13. Mia #2
Lucie nods and makes her way back to the closet. “So, things with you and Adam seem to be going really well?”
“Yeah, they are.” I wet a rag to run over the bar top. “I’m happy he’s back from Spring Training, even though I know he’s going to be leaving again soon.”
“Yeah, their schedules sort of suck. I think I’ll get maybe three or four more away games in, then I think Dex will be joining Beck and Adam’s sad significant others’ club.”
“Sad significant others?”
Lucie laughs. “Yeah, I can only fly with the team for the next few weeks. I’m overall having a very healthy pregnancy, and the twins seem to be growing right on track, but with the amount of air travel and constant moving they do during away games, my doctor wants me to stop around twenty-eight weeks to be safe. ”
“And you’re how far along now?”
“Twenty-one weeks. I’m due in August, which, as happy as I am, having them at a prime time during their season isn’t exactly ideal. Granted, this was an accident, and there’s really no guaranteed way to control it if we were actually trying.”
I pause mid-wipe. “Wait, you mean this wasn’t planned?”
“No, it was not. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wanted to have more kids with Dex and give Miles siblings like I have, but we were thinking of that a little farther down the road.” She shrugs. “But here we are in Dex’s second accidental pregnancy.”
His second? I know Lucie isn’t Miles’s biological mom, but I thought Dex was married before, too.
“I’m sorry, wait—you know, you can tell me to stop at any time, but I have follow-up questions.”
Lucie chuckles. “I get it. Miles’s biological mom isn’t exactly in the picture.
She only sees Miles one weekend out of the month, and answers his calls when he wants to talk to her—it’s not my favorite thing to think about.
You know? My husband and his ex-wife… But they both admit that they handled the pregnancy and marriage wrong.
Kate’s perfectly happy with us raising Miles, so it works out for the best.”
“And Dex can have paternity leave, right?”
“Sort of. He can’t miss more than three games on paternity leave in order to stay on the roster. It’s not exactly ideal, but Olsson’s a big family man. He might not be able to let Dex miss more games or practice, but he’s flexible when he can get away with it.”
I hum softly. The image of a family sort of glitches in my head. I’m a planner by heart, so two months in or not, I’m going to think of the future always. I sort of love how easily I can see Adam in all of it, too.
Adam vaguely let on that he would want kids…or well, I said I wanted them, and he didn’t give me a hard no. Would he want to wait until he was retired to have them?
I guess we’ll see how others handle it and we can adjust. My interest in the sport may be new, but I like the idea of bringing our kids to watch their dad play. Maybe by then, I’ll feel better about not being here all the time.
After cleaning upstairs and every customer has officially left, I really switch into work mode. No more distractions of future families and no more letting my exhaustion get the better of me.
Jensen gets her tattoo area set up, and we thankfully get the all-clear from the health inspector on her booth pretty easily. Jensen and Lucie offered to take me to the stadium to watch the game, but I’ll be watching from here.
I wanted to go, and Adam wanted me to as well, but when we got into who would’ve been responsible here to help keep things in check…I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave.
Now, with me not feeling my best, it seems it was the right call. The back and forth from here to the stadium would’ve been awful, and I’d only be able to think about everything that could possibly go wrong for the party.
Jensen and Lucie are gone for about five minutes before my phone rings. I don’t even have to look to know who’s calling.
“You know, I think all texts and phone calls have to be charged the day of. I don’t know if I even qualify as your girlfriend today, just strictly your party planner.”
“Absolutely not. I’ll pay whatever, but you’re still my girl.” Adam chuckles. “How are you feeling, honey?”
Ultra tired. Dreaming about us passing out tonight.
“I’m fine, Adam. I told you to stop worrying.”
“Right, and I’ll do that the moment you take a break.”
“Remember when you asked me out and I told you I didn’t need another dad?”
Adam’s warm, infectious laugh comes through the line. “How much would you hate it if I made a very inappropriate daddy joke?”
“Oh no, I’m weirdly losing service,” I tease.
“No, you’re not.”
“Someone’s calling for my help with decorating. Everyone’s helpless without me.”
“I know I am,” Adam says, and a warmth spreads through my chest until he ruins it. “I’ll talk to you later, baby girl.”
“Ah, no, go back to honey—”
“I’ll consider it if you take a five-minute break.”
I release a breath. He’s probably right. My feet are killing me, and the running up and down the stairs has already taken a toll. But neither of the places are fully finished yet.
“Alright, All-star. Have a good game, I’ll see you tonight.”
We’re off the phone for a solid five seconds. I’m one step from my office and then I hear the clatter of glass and an “ah, shit” from one of my busboys.
So much for that five minutes.