Page 140 of Heartless
Cade:Call me if something happens.
Willa:Are you ignoring my joke?
Cade:I don’t want to miss the birth of my child.
Willa:I think after my lessons I’ll give the yard a blow job.
Cade:You’re insane. But I love you.
Willa:Love you too.
* * *
“Which ones are better?” I ask Luke from across the kitchen island with a wince. I’ve been having Braxton-Hicks fake fucking contractions for days and have been baking cookies to busy myself. The baby kicks the shit out of me non-stop, and I feel like a beached whale. Whoever said pregnancy is beautiful can die a fiery death, as far as I’m concerned.
In recent days, I’ve gone from excited to wishing I could issue an eviction notice.
Luke is what’s keeping me sane right now. Luke is the one who makes me smile. The minute he jumped off the school bus, we waddled up to the house and I pulled out two plates of cookies.
He currently has white chocolate macadamia in one hand and peanut butter smarties in the other and is taking alternating nibbles like he’s a true cookie connoisseur.
And I suppose after these last couple of days, he is. We’ve been doing an awful lot of teeth brushing to compensate for the sugar intake.
His eyes close, and he holds one finger up dramatically. I can’t help but laugh at him. “Smarties,” he announces.
“Yeah. Think you’re right.” I groan as I haul myself onto the stool next to him and take a bite of one.
“Hey, Willa,” he says, turning my way.
“Hey, Luke.” I wink at him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Always.”
His wide blue eyes take on an uncertain expression, and his lips press together. “What is the baby going to call you?”
“Well, babies don’t talk, Luke, so I imagine they’ll just babble a lot of random shit.”
He gives me a scoff and a little eye roll, looking like a dead ringer for his dad when he does. “I meant once they can talk. Will they call you mom?”
My eyes travel over his face as I chew. I haven’t even known him for a year and still find myself marveling at how much he’s changed. “I imagine so, yes.”
A sigh lifts and then drops his small shoulders as he glances down at his cookie. “Do you think...” He peers back up at me now. “Do you think it would be okay if I called you mom too?”
I’m far too hormonal for this conversation right now and blink furiously down at the little boy who’s gazing up at me with the widest, sweetest eyes. “My dude, you can call me whatever you want. I know I’m not actually your mom, but I love you like one. Did you know I fell in love with you before I fell in love with your dad?”
His eyes light at that. “You did?”
I nod, pulling him close with an arm around his shoulders. “I did.”
His arms wrap around my middle, or what’s left of it. I feel like I’m just boobs and belly at this point. “I love you too, Willa. Even though I think you peed your pants.”
My head shoots down to follow where he’s looking. “Alright. It’s time to call your dad.”
* * *
Summer:Are you close? I called Willa’s parents. They’re booking flights back now.
