Page 88 of The One I Hate
“No need. I know who I am as a person.”
“So yeah, you’re…you. And I’m me. We don’t even know what we’re like together, let alone as parents. I just moved here. I’m a week away from the soft opening of the restaurant. I took this huge leap of faith, while barely being able to afford it, and now I have to add on doctor’s visits and baby things. And who is goingto watch the baby when it’s born? Can Mellie run the restaurant when I’m on maternity leave? Oh my God, I’m not ready, and I’m freaking the hell out.”
Charlie’s shaking now, overwhelmed in every possible way.
“Hey,” I say, taking her hands and kissing each of them. This seems to calm her a little, but I can still see the fear on her face. “For starters, if you think for a fucking second I’m going to let you pay for anything in regard to our child, then you’ve apparently never met me.”
“Simon, I can’t ask?—”
“No. Stop.” My tone of voice is as serious as it’s ever been. “I can’t carry this baby for you. Or take away your morning sickness or do any of those things. But you know what I can do? Spend money. You know what I have? More money than I know what to do with. This is how I’m helping. This is how I’m taking some stress from you. Let me do this for you. For us. For Baby Bug.”
I see the tears starting to well again. “I want to say yes.”
“It’s cute to think you have a choice.”
This makes her laugh a little. “Are you sure? I feel bad.”
“If you apologize again you’ll have a new car by morning.”
“Okay,” she yelps, eyes wide. “Thank you.”
“You never need to thank me. This is how I know to help. How to show I care. Please let me do this.”
“All right,” she says, a little more sure this time. “There’s still a lot more to figure out.”
“That’s okay,” I say, bringing her back against my chest. “We have plenty of time.”
“I don’t know. The baby will be here before we know it.”
“When is it due?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess we should go to the doctor. Shit, I don’t have insurance yet. Or know any doctors.”
“Don’t worry. I have an insurance guy.”
“Of course you do.”
“Okay. Then that’s first. You get insurance, even though I’ll be paying all of your bills. We can find a doctor. I wonder if Amelia knows any? I can ask her.”
“No!” she yells, popping up. “We can’t tell anyone yet. It’s too early.”
“Really? I want to tell everyone. Like, I want to go to the roof right now and yell it out with a bullhorn.”
“Simon, please,” she begs. “At least wait until we go to the doctor and confirm everything. I can Google doctors. Though I’m sure you already know a guy.”
I shake my head. “I have a lot of guys for a lot of things. But shockingly, I’ve never needed one for babies.”
This makes her laugh. The first real one of the day. “Let’s just take a breather. Keep it to ourselves for a bit. Get the restaurant open. Then after, we can tell everyone. Deal?”
“Fine. But I want one thing in return.”
She sighs. “What?”
“Since I can’t tell anyone, and I amveryexcited about this, permission to freak out here, in front of you?”
The smile she gives me lights up the room. “Permission granted.”
“Yes!” I jump off the couch and get some serious air. “I’m going to be a daddy!”
