Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
A udra looked at him with fear in her eyes. “Did you hear me? Say something.”
Damon sat up in the bed. “Yes, I heard you.”
“We weren’t always careful, like just now,” she explained, as if he didn’t know how babies were made.
“When did you find out?”
She sat up, holding the sheet to her breasts. “Coincidentally, the same day you contacted Claudia and sent the message. I was at the doctor’s office when she called me.”
“Did you plan to tell me?”
“Yes, of course.”
He nodded, satisfied with the answer, and slipped from the bed. “We need to get dressed. I can’t have this conversation naked.”
They moved quietly through the condo, collecting their discarded clothes and putting them back on. During those few minutes, Damon’s mind raced with possibilities.
A father. He couldn’t believe it.
Finally, they sat down on the sofa facing the balcony, and he took Audra’s hand. She looked nervous.
“Why do you look like you’re about to throw up?” he asked.
“Because I’m pregnant again. My parents are going to kill me.”
“Then let’s get married.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? No.”
“Why not? We love each other.”
“Damon, I appreciate the offer, but this is sudden. We weren’t planning to get married five minutes ago.”
“Plans change. You adjust.”
“We’re talking about a baby and marriage . Those are major decisions and life-changing events. We can’t make these decisions lightly.”
“I’m not making this decision lightly.” A smile broke out on his face. “We’re having a baby. That’s good news.”
Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to say that. She shot him a look of confusion. “How is this good news?”
“Because we’re in love, and we’re about to have a baby.”
His gaze dropped to her midsection, and his smile widened. He hadn’t noticed any difference when they made love, but eventually, her waistline would expand with his child.
Audra eased her hand from his. “Damon, you do know what me being pregnant means, right? That means you’re going to be a father. That means all kinds of other responsibilities besides playing ball. When you have a kid, your whole life changes. Forget about sleeping in on your days off. A baby doesn’t care if it’s one a.m. or one p.m. When they’re ready to eat or have their diaper changed, they will scream the whole house down until their needs are satisfied. Don’t get me started on teething.
“A baby causes strain on the best of relationships, and we haven’t been together that long. Less than six months. We’re still getting to know each other. I haven’t met your parents or anyone else in your family yet! Weekend trips like the one we took to the retreat are out the window. We were only able to do that because my daughter is older. I won’t leave our child with other people to take care of for a weekend when they’re that little.
“And they’re expensive!” Audra continued. “They need clothes they’ll outgrow within months, there’s private school if we want to go that route, college down the road—and everything in between. Being a parent changes you forever, and it’s not an easy job. Your life is no longer your own because your child takes over your life. Do you understand that?”
She had said a mouthful, but nothing she said had changed his mind.
“I understand more than you know, and despite everything you’ve said, I’m still excited. I’m willing to put in the work because the reward is great.” He leaned toward her. “I want someone to look at me like the world revolves around me. I want to take care of our son or daughter and protect them and let them know how much they’re loved.”
He paused as emotion swelled inside him.
“I’m looking forward to their first smile, their first steps, and when I get to teach them to ride a bike. I’ll teach them to throw a ball and work with their hands. We’ll go biking, swimming, camping—everything. I’m looking forward to a little you or a little me—a combination of both of us. I already know it’s not always going to be easy, Audra, but I want this baby, and I want this baby with you.”
She looked stunned, her mouth hanging halfway open.
Damon continued. “You’ve already shown me what kind of mother you’ll be. I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to have a child with, and one thing’s for sure: my kid will never , ever doubt that they’re loved.”
Her brow puckered, and she placed a hand on his jaw. “What happened to you when you were younger, Damon?” she asked softly.
His jaw tightened as he struggled with a surge of emotion. Then he pulled back. “You don’t want to hear my dirt.”
“If we’re going to raise a child together, I think I deserve to know your background.” Her voice was gentle, cautious.
Damon stood abruptly and went to stand in front of one of the windows. He heard her get up, and she came to stand beside him.
