Page 68 of Surprise Baby for Daddy's Best Friend

I shook my head and leaned against the wall. The anger in his voice was slowly fading, but I wasn't going to say the wrong thing and fuel it again.

"Like we said, we didn't know we both knew you."

"And once you realized?"

"We tried to keep our distance," I tried to recall the multiple evenings together and how much I wasn't sure how to approach the situation back then. "We also decided to call it quits after the wedding too and didn’t even see each other again."

Maurice leaned on the opposing wall. We were like mirrors looking at one another with Kim standing between the two of us. I wasn't in the mood to fight for her, but I wasn't going to let Maurice lecture me either.

"She's a good girl. You raised her right."

"Yeah, she always knows what's best for her, even if she doesn't realize it is at first."

I nodded in agreement, "She doesn't slow down either. Look, Maurice, we can argue all day until we both fall over from a heart attack, or you can stop treating Kim like she's a little girl."

"But sheismy little girl."

I couldn't argue with that. If Mandi was ever in Kim's shoes when she found someone, I knew I would be just as frustrated as Maurice was. It didn't help that we had been best friends since high school. But that wouldn't change my feelings.

"You know about my ex-wives, Maurice, you know how bad they were."

He laughed, "I know enough to know I'm surprised they didn't poison you."

"Exactly. So let me be happy just this once."

He stood there in silence as if contemplating my words. I would let him continue to think for as long as he needed to. If it meant we would stand out here until dawn, then I was ready for that.

"Does she want the child, or are you forcing her to have it?" his voice was softer this time.

"She wanted to keep it. Told me she didn't even expect anything from me. She was planning on sticking the baby in the closet.”

Maurice half choked at that, and glanced at the door. "That's actually what we did with her and Carl when they were babies. We had an oversized closet in our room. Took out all the clothes and put a tiny crib in there. Guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

"It never does."

The door to the apartment cracked open. I couldn't see who was there, but I imagined it was Kim trying to see what was going on after things went quiet out here. I tapped my fingers on the inside of my arm and waited for whoever was at the door to speak.

"Are we done fighting about me?" Kim asked as she opened the door a little wider.

"Define fighting," Maurice chuckled and walked over to Kim. He embraced her in a large hug. "Sweetheart, you know I'm only doing this because I worry about you. I want only the best for you."

Kim pulled away from Maurice and smiled, "I don't think I could do much better than Jared."

Maurice glanced over at me and then back to Kim, "That old man is the grumpiest person alive. Trust me, there are better fish out there."

"And if I want an octopus?"

I snorted a little too hard at being called an octopus. I wasn't expecting the comparison, but I could see how I would be more of an octopus, instead of a fish swimming around aimlessly.

"Look, dad, like I was trying to tell you in the apartment," she grabbed my hand and pulled me a little closer. "I do love him. He's a good guy. Sure, he's a bit rough around the edges, but so were you before you met mom."

I waited for Maurice to respond. I almost expected him to argue again. To tell Kim that she was wrong about choosing me, and that she should forget about me. I wouldn't blame him. I imagined myself in his shoes with Mandi and the idea wouldn't click.

The other three crowded behind the door to listen to the conversation. They weren't sneaky about it, but they also weren't trying to join the conversation either, which I was thankful for.

Maurice sighed, and pulled Kim close to him again, "I swear the more I look at you, the more I see your mother in you. Just as stubborn as she was, and just as beautiful too."

Kim moved a hand between them so it rested on her stomach, "It's not just Jared that's involved in this anymore, dad. You're going to be a grandfather. I don't want you to have a bad relationship with her father. Imagine if grandpa hated you and refused to let you see me or mom?"

---