Page 69 of Surprise Baby for Daddy's Best Friend

He furrowed his brow and turned to look at me, "You promise you will take care of her? And I don't mean just financially. This isn't a problem you toss money at."

I raised my hand and smirked, "I know how to take care of a child, Maurice. You can believe me that I'll make sure she has the best care and upbringing."

Maurice didn't say anything, for what felt like a full minute as he watched me intently. Even Kim was biting her bottom lip as if nervous about him blowing up again.

Slowly, he moved his hand on top of hers, and a soft smile sneaked up on his face. "My grandchild, eh? Thought Carl would end up giving me that before you did..." He squeezed her hand. "I wish I could say something else. Convince you not to choose him, but I doubt you'd listen to me at this point."

"No, I wouldn't."

I stepped away and sighed, "Fine. This is the choice you're making; I won't stop you. I still don't like it, and I'm going to need time. So give me that courtesy at least."

I grasped his shoulder and squeezed, "Of course. I wouldn't expect you to accept it immediately. I just wish you didn’t have to find out like this."

Maurice nodded and moved away from me, "I'm going to get some air and head home. Keep the cake."

I watched as he went down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. His heavy steps echoed through the hall until they faded into muffled noise that blended with the sounds of the building.

"Um..." Amanda spoke up and pushed out of the apartment. "I think we should go."

"You sure?" Kim asked.

She nodded. There was an obvious awkwardness hanging in the air now because of the fight. I didn't blame them for wanting to head home after that. She had expected a positive reunion from everyone, but it had turned sour almost immediately. I had no words to comfort her that weren't going to make things worse. She should have said something instead of shocking everyone with her surprise.

Carl stepped back into the apartment, "I'll grab the crockpot and we can catch the next train back home."

"No," I said it before I even realized I had spoken. "I'll take the two of you home. It's the least I can do."

"You sure?" Carl's face turned slightly pale and he glanced over at Amanda as if she could tell me no.

"I think Kim needs to get out of the house too for a bit, so I might as well drive the two of you home. If I'm going to be useful, then it better not be because I brought a charcuterie board that got compared to a kid's snack." A small smirk crossed my face, aimed at Carl. Better to be on their good side and not deal with a Kim upset later.

Maurice was long gone by the time we made our way downstairs. There were still a few people entering the apartment building after work with eyes glazed over from exhaustion. I wondered if that was how Kim looked every day when she normally got home from work. The idea of her being exhausted just trying to save up to care for our child didn't sit well with me. I refused to let her succumb to a world that wanted to kill her just so she could live.

"So which one of these cars is yours?" Carl asked as he looked up and down the street.

I pointed to the parking garage across from us. "Third floor."

"Let me guess, it's like a Mustang or something fancy like that?"

Kim stifled a laugh, "Something like that."

I forgot how it felt to live in a world that involved income as a stressor. I could easily purchase a Mustang if I wanted to tomorrow, without a second thought. They weren't exactly the most expensive vehicle out there. Then again, I did still appreciate some of the older model years the Mustang had. They were nice for a casual drive if I wanted to enjoy the countryside or a long highway drive on 80.

I led the four of us upstairs to the third floor. Most of it was empty except for a few cars. I had picked it because I could keep my car away from people trying to hit it. The extra camera installed on the sides and ends made it easier to tell if someone tried to break in or hit my car at any point.

"That's..." Kim's voice drifted off as we reached the Tesla. "I swear I thought..."

"I have more than one car, you know," I tapped on the door handle to unlock everyone's doors. "I just decided I wanted to drive this one today."

Carl slid into the backseat with Amanda while Kim joined me in the front. Everything illuminated almost immediately and set the temperature to a nice 65 degrees. A small jingle announced that autopilot was ready for the address.

I adjusted the rearview mirror so I could look at Carl, "Where do you live?"

"Going toward Flushing area. Near the park."

"No, I mean the address," I tapped on the screen asking for a destination.

"Oh um..." he gave me the address and I typed it in quickly.

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