Page 74 of Hold Me Today

Me:I just sprouted my first gray hair. Hurry it up!

Effie:Only the first? LOL

Me:Be glad I love you. Will you tell me already?

Effie:. . . we got the thumbs up! From the adoption agency! WE’RE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!!!!!!

Oh, my God.

I jerk my gaze up from the phone, sending a wild glance around the parlor because, holy crap, I need to tellsomeone. My only option is a dude sprawled out on a bench across from me. He looks like he eats children for breakfast, then picks his teeth with their bones. The face tats really aren’t doing him any favors.

“Hey!” I hiss at him, waving one hand when I notice he’s wearing earbuds. “Hey, mister!”

He raises his head, eyes drowsily glancing over at me. “Sup?”

I don’t even care about his lack of excitement. Holding up my phone, I thrust it toward him. “I’m going to be anaunt!”

He waits a beat. Pauses for yet another. And then tucks his earbud back in. “Does it look like I give a shit?” he grumbles.

Whatever. His loss, not mine. He has no idea how much of a badass aunt I’ll be. Thebest. I turn back to my phone and send off another text to my best friend.

Me:Who is it? A boy? A girl? How old is my nephew or niece? Who am I going to spoil???

Effie:LOL! We have no idea. All we know is that the adoption agency thinks we’ll be a good fit for some child out there and oh, my heart is FULL with all the possibilities!! We need to celebrate.

Me:Yes. YES! This wknd? I’m so happy for you guys

Effie:Works for me. Love you!!

Me:Love you back. Give Sarah a hug for me!

“That smile for me?”

My head snaps up at Nick’s gravel-pitched voice. He’s back in his T-shirt—another Stamos Restoration variation—with his coat tossed over one arm. He looks a little green around the edges, and I jump up from my seat to cross to his side.

“It can be,” I tell him as I pull the coat from his grasp, “but”—I lean in, standing on my tiptoes to get my mouth close to his ear—“Effie just texted me. The agency told themyes!”

Nick’s gray eyes widen. “Holy shit. For real?”

I grip his arm, my excitement bubbling over. “Yes!” And then, as though I have every right in the world, I hook a finger in the collar of his T-shirt and drag him down for a kiss. He stiffens under my touch for the briefest moment before squeezing my hip and nipping my lower lip.

“You two ready to pay?”

Oh.Oh.

Lowering to the soles of my feet, I laugh awkwardly. “Oops, sorry, Calvin.”

“No need, you two lovebirds.” He rolls his eyes, teasing us, before finishing up our joint transaction. Nick and I split the bill down the middle, and I do my best not to worry about the money. Sometimes you need to remember to live, to breathe. Plus, my stress levels feel nonexistent and I have zero urge to wander anymore tonight.

Some people take Xanax to calm down. I take a dosage of Nick Stamos.

Same results but the latter is a whole lot more fun.

“Anyway,” Calvin goes on, “since you’re both determined not to look at those tats while you’re here, do me a favor and call in the morning. If there’s something you don’t like, we’ll fix it up for you.”

We take our self-care brochures, along with the ointment they force us to buy—even though I have two tubes at home—and then we’re tromping outside to Nick’s car. The cold stings my face as I slide into the passenger’s seat.

“My place?” Nick asks quietly, one hand on the steering wheel.

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