Page 41 of Finding Fate

The light is on in Riggan’s old room, which is basically empty since we moved his furniture to the open area in the back of the basement for Landon when he’s here, or any guest I suppose, causing me to stop. A large, long box is opened with white furniture pieces inside, and an instruction booklet is open while he stares at it on his hands and knees with a handful of tools beside him. One side of my mouth lifts, because he looks like he’s concentrating way too hard. “You know you’re shit at putting things together. Something always gets put on backward and you have to take it off and redo it.”

He doesn’t look at me, only flips me off. I laugh. “Not all of us had daddies to teach us how to be manly. Some of us had to teach ourselves.”

I walk into the room and sit down not far from him. “Yeah, well, you turned out just fine without one. What is that? I’ll help.”

He finally looks up at me from the book. “A crib. Figured I better start doing this shit now and space it out. Do you know this thing was six hundred dollars? . . . Without the mattress. And apparently, we still have to get a dresser and car seat and all sorts of stuff. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous. She gave this thing the ‘shake test’ in the store on the display and said it’s a good one, and it has an attached changing table with some drawers for storage, but still, doesn’t that seem a little steep for a piece of furniture that will hold a person weighing in less than ten pounds?”

“Rig, I know you’ve been out of practice for many years, but you do know everything you buy has a pricerange, right? I doubt that was the cheapest, or even the most expensive. Not everyone can afford that. Hell, I’m almost positive I’ve seen those things in Walmart for like two or three hundred. You walk right by that section for the snacks back home.”

He sits back on his heels and exhales. “This is the one she wanted. If this isn’t the most expensive, she was probably even settling because of me. She would’ve offered to swipe it otherwise, and I’m not letting her parents pay for it. She’s already prepped me to not freak out when she brings a new car home with four doors. Apparently, it’s already been discussed with her parents. They’re selling hers and it’ll be her Christmas and birthday gift. I had to let it go. I have to do this before I can worry about something as big as a car. I’d be a nervous wreck with her driving our daughter in that small car she has that she drives way too fast in. Plus, I can’t imagine trying to drag a car seat in and out of that thing. I choose my battles. Abby died in a car. I’m not going there. Sayler is the best thing I have. I have money set back. I was just expecting it to go a lot further. What would you have done if it were Gabby?”

I smirk. “Bought it and then bitched about it to my friend just like you’re doing.”

He laughs. “We lost our balls somewhere. Can’t even tell a girl no.”

“You can when it counts. Don’t stress too hard. I’m sure she’ll get a baby shower that will cover a bunch of the smaller stuff.” I grab the booklet off the floor. Riggan can’t concentrate on shit like this. He just gets angry and gives up. “You get. I’ll instruct. We’ll both assemble.”

His demeanor becomes serious. “Thanks. I owe you. I told her I’d have it done when she gets home.”

I look over page one where it lists the items included in the box and what you’ll need to assemble. “Yeah, you do. When I have to do this shit you’re going to be right there doing it too. Where are they anyway?”

“Shopping. Something about baby stuff and Presley’s sister coming into town soon for the weekend to celebrate Presley’s birthday since she has a day out of school for Veteran’s Day. All I heard was she’s a seventeen-year-old nightmare and everything has to be perfect. Presley seemed a little high-strung. Apparently, they’re nothing alike according to Konnor.”

I set the booklet down and get up. “I’ll be right back. You have a sorry excuse for tools. It doesn’t have to take all night. Part of the fun in putting things together is power tools. I have Allen wrench bits. Be getting all the pieces out and separate them. It’s easier and less time consuming to grab when you aren’t constantly digging through a box.”

“Okay,” he says to my back as I walk out the door. I may also need a quick breather to shut my thoughts down, and maybe even a beer, because the first thing I thought when he said it was a crib was that this should have been me years ago . . .

* * *

Riggan removeshis pocketknife from his pocket and opens it, before running the blade down the protective plastic that’s wrapped around the mattress while I put the trash back in the box and gather up the tools in one pile. Right as he’s putting the soft mattress in the finished white crib against the middle of the wall, footsteps thud against the upper flight of stairs.

Blondie walks in wearing a bikini with some robe-looking thing over it, open in the front, minus a tie, and holding two beers. I’m not sure what the purpose of that is. It’s covering nothing but her arms and back, and she’s obviously not worried about covering anything since her entire pregnant belly is bare and on display. I guess if you have a body like hers even pregnant then go for it. “I’ve come with gifts of thanks,” she says with a smile on her face, her long blonde hair hanging over her shoulders. I take one when she hands it to me and Riggan takes the other, before she wraps her arms around my bare midsection for a hug, her belly pressed against my stomach. Feels weird with no fabric in the way. It’s an oversized hard knot. “It looks so good! Thank you for helping.”

“Someone has to make sure it doesn’t fall apart,” I tease as she lets go.

Riggan pulls her in for a kiss. “Don’t listen to this asshole. How’s my daughter?”

She gleams like she does every time he asks about the baby. “Fine. I bought her bedding. I’m going to put it in the top of the closet until it’s time to wash everything. Konnor and Landon are watching a football game downstairs. We brought pizza and wings home. We thought maybe we could move the party outside to the water and turn the game on out there.”

“Whatever you want.”

“Where’s Gabby?”

“She ran upstairs to change into her swimsuit she bought.”

I missed her? “I’ll be right back.”

I walk out of the room and make my way up the stairs, pushing my bedroom door open. She shoves something in the upper dresser drawer. “Hey. How was work?”

Her face doesn’t look right. And her voice has an abnormal pitch. “What were you doing?”

“Nothing. Just about to change. Why?”

I walk across the room and set my beer on top of the dresser as I shove my hand in the drawer, pulling out the photo I now recognize instantly. She’s never been able to lie to me. I don’t know why she even tries. She looks at me, her eyes glossier than normal. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Gab, stop lying like I don’t know every expression you wear.”

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