Page 49 of A Moment for Us
He shakes his head. “You should. You should demand everything, Delia, because you deserve no less. I am just as responsible as you are, and while this wasn’t what either of us wanted, it’s not that child’s fault.”
And my stupid, untrustworthy heart falls a little harder for him.
He isn’t changing his mind on wanting to be with me, but at least, he’ll be there for the baby.
“No, and I appreciate that. However, with our newfound circumstances, I think we should be smart.”
“Okay, what does that mean?”
“It means that whatever fun we were having, really and truly ends now. No more.”
“Afraid of pregnancy?” he jokes, and I laugh a little.
“Afraid of never moving on from you. I can’t raise a child with you and keep my heart out of it. So, we’re friends only from this point on.”
Josh smirks. “I thought you already drew that line.”
“I think we both know better.”
When he stands and walks toward me, his eyes are soft and assessing. I do my best to conceal the myriad of emotions inside me. I’m angry that this is happening. Happy that I’ll be a mother. Sad that he doesn’t love me. Hopeful that we can at least raise this child with love. And disappointed because it’ll never be together.
“I understand.”
“I just need . . . I need a chance at a future with love and family. I know you’re not the man who wants that. I would never ask that of you.”
His eyes close, telling me this is the case. “I wish I was different.”
“Me too, but then you wouldn’t be you. The thing is I want what’s best for our child. If you want to be involved, that’s great, but it can’t be half measures. The baby deserves all of our love and commitment.”
“As much as this wasn’t what I wanted, I would never do that. I’ll be here for you and the baby. There’s no half anything, and I don’t need time to know what the right thing is. I would never abandon my child.”
“I never thought you would.”
Josh has always put family above all else, and I never truly thought he’d do anything different when it comes to this.
He nods. “Good.”
“So, now what?” I ask, feeling lost.
“Now we figure the rest out.”
* * *
Figuring the rest out apparently means a knock on the door at six a.m. so he can start on renovations of my place.
“Do you know what time it is?” I ask.
“Yes, time to get the floors done and take care of any other repairs you need done.”
“What I need . . . is sleep.”
He grins, holding out a cup of coffee from the shop down the road. “I can’t do that, but I can caffeinate you.” I go to grab it, but then he pulls it back. “Wait, can you have this?”
“Do you want that hand?”
“Yes, but is it okay for the baby?”
I snatch it out of his grasp. “It’s necessary for me so, therefore, it’s fine.” Once I’ve taken a few sips, I open the door a little more to let Josh in. “But, yes, the doctor said I could have coffee, just in moderation. Believe me, I asked.”
