Page 21 of Capitally Unexpected

I notice Michelle’s hand isn’t in mine anymore. She reaches for her purse on the booth seat next to her for something.

“No, no. I’ve got this. I asked you to meet up.” I hurry and pull my credit card out of my wallet and set it in the folder with the receipt. Michelle brings her hands even with the top of the table with a white 3x5 piece of paper in her hand.

“I don’t think this is going to pay the bill, though I’m happy to split it ...” The waitress takes the folder off the table right as she says that causing us both to laugh.

“Like you said, they read the vibes.” I wait for her to show me what’s in her hand. I’ve seen enough movies and TV; I have a guess.

“Before I give you this, I should let you know. I’m planning on keeping the baby. I considered all my options, and that’s the right path for me, assuming everything stays healthy. There are no expectations on you. I think I would have tried to track you down somehow in a few more weeks anyway, but there you were last night. And, no matter what comes next, I’m . . . I’m glad you were on that rooftop.”

I really wish her hands were somewhere I could grab them. How hard it’s been for her to face this all on her own over the past few weeks radiates off her in waves. To think, we were both thinking of each other, however far apart, neither of us knowingwe are connected, not only by this baby, but by our family and friends.

“Thank you for telling me. It’s, of course, your choice, and I’ll support you all the way. I’d love to be involved.” I stop there. My brain is spinning in the background, but I don’t want to lose myself in that yet. Stay here, now. I don’t want to miss this.

“Thank you. Anyway, I wasn’t sure if you’d want . . . I mean, here. It’s a sonogram photo from the last appointment. Baby is healthy. They gave me two copies. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the second one. I guess it’s usually for the other parent. And now I’ve found the other parent. So, here.” She stops her rambling and thrusts the picture into my hand.

My eyes start to water as I look down at a pixelated blob. “It looks like a cloud from SNES Super Mario World,” I say, not able to take my eyes off the picture.

“I said the same thing. Well, I think it looks like a real cloud, you know, in the sky. But I keep calling them Cumulus.”

“Cumulus?” I ask, meeting her eyes, unsurprised to find them a little wet too.

She nods. “That’s the cloud type they look like. Occupational hazard.”

I realize I never got a chance to ask her what she does. It sounds like something with the weather, but I want to know more. I want to know everything.

“I’m going to go to the ladies’ room,” Michelle says, and I nod. My eyes drift down to the picture in my hand. That’s part of me. I made this thing. And I’m going to be sure I’m someone they can be proud of.

Michelle comes back to the table but doesn’t sit down. “I think I need to go home. I built up a lot of adrenaline today and I’m crashing hard.”

I jump out of the seat and wrap the blazer I borrowed from Hayden around her shoulders. Keeping up with their reputation, the waitress brings my card by right on cue. I pull three twenties out of my wallet and drop them on the table, thanking her foreverything as I grab our boxes and steer Michelle out of the restaurant.

“Well, I’m this way,” she says once we are out on the sidewalk.

“Michelle—I mean this in the kindest way—but you are off your rocker if you think I’m not walking you home.”

“Oh. Okay,” she says, and she turns and starts walking. I follow alongside her, keeping my hands to myself. How do we act around each other now? Earlier today my thoughts consisted of sinking between her thighs with her feet on my shoulders. Now, well, I still want to do that, but I also want to rub her feet. Go out at two in the morning and get whatever weird thing she’s craving. I want to be a part of this. I just need to figure out how to get her to allow me in.

“Well, this is me,” Michelle says, and I realize we’ve walked three blocks without saying a word.

“Shit. I’m sorry, my head is all over the place ...”

“I understand. It’s a lot to take in. Like I said, I don’t expect you to do any?—”

I grab her arms, wanting to stop the sensation of her slipping through my fingers. I loosen my grip immediately, so she knows she can step away if she wants, but damn, it’s good to touch her.

“I want to be a part of this. With you. Let me ...” The final piece clicks into place. “Do you have to work on Monday?”

“I don’t have to do a forecast, no, but there’s a thing I might need to go in for in the afternoon.”

“Perfect. Can I take you to breakfast? Or better yet, can I bring groceries and cook you breakfast? There are a few things I need to work through.” Her expression falls, small enough I wouldn’t catch it if I’m not taking in every millimeter of her face. “Not about being a part of this. I’m one hundred percent sure. It’s . . . other things . . . I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But breakfast? Monday?”

“I have been dreaming of that scramble you made me ...”

“Perfect. Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll text you, but let’s say nine o’clock?”

Michelle nods. “Yeah. That works.”

“I’ll see you then. I’ll wait out here until you get inside. Let me know when you’re in your apartment with the door locked?” Michelle’s vibes are trending toward spooked-cat-ready-to-flee. I want to be sure she lets me in on Monday.

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