Page 38 of Playboy

Speaking of that night. If a gal goes for a second round with her one-night stand, and maybe a third, does that make it a relationship? What if they just keep sleeping together without putting a label on what they’re doing? Can it be considered a continuation of a one-night stand? Asking for a friend.

FOURTEEN

HANNAH

Daniel: How are you feeling?

Me: I’m good.

Two hourslater

Daniel: How are you feeling?

Me: still good.

A few hours later

Daniel: Still feeling okay?

Me: I’m fine. Thanks.

Like a tiny tornado,Oliver scrambles into the kitchen holding up a card and wearing the biggest smile on his face. “Dad is taking me to Disney World!”

With as much faux surprise as I can muster, I widen my eyes and let my jaw go slack. “No way. Does that mean I’ll get the television all to myself this weekend?”

Oliver folds his arms across his chest and grunts. “You control the TV even when I’m here.”

A chuckle escapes me. He’s right. I refuse to watch cartoons or YouTube videos. SportsCenter feels too much like work, and no one in their right mind should watch the news. That shit is just depressing.

Noah never watches television so at least I don’t have to fight him for the remote. The only thing the man ever seems to watch is that damn Serendipity movie. I swear I’ve caught him watching that late at night on his lap top more times that I can count.

“Don’t lie. You like watching Joanna Gaines just as much as I do.”

Yup, I force my four-year-old nephew to watch home DIY shows with me. When I was a kid, we never stayed anywhere long enough to develop that sense of home. Even now, there are no pictures on my walls, no memories stashed away. I don’t think my mother has a single photo album from my childhood.

Since Noah and Oliver moved in, I’ve become acutely aware of how different his parenting is from that of my mother’s. Then again, it makes sense. His father has photos galore all over his apartment. He even has one of me with Noah at his graduation.

A dull ache throbs in my chest. What type of mom will I be? Will any of that stuff come naturally?

I’ll probably be the clueless, delusional type. So far, since I took the pregnancy tests last week, all I’ve done is ignore everything pregnancy related.

I’m also doing an excellent job of avoiding Daniel.

Can’t say my mother never taught me anything.

I clearly inherited her natural tendency toward avoidance and an inability to communicate. Excellent.

To be fair, the man has texted me the same couple of words every few hours, every single day, for the last week. It’s awkward. And annoying. I’m fine. Okay, maybe not totally fine, but mostly. I’m not nauseous, I’m not showing. I’m just a woman who can no longer have coffee, alcohol, or sex with strangers.

Basically, I’m no longer me. But still, I’m fine!

“I do love Joanna, but I miss cartoons.”

Noah laughs as he joins us in the kitchen. “Are the two of you arguing about the TV again?”

Oliver is incredibly smart for his age. So smart I wonder how he puts up with the rest of us.

“Oliver was just telling me about your trip to Disney.”

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