Page 213 of The Single Dads Club
Trent nodded. “My parents have been divorced for a long time. It’s going to be strange at first and it’s going to be worse when they start dating again, but it’ll work out. I’ve known your dad for a long time. He’s not the sort of guy who lets things get ugly if he can help it, and your mom seems great.”
“I know. That’s true.” I took a deep breath. “And I guess that’s not all of it either.”
“No?” Trent said. “Color me shocked.”
“Just humor me here, okay?” I said. “So Bren and I opened the envelope last night.”
“I figured,” Trent said, nodding.
“What, are you a mind reader now, too?”
“No, Bren called and canceled a checkup we had on the books,” Trent said.
“At least I know her phone is still working. I have no evidence of that myself.”
Trent shrugged. “People handle things in different ways. But hey, you both dodged a bullet, right?”
“Right,” I sighed. “I just wish it felt that way.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. I mean, you’d think I’d be thrilled not to have a baby with a virtual stranger, but over these last two weeks we’ve just gotten closer, you know? Like, even in such a short period, I feel really connected to her.”
Trent led me through the hospital’s revolving doors but didn’t say anything.
“What?” I prompted.
“I don’t know, man. This is some deep shit.”
I nodded. “I know. It’s insane. It makes no sense to be disappointed.”
“And how does she feel?” Trent asked.
“I don’t know. I left almost right after we found out and she hasn’t answered my texts since. She seemed as upset as I was, though. It seemed like I’d just gotten her to open up a little and the news sealed her right back up, tighter than before.”
“Maybe she is upset,” Trent said. “Did she want children? Neither one of you are getting any younger. Biological clock and all that shit.”
“She wanted the baby, I think. She didn’t say it in as many words, but I think we both wanted the baby.”
“Well, the baby isn’t happening so, from my perspective, you need to figure something else out.”
“Like what?”
“Like whether, now that you’re not going to be a family, you still want to see this girl and maybe have a family with her down the line.”
“I do. Absolutely. But if she won’t answer my text—”
“Then you need to figure out how to get back on the right track. The Mason I know doesn’t give up at the first sign of a challenge.”
We walked into the neonatal unit and a nurse approached us, briefing us on which babies needed to be rocked or fed. I picked up the first little girl she’d pointed to—a tiny thing with delicate pink skin and a shock of dark hair.
Taking a bottle from the nurse, I fed the little girl, rocked her in my arms, and held back another rush of regret as I stared into her wide blue eyes. She was perfect in every way. Beautiful. Just like I’d pictured my own daughter for that brief, shining moment yesterday evening.
“You okay?” Trent asked as he rocked a baby boy.
I nodded. “Yup. Just realizing that for once, you’re right, man. I need to figure out something and quick. If I don’t, I’m going to be letting the woman I want get away.”
Now the only question was what exactly I needed to do to get her to realize that there was more than just this baby that never was between us.
