Chapter 28
Ava
A couple weeks later, I’m sitting at my desk going over the last of the paperwork for an adoption.
This case has been a hard one, but it’s finally coming to a happy end.
The little boy had lost his parents in a car wreck a couple years back.
He had been placed in a home after the foster parents he’d originally been placed with decided they no longer wished to foster.
It’s one of the homes we absolutely hate to leave kids in, so Sami and I have been working hard to get the paperwork through for a couple we personally know.
The couple had been looking to adopt for forever since they’d been unable to conceive and IVF had been unsuccessful.
They said the minute they’d seen a picture of little James, they knew he was their missing piece.
Next week, we’ll all be in front of a judge signing his adoption papers and finalizing the case. Those are the best days.
I look down at my own belly and wonder what it would look like if I were pregnant.
I’m not going to lie, my biological clock has been ticking hard the last couple of years.
I really don’t want to start having kids in my late thirties.
That’s less than a decade away. They call those ‘geriatric’ pregnancies.
You hear about the complications and all the shit.
I don’t want to deal with all of that at that age.
I know realistically it’s not old, but the way the medical community makes it sound makes you feel like you have done something wrong if you wait that long.
I always imagined I’d have been married with at least one by this age. Goes to show how naive we are when we’re younger. Life doesn’t give a shit about any of your plans. Does Mark even want kids? I pull out my phone.
Me: Thinking of you.
Mark: Hopefully naked.
Me: (laughing emoji) well, now I am.
Mark: Good.
Me: I’m finalizing an adoption case. Next Tuesday, a little boy will have his forever family.
Mark: That’s fantastic, babe. You’re doing great things. You make me proud.
Me: (blushing face) thanks.
Mark: So what were you thinking about before you texted me.
Me: A family.
Bubbles appear, then disappear, then reappear.
Mark: What about it?
Me: We’ve haven’t ever discussed it. Someday, do you want kids?
Mark: Yes, I would happily give you babies, Ava.
My heart all but gallops in my chest. I did not expect that answer, and I definitely didn’t realize how hot those words could make me.
Me: Then someday, maybe I’ll let you. ;)
Mark: That’s hot.
Me: LOL well that’s reassuring. Most men run from this conversation.
Mark: I’m not most men.
Me: No, you’re not.
Mark: We’re not talking about like right this second though, right?
I chuckle.
Me: Keyword. Someday.
I reach into my purse to grab my lip balm and frown when I feel a familiar object that soooo doesn’t belong in my purse. I pull out the pink sparkly gemmed toy that makes my man groan when he sees it in me.
Me: Is there a reason my pink gemmed toy is in my purse?
Mark: Don’t tease me. Why do you have that at work? Moreover, why am I suddenly so turned on with the thought of you shutting your door and putting that in while you sit at your desk?
Me: Okay, one: you didn’t put it in my purse? And two: that thought is actually pretty hot…
Mark: No… I did not put it in your purse, but I’m pretty excited thinking you might try that for me.
Me: Focus…how the hell did it get in my purse then? It was in the bedroom. My purse was by the front door.
Mark: Focusing is hard when you’re talking to me about objects that go in your ass, darlin’.
I smile. I get where he’s coming from at least.
Mark: Did you accidentally carry it with you after cleaning it and perhaps went to your purse for your phone or something?
Me: I honestly don’t know.
Mark: So are you going to put it in?
Me: Mark… no. Maybe. No.
Mark: I’m digging the indecision. I say yes.
Me: How bout you put it in later instead?
Mark: Done. Deal.
Me: (laughing emoji)
Mark: You’re the best.
I bury the toy back in the bottom of my purse so there’s no chance of it getting knocked out onto the floor if for some strange reason my purse gets knocked over or dropped.
That would be humiliating. Seriously though, how did it get in there?
It’s about like finding a pair of my underwear that I haven’t even worn recently in my dishtowel drawer in the kitchen yesterday.
Maybe I’m losing my mind? Mark asked if I’d moved his toothbrush the other day, and we still haven’t come across it.
He had to grab a new one. He hasn’t moved in with me, but he keeps a few things at my place when he stays sporadically throughout the week. It kind of just happened naturally.