He didn’t want to talk about his childhood and had effectively kept her in the dark this entire time. Turning away, he returned to the sofa and sat down, unsure where to begin—unsure if he wanted to begin.
Audra followed him again, but this time she straddled his thighs.
“Audra…” he said in a warning tone.
“Talk to me. Please.” She cupped either side of his face in her hands and forced eye contact. Sympathy filled her eyes.
Damon knew he had to open up, but damn, was it hard. Finally, he pushed the words past his lips. “I’m adopted.”
“I don’t remember that in any of the articles I read about you.”
He dipped his gaze. “I don’t talk about it. Dena and Chadwick Foster are my parents, and that’s all that matters. The same way all your siblings are your siblings, whether they’re related to you or not.” She had told him that the first night they went out to Prime Table.
Audra nodded her understanding. “Do you mind sharing how you ended up getting adopted?”
His body tensed. He didn’t want to tell her but sensed this time he wouldn’t be let off the hook.
“I grew up in an abusive home. My father terrorized us with punches… and kicks… yelling and weapons—knives, a gun, a baseball bat. Didn’t matter to him, and he smashed stuff all the time. He was the one who destroyed my Spiderman kite, for no reason except he was in a bad mood, and I came home from the park at the wrong time. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t scared to go home from school or anywhere, for that matter. I was always worried that I’d say the wrong thing and set him off. He used to beat my mother too. Eventually, I was removed from the apartment, and that’s when I met the woman who would become my mom. She was my social worker. My biological parents gave up their parental rights, confirming that they had never wanted me.” He swallowed as the memory of their rejection tightened his chest. “But Dena, my mother, she wanted me. Which is crazy, because looking back, I can admit I was a handful. I don’t know what made my case special compared to all the others she had handled. Luckily, my father was open to adopting a troubled eleven-year-old.”
Damon stared unseeing at a point beyond Audra.
“Damon, I… I’m so sorry that happened to you. I had no idea.”
He lifted his gaze to hers. “I don’t want your pity, Audra. I’m fine now.”
“I don’t think you are,” she said gently. “Have you thought about going to therapy?”
He let out a scoffing laugh. “For what? That shit don’t work. I don’t need a therapist. I know who I am, and I know what kind of father I’ll be.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you wouldn’t be a good father,” Audra said hastily. “But it’s obvious that what happened to you still affects?—”
“I’m fine,” Damon insisted in a harder voice. “I’m going to be an involved father. Not only to the baby you’re carrying, but to Kerilyn too. When we get married, I won’t treat her any differently than the kids we have together. We already know we’re in sync in a lot of ways. I’m not worried or scared. I want this.”
She stared at him for a moment, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. Then, slowly, relief crossed her face. “This is the real reason why they call you The Flash. You move fast. You don’t waste any time.”
“Why waste time when you know what you want? I love you. You love me. I know it’s scary because we didn’t have plans to get married and raise a family right now.”
“It’s very scary,” Audra admitted.
“But it feels right—don’t it?”
The happy smile that broke out on her face was the only answer he needed. “Yes, it does. You know, my mother told me once that there’s no timeframe for love. For some people, it happens quickly. For others, it takes longer. The only common feature is that love grows. You might not be aware of it, and then one day… one day you need that other person in your life, because your life won’t be complete without them.”
“That's exactly how I feel about you. I want this, Audra. You and our baby. It's not too soon. It's right on time.”
He pulled her in for a deep, heartfelt kiss.
Despite the fame, wealth, and the opportunity to do what he loved, he had never felt completely satisfied. That changed with Audra, and he was young—younger than he had expected to be when he got married and started a family—but all he saw was a future with her. Nothing else mattered because his life was finally going to be complete. He’d have a family of his own.
They spent the rest of the night discussing their dreams and marital expectations. Their belief systems and desires for the future were very compatible.
Damon had no doubt that getting married and starting a life together would be the right decision.