Page 46 of Until I Have You

“Finished up with my meetings and couldn’t focus, so I thought I’d try and catch you at the ferry,” Theo explains.

I’ve been updating Theo with our location throughout the day, as was his request.

He’d be a helicopter parent if he didn’t have to work.

I don’t blame him, though, especially after the incident at the aquarium.

“Have you been having fun?”Theo asks Bonnie, putting his hand to her belly and tickling it lightly.

She laughs.“Yes!We climbed all the way to the top of the Statue of Liberty.”

Theo pulls a face.“You made Abigail do that, did you?”

“She’d never been!Can you believe it?”Bonnie exclaims.

“Really?”Theo looks at me.Under his gaze, I feel my cheeks getting hot.What’shappening?

“Spent more time at the aquarium, I guess,” I say, pulling my purse higher onto my shoulder.“Anyway…”

“Well, look, I can take over from here,” Theo says, lofting Bonnie higher on his hip.“But I’ll pay you for the time I promised, I–”

I shake my head and start to step back.“It’s fine, you don’t have to–”

“Abigail, please.I’d like to do that for you, all right?”

I open my mouth.It’s hot and my head is growing light.“You really don’t–”

“Daddy, we were going to get ice cream, can we go get ice cream before Abigail leaves?”Bonnie begs.

I laugh.“Oh, ice cream is your pick for an afternoon snack?”

Theo looks up at the sky just as a breeze passes over us.It caresses his hair off his forehead.

I wish…

No.I donot.

“I guess it’s not too cold for ice cream, hm?”Theo says.“Well, Abigail, you’re welcome to join us.But there’s no expectation.”

Bonnie opens her mouth.

“No begging, Bon.All right?”

She shuts her mouth tight, but her eyes grow wide with pleading.

I glance over my shoulder as if something might distract me or take me away.There’s nothing.Not that I want it to.And that’s the most confusing piece of this puzzle.“Sure, I could go for ice cream.”

Bonnie cheers and starts to speak, but I can’t hear her.

My thoughts freeze around the slight smile on Theo’s lips.

10

ABIGAIL

We findan ice cream spot in Seaport.Bonnie gets a scoop of cookie dough, and I get mint chocolate chip.Theo gets a coffee, his excuse being that he can’t do too much dairy, which elicits a snorting laugh from me.

“Sorry, that’s what my dad always says.”

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