Page 53 of Unexpected Kisses

We both look over at the little ball of energy. He’s straddling the peak of the climbing wall, both of his hands reaching high into the air.

“Colton. Remember you’re supposed to have three points of contact at all times. You need to put one hand back on the wall.” AJ explains calmly.

“Sorry, Unca AJ.” He drops one hand, holding onto the top of the frame. “Mama! Look at me!”

Hayley moves closer to him. “Look at you! You’re at the top of the mountain, looking oh so tall!”

Lisa comes back outside and moves next to Hayley, dropping her arm around her shoulders and pulling her back into her body as best she can with her baby bump. She kisses the top of her head, and Hayley glances up and smiles at her. I feel as though I’m surrounded by loved-up couples, and I should tear my eyes away from them to give them the courtesy of privacy but they’re too sweet.

AJ coaches Colton as he carefully descends the other side of the wall, while his moms watch him with obvious pride. After a short while, Lisa turns to me. “Come and sit over here. AJ will keep Colton busy for a while.”

I follow the women to the outdoor setting. My skin feels prickly as I realize I don’t have anyone as a buffer while AJ’s busy with his nephew. Lisa offers me a snack, while Hayley pours the juice.

I take a slice of apple and cheese for something to do, chewing slowly as I try to think of what to talk about.

“AJ was telling us you’re trying to have a baby,” Hayley’s the first to break the silence.

I swallow the food in my mouth, but it gets stuck in my suddenly dry throat. Coughing, I try to dislodge the food as gracefully as I can. Lisa pats my back as Hayley hands me a glass of juice, both women watching me with worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” asks Lisa.

I manage to get myself under control so I can answer. “Yeah.” My voice doesn’t come out quite right, so I take another drink. “Sorry about that.”

“That’s okay. Hayley’s not really known for her timing.” Lisa smirks at her wife and Hayley lightly pushes her.

I look at Hayley, trying to portray confidence I’m sorely lacking. “Yeah, I am. I had two attempts through the fertility clinic, but neither were successful.”

“We know how disappointing that can be.” The two women glance at each other.

I nod. “Yeah. It costs a lot of money, so it meant I had to put any further attempts on hold until I could save for another round.”

Both Lisa and Hayley nod. “We hear ya. It’s not cheap.”

“It took us about six months to get pregnant with Colton. So don’t give up,” Lisa shares. “AJ was patient with us. Never missed a single appointment.”

I glance over at AJ. “He’s been amazing so far. I was incredibly lucky when he offered to help me.”

Hayley nods. “He’s a good guy.” She glances at Lisa and takes a sip of her drink. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Here we go. “Sure.” I try not to let my nervousness show in my voice.

“We know AJ is a great guy, but you didn’t when you first met him. Why would you take up the offer of help for something like this from a complete stranger you know nothing about?”

“I’m hungry, Mama!” Colton interrupts as he climbs up onto a chair.

“Hey. You need to wash your hands first, little man! Come on, let’s go.” AJ holds his hand out to his nephew, giving me a subtle nod, checking I’m okay. Once I respond, he takes Colton inside and the three of us resume our conversation.

The interruption gave me a second to gather my thoughts. “That’s a fair question. I debated with myself before I contacted AJ after he offered to help me. He put me at ease straight away because he was happy to answer any of the questions I had for him and he seemed kind. The thing that sealed the deal for me, though, was that he’d already helped you guys.” I take a small sip of my drink. “Did he—”

“My hands are all clean!” Colton barges out the back door waving his hands in the air as he runs for us.

“Great job,” Hayley praises as Lisa gives him a plastic plate.

He situates himself on a seat and selects a few different items, then makes himself comfortable as he nibbles on a cracker. AJ joins us at the table, grabbing a slice of cheese as he sits in the chair next to mine. I’m not sure if he realizes his leg is pressing against mine; same as it was at Kenny’s birthday. He leans forward to grab his drink, pushing his thigh harder against mine. He winks at me as he sits back. He has to know he’s touching me and I take another drink for something to do.

“Thanks so much for organizing that amazing climbing wall, AJ,” Hayley says.

“It turned out so much better than I imagined. Theo and Lachlan did an incredible job.”

---