Page 40 of Unexpected Pass

“No, I thought you would just move on and live your life. I mean, we spent less than two days together.”

Kellon stood from the couch and moved in my direction.

“Two days, and I can’t stop thinking about you, Phileigh, about… the baby you are growing, about why the universe sent both of you to me. It’s not a coincidence.”

“The baby?” I repeated. My heart raced. “You been thinking about my baby?”

I was speechless. My mouth opened and closed, but no more words came out.

“Phileigh, having a baby is a lot. You don’t have to go through this shit alone.”

“I won’t be alone. I have Lolo and my parents.”

“And you got me.”

“No!”

“Yeah.”

“Kellon, it’s insane to want to take on the responsibility of a child with a woman you’ve only spent two days with. You don’t have to try to fix this. This isn’t your problem.”

“I want it to be my problem. I’m not walking away from this,” he said, taking my hand in his. “Wait. Is this baby Phileigh Cheese?”

He stared at the ultrasound photos tucked in my hand and politely took them from me.

“Yeah. That’s my baby,” I confirmed. Kellon stared at the pictures. His face lit up.

“Head… body…legs…” He flipped through the pictures. “Oh, shit. Is this empty space the heart?”

He held up one of the pictures, and I nodded. Seeing him so happy to see my baby had me smiling from ear to ear.

“Damn, you growing a whole lil’ baby inside.” He took the pictures and walked back over to the couch and sat down. I joined him, watching as he stared at the pictures. “As far as I’m concerned, this is my baby now. I don’t care who helped you conceive it. God put y’all in my presence for a reason, and I’m not about to fumble this.”

“Kellon, don’t—” I held up my hand.

The weight of his words penetrated my soul. There was no way I could let him take on such a huge responsibility. He deserved better than this. Than me.

“Come here.” He called me in a voice barely above a whisper. I shook my head. He was clearly out of his mind, and somebody had to be the voice of reason.

“Come talk to me,” he pleaded.

“Okay.” I stood from the recliner and made my way over to the sofa. Before I could take a seat next to him, Kellon was already pulling me onto his lap.

“Tell me your apprehensions,” he murmured in my ear.

My apprehensions? Weren’t they obvious?

“For starters, we’ve just met. You haven’t spent enough time with me to commit to me and my child. We’re in two different tax brackets, two different states, and I’m pregnant with someone else’s child.” I rambled off my list of valid concerns.

“Are you done?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, well, time is relative. Those two days seemed like two years to me. I don’t need you to be in my tax bracket. I have a private jet, and I don’t care.”

“Kellon…”

“That’s my name, beautiful.”

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