family, I don’t get to see him often. It’d be nice to be part of another kid’s life.”

“Uncle Adam,” I repeat softly. Where is he going with this? “Okay, so what does this agreement entail exactly?”

“I pay for as many rounds of IVF as you need. During your pregnancy, all the hospital bills will go to me. I want to meet the baby as soon as you let me. Also, moving forward, I’d also like to be invited to at least one holiday a year. And I mean a major holiday.”

“Gotcha, so Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras.”

“Exactly—wait what?” He scrunches up his face. “Mardi Gras isn’t a major holiday.”

“Au contraire.”

“I clearly still have a lot to learn about you,” he says with a light chuckle.

“Adam, this is a little crazy, don’t you think?”

“Is it? Or is this maybe a way we can have a family that never has to break up. Even if there’s nothing more to you and me than this summer, that baby will always have all the support it needs. I don’t want any arguments from you if I set up a savings account for the baby, and I want you to call me if you guys ever need anything. Money, support, a friend. I want to be your first call.”

Disregarding my coffee breath, I lean over to kiss his smooth cheek. “I don’t understand, Adam. That’s all wonderful, but what doyouget out of this?”

“A chance to right a wrong. I get to do things right this time and see this baby through.”

He’s really serious. I don’t understand the guilt he carries from his divorce, but it’s apparent in his strained, pleading expression. A baby between me and Adam? As…friends? Could this honestly help heal both of us?

“If I agree, this would tie us to each other forever. You get that, right? Dating or not. You’re ready to commit right now to a lifetime of me?”

He nods with a growing smirk on his face. “I think I can handle it.”

After taking another swig of the sweet latte, I set it aside. “I don’t know. This is seriously nuts. It’s not supposed to go this way. You’ve been social media stalking me for like what, a year? We’ve been flirting for barely more than a month. We slept together once. Isn’t this too fast?”

He balks at me, then rolls his eyes. “Are you ever going to stop with the stalking jokes?”

“No,” I say simply. “My point is, we’re talking about a child. We still are so far away from that. It’s supposed to go first comes love, then marriage, then the baby and the carriage. Not first comes…forever.”

He cocks his head to the side and reaches over, smoothing his thumbs under my eyes. “Here’s hoping the baby gets these freckles.”

“Are you really sure? You’ve thought this through?”

“Yes, I’m sure. In fact, I’m going to need you to sign something. Hang on.” He hoists himself off the wobbly mattress and exits the bedroom. When he returns a few moments later, he has my emotional support pickle in one hand and a folded piece of paper and a pen in his other hand.

“Check your answer and sign by the ‘X’,” he says as he hands me the paper and pen.

I have to muster all my strength not to openly weep when I read the note.Will you have a baby with me? Check yes or no.

I clear my throat, blinking hard to try to keep my composure. “The Bs are backward.”

Adam laughs. “Yeah, as an adult that’s actually hard to do. And I don’t have a butterfly notary stamp, but I’ll take this as official if you do.”

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