I decide to take off early since I finished all my important paperwork for the day and managed to get in work on each of the other two cases I have. It was a good day, and I want to leave it on a good note.
I stop in to say goodbye to Sami and wish her a happy Fourth of July weekend. She’s going out of town camping with her family at a nearby lake and is hoping to get a little action since she rented her own nearby cabin.
Texting Sydney on the way to my car, my blood curdles when I hear a familiar voice call out to me. I freeze and look up to see Eric parked next to my car, clearly waiting for me.
“How long have you been here?” I ask.
“Oh, just an hour. I knew you’d be leaving at some point soon,” he says nonchalantly, looking down at his hands as if there’s something on the right one.
I shudder a little with the thought that he’s just been out here sitting, waiting for me.
“What do you want, Eric? I told you that I wasn’t interested in re-evaluating our past.” He looks back up at me.
“Yeah, well,” he bites his bottom lip as he looks at the road then back at me. “I want to talk about that in person. Let’s go get a cup of coffee.”
“No, I have somewhere to be.”
His eyes flare with anger. Eric has never taken well to being told no.
“Oh really? Where? Or were you leaving to go fuck your boy toy?”
There he is…
“Okay, first off, my business is none of your concern any more, and Mark is not my boy toy. He’s my boyfriend.
We’re serious. You aren’t going to change that after being nonexistent in my sphere for years.
You had your chance with me, and you burnt that bridge when you brought Blaire into my bed. It’s over. I will never reconsider.”
“I’ve had years to reconsider it. I know I fucked up, but we have history, Aves. You can’t just let it all go. I can’t.”
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. I can.
I did, years ago. That ship’s sailed. You will never have access to my heart again.
You are only doing this now because you’re miserable with the choices you’ve made, and you can’t stand it that I am finally happy.
Without you. You can’t stand to see another man making me happy when you didn’t even truly try.
Now, I’m leaving. Have a good weekend.” I step toward my car, feeling better about giving him a piece of my mind, but he steps between me and the door. I frown.
“You really think he will always make you happy? You’re delusional.”
“No, that would be delusional. I’m sure we’ll have our ups and downs, but I know he’s the type of man that will fight to keep me, not the type to throw me away.”
Eric’s face turns red as he curses underneath his breath and looks back toward the street. I move to grab the handle of my door, and he grabs my wrist hard to get my attention. Oh, hell no.
“Get your hand off of me.”
“This isn’t over between us.” He squeezes harder, and I wince. That hurts. He notices and lets go, but he doesn’t apologize.
“Yes, it is. Leave me alone, Eric.” I pull open my door, not caring that it hits him in the shoulder as I climb in.
“I’m not going to do that,” I hear him whisper under his breath as I’m shutting the door. I lock it for good measure and start the engine. He just stands there glaring at me. A chill runs down my spine as I pull out and drive away.
???
When I walk in the door to my place, I take a deep breath, locking it behind me. I decide it’s a great time for a nice, hot bath. If Mark shows up while I’m in here, he knows where the spare is.
I kick off my shoes and unzip my skirt while I walk to the kitchen, pulling my tucked-in yellow chiffon shirt out from the skirt.
That’s better. My mail is already on the counter.
I guess Mark grabbed it this morning on his way out the door.
That was thoughtful. I grab a bottle of water and meander down the hallway toward my room.
I close the cracked guest room door before going into mine.
At my dresser, I take out my earrings and pull off my necklace.
Opening my underwear drawer to grab some panties for after my bath, I freeze.
My drawer is a mess. I’ve always had a thing about keeping it somewhat neat.
While that drives me crazy, I’m more flabbergasted that all of my toys are lined up on top of the messed up pile of panties, minus my sparkle plug. Mark said he didn’t do that though.
I take a deep breath and refuse to let the crazy idea of someone in my things take shape.
Maybe the drawer got left open and Mark was in a rush and accidentally knocked it out and he only had time to throw everything back in.
Yup, that sounds more reasonable. I walk to my bathroom and turn on the hot water to begin filling the tub.
Steam begins to fill the room. Stripping down, I pull my hair up off my neck, attaching it with my favorite claw clip so it doesn’t get wet.
The mirror fogs, and I smile when a smiley face appears drawn on the mirror. How cute.