Page 26 of Captured Immune

I don’t miss a beat either. “I already have.”

I’ve only been on this call with her for a minute, and hope is already filling me to the brim. Things are going so well. At this rate, we’ll be sipping drinks on a beach by tomorrow night.

“Can I come see you in the morning?” I ask, but what I really want to ask isCan I come over right now?

There’s a long pause before she says, “Trey, I think we have some important things to talk about before we start thinking about getting back together.”

She doesn’t need to say what for me to know whatthingsshe’s referring to. Little does she know, I was ready to be a father to her baby since the night I found out she was pregnant. We just had a little hump to get over, and now that we are over it, I’m thrilled for this next step.

I want to have a family. More so, I want to have a family with Arella. I picture myself holding a child. I imagine the tiny human calling medaddy. If it’s a girl, I’ll vow to protect her with my life. If it’s a boy, can I teach him to be a better man than me? That probably wouldn’t be too hard. I’ve set the bar pretty low.

I sigh and slump my elbows onto the counter. “Do you think I’d make a good father?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because I don’t know anything about it. I’ve never even held a baby. How am I supposed to know how to take care of one?”

“Nobody really knows what they’re doing until they do it. Babies are a learning process.” The way she says all that gives me faith that I can do this. If it’s something I can learn, I’m ready for the challenge.

“Don’t they have classes or some shit I can take about parenting?”

The sound of Arella’s giggle feels like a warm sunny day after a week of freezing rain. “Youwould take a parenting class?”

“Not alone, but I’d do it with you.”

“Trey, I want you to really,reallythink about what you’d be getting yourself into. Having a baby means you can’t do whatever you want whenever you want. Life changes when you have a mini human to take care of. It’s a lifetime commitment. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

I don’t have to think about it. “Yes, baby. I’m ready. I can’t guarantee I’ll win Best Dad of the Year, but you can bet your ass I’ll fight for it.”

I’ll also fight to keep our relationship off the zovernment’s radar. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll figure it out. All I know, without a doubt, is that I am meant to be with this woman. And nothing is going to stop me.

My phone vibrates. I don’t have to look to know who’s calling.

“I’ve gotta go, babe. Is it cool for me to come over in the morning? We can talk about this some more. Maybe look for some parenting classes coming up in the area? I could take you to some bookstores, and we could find some reading material?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

I can almost hear the smile spreading across her lips and lifting her cheeks. I feel a thousand pounds lighter already. “Text me the second you wake up, ’kay? I’ll come over right away.”

After she agrees, I tell her good night, then switch calls just in time.

“Where the fuck have you been, kid?” Victor says through a mouthful of something crunchy. “This is the tenth time I’ve called today.”

It’s actually the fourth time, but whatever. “I forgot my phone at home and was out all day.” My lie sounds pretty convincing.

“I need you to come to base.”

Fuck that. I don’t wanna be anywhere near Shadow Ridge right now.“What for?”

“I’m putting you on a new anti-Royals assignment. We need three agents on it, and one of the men I originally assigned to this didn’t pass his onboarding tests. You’re next on the list.”

“What about my current mission?”The one I’ve been ignoring for weeks.

“This new mission is entry-level shit. You can handle both. Besides, you haven’t been making any advancements on your current mission. Might as well make yourself useful. The briefing starts in thirty minutes.”

The way he says all that means I don’t have a choice. He’s notaskingme if I want to accept this new assignment so much as he’stellingme. “Thirty minutes? I live three hours away.”

“Maybe if you had answered your fucking phone, I could have given you more notice. I’ll send a Teleporter. Text me your coordinates.”Click.

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