Chapter 84
The minute Cat sees me she shuts her computer. “Perfect timing. I just sent my column to my editor. Where’s Royce?” she asks, stuffing her MacBook into her briefcase.
“I left him to talk with Dana,” I say, helping her to her feet.
“Is she okay? Is she thinking straight?”
“Remarkably clear headed. She’s going to visit a friend in Paris. I’m past due some quality time with my wife.”
“I’m with you all the time,” she says, her hand settling on my chest, those beautiful green eyes of hers searching mine. “What’s going on with you, husband?”
“We need some time together without everything else suffocating us. And now it’s all but over with the exception of a few loose ends. The case. Debbie. All of it.” I bring her fingers to my lips and kiss them. “Let’s go home. I ordered a car on the ride down.” I wrap my arm around her and we start walking. I have a moment when I consider that maybe she’s not pregnant, but if she’s not, she’s not. She’ll know that I very much want her to be the mother of my children. She’s the entire reason I want children. This world needs more people like Cat.
The car is waiting for us outside, and we’re inside and at our apartment in a few short minutes. Once we’re inside the building, I think about feeding my wife. “Pizza, no olives?”
“Pizza with olives,” she laughs. “I’m suddenly really wanting olives again.”
The elevator opens and once we’re inside the apartment, I start to order pizza and hesitate. We need to talk. I link our fingers and lead her to the bedroom, sitting her down on the couch where I proposed, that overlooks the city. We both sink down into the cushion, our legs connected. And as we do often, especially as we shift from one challenge to another, we stare out at the city. Parenthood would certainly be a new challenge.
“When do you go back to the doctor?”
She looks over at me. “Who said I do?”
“Do you?”
“Yes. Monday.”
“Good. I’ll go with you.”
“You’re not going to the doctor with me, Reese,” she says, looking away. “I’m fine.”
“And if I want to go?”
I glance over at him. “Why would you want to go?”
He stares at me several long beats before he says, “Because I love you. Because I’m worried about you. Why else would I want to go, Cat?”
“Whatever your question is, the answer is yes.”
I arch a brow. “Yes?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t ask it though,” she warns. “It’s your birthday present.”
“Holy fuck.” I go down on a knee in front of her. “Are you pregnant, Cat?”
“Reese!” She leans forward and presses her hands to my face. “I told you not to ask.”
“Tell me,” I order.
“Reese—”
“Say it, Cat.”
“Stubborn man. Okay. Yes, I’m pregnant.”
I bury my face in her lap and press my hand to her belly, emotions sideswiping me, momentarily overwhelming me. I look up at her. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. How do you feel about it?”
“Blessed. Happy, Cat, I’m happy but it’s you I’m worried about. How do you feel about it? You didn’t tell me.”
“Blessed. Happy. Of course, I wanted to tell you. We’ve always talked about this, but I found out right before your opening statement. I wasn’t going to distract you from that and then I was going to tell you once you were past that, but then Debbie—”
“You had to deal with Debbie, while you were pregnant. Please tell me you haven’t been regretting this, Cat.”
“My God, no. Regret your child, our child? Never. I knew Debbie stole a little of my joy and I didn’t want her to steal yours. I wanted this moment to come when we were past her threats and I wanted it to be special. Why do you think I did the whole ‘end this in one week’ demand? That’s not like me. I kept telling myself I could make it until your birthday, which I was going to tell you then no matter what, but it was killing me to hold it back.”
I lay her down on the couch on her side and go down with her, facing her. “I understand why you held it back. I do. You tried to protect me and something special between us.”
“Yes. Very much.”
“And you succeeded. Now we don’t have to think about Debbie or Dana.” I laugh. “Let’s stay away from names that start with a D. Boy or girl?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know when we’ll know. I had to see the nurse. The doctor is gone until my next appointment.”
“Due date?”
“June 11th.”
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” I ask.
“Either, but a boy that can be just like you would be very special. You?”
I stroke hair from her eyes. “Either, but a girl that can be just like you would be very special.”
She smiles, but it fades quickly. “This wasn’t how we planned this,” she says. “We were waiting a while. I was on the pill. I don’t know how it even happened but it did. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“It seems to be that little one in your belly made that decision for us and yes, Cat. I’m fucking perfect.”
“You’re not scared?”
“Should I be?”
“Well, I wasn’t, but now that we’re talking about it, it’s hitting. There’s a baby in my belly and we’re responsible for that life. That feels intimidating.”
“If it didn’t,” I say, “you wouldn’t be the perfect mom I know you’re going to be.”
“Even that statement feels like pressure. Is there such a thing as a perfect mom or dad?”
“Perfect is you and me doing this together and we’re good at doing things together, Cat. We’ll figure it out and even if we get it wrong, our child will feel loved.”
Her hand comes to my face. “I need to tell you something. Lauren knows. I was freaking out over holding this back, but afraid of messing with your opening statement. Royce walked in. He overheard. He knows. No one else knows.”
I laugh. “I put Royce on the spot in the elevator. I told him I thought you were pregnant and that I needed the DNA test from Debbie. Cat, I started thinking that you were—”
“Not telling you because I doubted you?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“I didn’t think of how my silence might create those feelings for you.” Her fingers trail over my lips. “I just wanted this to be special for us. I promise.”
I catch her hand and kiss it. “It is. We are.” Her stomach growls and we both laugh.
“The baby isn’t even born yet, and she’s making herself known,” Cat says. “I’m starving.”
“She?”
She smiles. “That slipped out, but maybe it’s instinct. I need that pizza, with olives.”
“How about half and half in case you change your mind?”
“I like that idea. I do believe, you, Reese Summer, will be quite skilled at negotiating with a toddler.”
I laugh and half an hour later we sit at our window eating pizza, and Cat decides she only wants the olives. “I think we need to name this kid Olive.”
“That’s a bad joke. We will not name our child Olive. What’s the middle name going to be? Branch?”
We laugh through a selection of names until we close up the pizza box. “When and who do you want to tell?”
“Lori and Cole should know, I think,” Cat says. “Don’t you?”
“Agree but what about family?”
“Can we wait until at least twelve weeks? Just to be sure everything is okay?”
The tentativeness in her voice draws an instant reaction from me. I lay her down again and settle my knee between hers, my body on the couch next to her. “We will tell people when you want to tell people.” I stroke her cheek. “Cat, I know how disconnected you’ve always felt from your family, and how important ours is going to be to you but know this: That family starts with us. If something were to happen, which it won’t, we still have us. And that will always be the start of good things.”
Tears pool in her eyes. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. I won’t forget that. That’s why Debbie couldn’t get to me. I know how good we are.”
I stroke away the dampness on her cheeks. “We’re going to think only good things. Okay?”
“Yes. Okay.”
I slide down her body and lift her shirt, pressing my lips to her belly. “Our baby.”
She smiles and laughs. “Little Olive.”
“Little Olive,” I jokingly approve. “Now,” I reach for her zipper. “I’m going to need to kiss you from head to toe, just to make sure you know how happy I am about this news.”