Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“I don’t like taking anything when I’m breastfeeding.”
“Your fridge and freezer are full of milk. Adelaide won’t starve. Besides, I don’t think this really matters for that. But it will stop you from hallucinating.”
“My dad told you about that?” I asked, wincing as I took the pills and swallowed them back with half the bottle of water. There was a scratchy sensation in my throat that I knew was going to turn into soreness sooner rather than later. If that was what Adelaide was feeling, it was no wonder she was fussy and didn’t want to nurse.
“Yeah. He said it came on outta nowhere like this too.”
“Yeah. I kind of wish my baby didn’t inherit that particular trait,” I said, sighing.
“Your mom is cooing over Adelaide. Your dad ran to the store for supplies.”
“They’re the best.”
“Yeah, they seem like it. I gotta ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“Paine?”
I shot him a small smile.
“Basically, his dad named him that because my grandmother was in so much pain when she was in labor. It was a name that has served him well in both his jobs, though.”
I mean, if there was ever a time to broach this topic, I guess it was now.
“How’s that?”
“All my life, he’s been a tattoo artist.”
“Ah,” Owen said, nodding. “That does make sense.”
“But before I was born, before he met my mom, he’d been wrapped up in a street gang. Well, he’d… run a street gang. Back when he was young and poor and saw it as the only way out of a rough start at life. So… Paine. Sounds threatening.”
“How’d he and your mom meet?”
“Mom was caught up in something, and she was being chased down the road at night. He let her into his building. From there, it was a whole thing that eventually led to them living happily ever after.”
They were everything I’d secretly wanted for myself. My mom had a big, powerful career. My father had his own business and never felt less-than because my mom earned more money. Their marriage was something they always prioritized—which was why they were still one of the happiest couples I knew.
Unfortunately for me, any attempt to find someone to have that sort of life and future with had fizzled out and died.
The worst of the worst, of course, being Adelaide’s father.
“You look a lot like your mom.”
“Yeah. My brother is the spitting image of my dad,” I said, glad for something other than my crummy past relationships to talk about. “Did they… have questions about why you’re here?”
“Both of them. Your mom asked, then immediately told me not to answer.”
“Somehow I doubt my father did the same thing.”
“He basically asked if I’ve been here a lot. I did say yes to that. I didn’t want to lie to him. I know we haven’t had a chance to talk—”
“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”
His brows pinched at that. “What?”
“I mean, I know it was just… that things kind of—”
“Honey,” he cut me off. “We’re grown-ass adults. We talk about things. Even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Last night…”
“Last night,” he repeated. “Felt like it was a long time coming. To me, at least.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“I get that maybe you’re not looking for anything right now. You have a lot on your plate.”
“I’m not not looking for something. I just figured that, ha,” I huffed, “that being a single mom to a small baby might not exactly be what men are looking for.”
“Maybe not the wrong kind of men,” he agreed. “The right kind of man wouldn’t see it as some sort of flaw.”
“And you’re the right kind of man?” I asked, afraid to hope after everything I’d been through.
“I’m the right kind of man.”
“I mean, it’s not like I’m asking you to be my daughter’s father or anything—”
“But you need to know it’s something any man in your life would be open to.”
“Yeah.”
“I know you’re a package deal, Willa. I know that by being here, being with you, being a part of Adelaide’s life is part of it. A big part of it.”
“I know she’s small and she doesn’t really know any better yet, but I’m not looking to bring a revolving door of men into her life. That’s not fair.”
“I’m a commitment-type guy. I wouldn’t try to be a part of your life if I didn’t hope it would be for a long time.”
“I know that, you know, things happen, obviously. I just want someone around who at least wants to be around, you know?”
“I want to be around. Even when you have a fever flush and a runny nose,” he said, reaching toward the nightstand to pass me a tissue.
“Guess the cold part is setting in.” I sighed and blew my nose. “Really, you don’t need to be here for this. What if I get you sick?”