Page 77 of Beyond Friendship

The entire table bursts out in laughter, and Charlotte frowns in confusion before turning back to her drawing.

Emma shakes her head before looking at Brian and me. “To be honest, there was a time I thought you two were never going to figure it out.”

Bella chips in, “But they did. And are still going strong. So back off and let them be happy. They both deserve it.”

Brian grins. “Thanks for that, Bella.”

“No problem. Just don’t forget that; hurt her and there’ll be hell to pay.”

Charlotte skips up to Brian, eyes wide and bubbling over with excitement. “Can I be your flower girl when you marry Auntie Amanda? And be a big aunt when you have a baby?”

I choke on my drink as the room falls silent.

Cole grins. “She still has the knack for catching people off guard with those questions, huh?”

Before Brian can answer, Emma interjects, “Sweetheart, what did we say about asking those questions?”

Charlotte pouts her lip. “You said I had to wait and see, but waiting is so boring.”

“Well.” Nick helps his wife. “This will be your time to learn it because neither Amanda nor Brian will answer those questions.”

Charlotte bats her lashes at her dad and tilts her head sideways, giving it another try. “But, Dad...”

“Char,” Liam calls out.

“Your brother needs his big sister,” Nick says, caressing her cheek.

“Okay.” She sighs, walking back to the other table.

“Sorry,” Emma apologizes. “Ever since Cole and Alisha’s wedding, she’s been obsessed with wanting another one. And don’t have me talking about babies. She’s excited to see the twins and wants everyone to have kids.”

Brian smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes and I wonder what he’s thinking.

The rest of the afternoon passes as we chat and savor some of Emma’s delectable homemade snacks. Once back at Brian’s place, we settle on the couch with takeout Thai food and an action series. Warmth radiates through me as I gaze at Brian beside me. I never imagined being with him could bring me this much joy. We have a natural synergy that could defy time. As fellow entrepreneurs, we understand the long hours and there is never a hint of envy, only a mutual esteem and supportive admiration. I can’t help but think the dream life I always wanted is becoming reality. My heart skips a beat with delight, but when I recall Charlotte’s question about marriage and babies, apprehension saps away at my dream for the future—marriage, kids.

What are his ideas on those topics?

Brian is brilliant with Charlotte and Liam, but I’ve never heard him speak of wanting kids, and we never talked about it. I turn to him, studying his face while he eats pad thai.Is now the right time?

“You’re amazing with kids,” I blurt out and search his expression for some sign of understanding of my inner thoughts. He humbly shrugs and mouths a thank you before returning to his meal. My heart races as I nervously ask the next question, “Have you ever thought about having children?”

His eyes fix on the table, avoiding my gaze. “I’ve never considered it,” he mutters, voice low and tense.

I nervously bite my lip, waiting for a response that doesn’t come. My hands shake as the realization dawns on me that I need to speak what’s in my heart. Taking a deep breath, I intertwine my fingers and voice my true feelings. “I’d love to have kids someday.”

There’s an almost tangible stillness that hangs in the air. Brian breaks it by slowly pushing away his plate and leaning back on the couch, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed.

“Can we stop talking about this topic for now?” he croaks.

My brows furrow as I tilt my head in confusion. “Why?”

He looks at me, face filled with dread and pain. “My heart condition is hereditary, Amanda. It can be passed down like my father did with me. The only difference is he didn’t know he had it.” His voice cracks before continuing, “I watched him die from it without being able to do anything about it. The idea of putting a child through this or worse yet, having them die because of it… it’s just too much to bear.”

I sit there in silence, digesting what he just said. Chills run down my spine at the thought of our baby being sick. It would be scary as hell knowing his heart could be as fragile as a crystal vase. I glimpse indirectly at the man sitting beside me. “Would you be willing to talk to a doctor about this?”

With his gaze averted from mine, he nods before picking up plates and carrying them over to the sink.

Understanding that this is a loaded topic for him, I drop further questioning and rise and join him at the sink, helping to load the dishwasher. After we finish cleaning together, we curl up on the couch, watching TV without talking further about it, both of us knowing that this is something we will have to confront eventually but not ready to tackle it today.

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