Page 71 of Agony of Our Regret

He hesitated while seeming to gather himself. “I’ll always feel like I have so much to make up for.”

I ran my thumb over the back of his hand. “Please don’t. I’m not holding on to the past. You’ve apologized and proven you’re serious about being here.”

“I should have come back sooner.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but we can’t change that.”

His gaze dropped. “I know. I need to let go of the guilt I carry, but that’s for me to work on, not you.”

“Very mature.”

“I’ve done a lot of growing up recently.”

“I think we all have. Not much of a choice at this point.” I huffed a laugh and patted my belly.

“We’re past the sink-or-swim time of our lives. I took my time. I was selfish and got to do whatever I wanted, and I’m grateful for that. But I’m ready now for what comes next.”

“You don’t still have the travel bug?”

He smiled. “Oh, I do. I just decided that I want to share those experiences with all of you now.”

“That sounds good to me. I don’t think we’ll be able to do a babymoon with the restrictions, but maybe we can go somewhere next year.”

I expected him to be disappointed by how far away that sounded, but he nodded. “Somewhere baby friendly. I read that hotels aren’t the best option. People recommended renting houses or condos where you have the space or another room for the baby to sleep and nap.”

My brows shot up. “You already did research?”

He looked at me like I was the crazy one. “The three of us have been doing that pretty much nonstop every night. Sky’s thefastest reader, so he decides what books are worth it for me and Vince. I think we have a pretty good grasp on what to expect, but of course, that will all go flying out the window once Lemon is here.”

I grinned and nodded.

Our waiter arrived with our food and I quickly cut off a piece of the warm, gooey, cheesy masterpiece and moaned when the flavors exploded on my tongue. It was just what I needed.

He watched me with a smile before taking his own bite. He chewed. Swallowed. Then finally nodded. “Wow.”

“I know,” I claimed another forkful.

We ate for a minute in silence before he continued our conversation, “Vince has been on a deep dive into the safest options for everything from car seats to cribs and strollers and toys. He has a spreadsheet of what to avoid and what he wants to see in person.”

Just when I thought my heart couldn’t get any fuller. “I didn’t realize you guys were doing that.”

He shrugged. “We want to make sure Lemon has everything they need. Plus, with five of us splitting up the work, it’s not so overwhelming.”

“The five? What about me?” I teased.

“At the beginning, you’ll be recovering from labor or a c-section. Your body needs time to heal. We’ll divide up responsibilities to make sure everyone is getting enough sleep, showering, eating, working, all that.” He flexed his fingers against mine. “We’ll probably work you in for a few feedings.”

I cocked a brow. “How generous.”

“We’ll handle the diaper changes and baths.”

“While I do nothing?”

“While you recover,” he corrected.

“What if I was planning on breastfeeding?”

“You can, but we’ll handle everything else. Or you can pump so we can do the night feedings.” He sounded so certain. “I read that babies who get equal time between mom and dad have an easier time with the bottle.”

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