48
Buzz
It takes a lot to knock Courtland Dean Matthews off balance. He is the king of composure, a cool head in times of panic. If you're on a plane that's going down, he's the guy you want to be sitting next to.
Nearly nothing rattles him. He's unflappable.
I think his mom just found a flap.
"You can't be serious,"
he sputters, raking a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up.
"I am. This child will be your half sibling, and since you two are married…"
I stare at Court in shock. I know for a fact he's told her we got married and he's spending six months in Clovelly because of clauses in her father's will.
"Yeah, but Mom…a kid is a lot. It's not something you throw at a couple and say, 'Here you go.'"
"I know that. But surely you two have talked about starting a family some day?"
Her words hit me right in the chest.
I'm positive men don't experience the whole biological clock ticking thing the way some women do, but having kids has been on my mind a lot for a while now. Even though my ex wasn't the right one, and I didn't want to go down the single fatherhood route, that hasn't lessened my desire to become a parent one bit.
I just never got down to the nitty-gritty level of how that would come to be since I wanted that to be a joint decision with my partner and myself. But I guess I always imagined adopting a child and giving them a better life would be one of the best options available.
And that's exactly what Elaine is proposing.
Except I'll be blood related to the child.
And so will Court.
And we'll be doing it together.
A spark of hope flares in my chest.
Would he go for it? Could we actually make it work?
Before I get too carried away and start daydreaming of bedtime routines and sleep shifts, I turn to look at him.
My hope deflates like a balloon.
He doesn't want this.
I can see it written all over him, from his mussed-up hair to his pinched brow to the way he's constantly shifting in his seat. He'd rather eat live insects than take up his mom's offer.
And in the blink of an eye, the fantasy is over before it even gets a chance to properly take hold.