Page 74 of The Complication with the Best Man

We stand in silence for a beat.

“What does this mean?”

He presses his lips together. “I don’t know. And unfortunately, we don’t have time to find out right now because I have a flight to catch.”

I nod, disappointment flooding my chest like the gushing rivers after the spring melt in the mountains.

“But we’ll figure it out when I return, okay? I’ll tell Shane I’m not interested in the place anymore, and when I get back, we’ll decide together what it means for us, for our baby.” He sets his hand on my small protruding belly.

My eyes drift closed. Something about the gesture calms and reassures me.

“Okay, we’ll figure it out.”

He nods then drops his hand from my stomach, stepping back as though it takes great effort to do so. “To be continued then…”

Something about the way he says it makes my toes curl. These next three weeks apart from him are going to feel like a year.

twenty-nine

FINN

I’ve spent the past couple weeks in Vermont packing up my apartment and either selling or donating my furniture. I thought maybe I’d feel melancholy about leaving here, but since my conversation with Harper about our living arrangements right before I left, all I feel is desperation to get back to Lake Starlight.

I’m just thankful that she had the guts to say something because I know I wouldn’t have. But of course, she did. That’s Harper. She takes life by the horns and doesn’t let go. It’s something I admire and something I hope our son or daughter inherits from her.

I don’t know what it means exactly that I’m going to continue living with her, but I know it means that things have changed between us. We’ve acknowledged, without saying the words, that there’s something more between us than friendship and coparenting.

I’ve known it but haven’t acted on it. Something that became harder with each day that passed. Everything about Harper draws me to her, but watching her stomach slowly get bigger as a result of our growing baby has my desire for her at a fever pitch.

I’m starting to think that maybe I really do have a pregnancy kink. Jesus.

I push my hand through my hair and seal the last box with tape, then look around my near-empty apartment. My parents should be here any minute to say a final goodbye.

When I had dinner with them last night, I confessed to them the arrangement I had with Tamra. To say they were shocked and a little pissed was an understatement. I debated not telling them, but apparently Tamra has been telling everyone I dumped her out of the blue. I don’t care that she’s trying to make me look like the bad guy to save face, not really. I did agree to the plan and then backed out of it, but my parents were still struggling to understand why things had ended so abruptly and why I couldn’t try to make it work, even though Harper is pregnant. I felt I owed it to them to tell the truth.

“Knock, knock.” My mom does that thing she always does. She opens the door a bit, knocks on it, and says “knock, knock” at the same time.

“In here,” I call from the kitchen.

My parents enter, my mom with tears in her eyes. She wasn’t like this the first time I left. I think now that I’m back, packing up and giving away my belongings, it tells her I’m really leaving.

“You all set?” my dad asks, looking around.

“Yup, just have to load these boxes into the truck.” I motion to the few boxes at my feet.

“I’ll take these out for you.” He nods to my mom, silently telling me we need to talk.

“Thanks, Dad.”

He grips my shoulder, squeezing, then pulls me into a hug, and pats my back before pulling away and bending to lift the boxes.

When he’s out of the room, I turn my attention to my mom. There are no longer tears in her eyes—full blown tears are running down her face now.

“Mom…” I pull her into a hug, and she comes willingly.

After a minute, she draws away and wipes at her face. “Everything is changing, and that’s not necessarily bad.” She holds up a hand. “It’s all just happening so quickly. And you’re going to be so far away. As will our grandchild.”

It’s my only regret about any of this—the fact that I can’t be closer to my parents. I know they’ll make wonderful grandparents, but they’re going to be the kind who fly in for holidays and know their grandkid more via video chats than in person.

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