Chapter 35
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Grayson
Quinn is in the audience this morning because she said there was no way she would miss me having to fake an injury. But I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. She probably won’t even notice. In the past, when I’ve gotten hurt while performing I don’t even notice until I’m done and the adrenaline passes. I’m more focused on the show and my performance, until I walk off stage and realize something hurts. So that’s exactly what I do this time. I go through the show the best that I can, though the pain from last night is worse than I thought it would be. After I walk off stage, I allow myself to feel the pain and wince as I sit down.
“Hey man, you okay?” Mikey asks in concern.
“I think I may have pulled something,” I reply.
He nods and wraps his arm around me to help me walk to the break room. The rest of it goes exactly as planned. My manager tells me to get checked out by the doctor, and sure enough, I’ve strained a muscle in my groin. Quinn is going to have too much fun knowing I really did get injured during sex. The doctor guesses I’ll be out of work for a week, so we schedule a follow-up, and I meet Quinn where she’s waiting for me outside.
She’s leaning against the car- her cute little belly is getting bigger and rounder by the day. She grins at me with a knowing smile and asks, “So? What’s the verdict?”
“I pulled something,” I answer.
She snorts. “How ironic that you do all these stunts for work, but then you get injured in bed.”
I have a feeling this won’t be the last of her jokes about this.
A week off of work means extra time with Quinn, and I’m not mad about it. I’ve spent every day at Gertie’s house playing games, eating dinner, and getting thoroughly roasted about my injury. Quinn is dancing around the kitchen with Gertie now while they make dinner. It smells fantastic, and I can’t help but think that this is exactly what I want for my little girl. I want her laughing and dancing around the kitchen with her mom and Gertie. My phone rings, breaking me out of my thoughts, and I look down to see it’s Tatum.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Hey, are you with Quinn?” she asks, getting right to the point.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, don’t say anything then, but I’m planning a surprise baby shower for her. Can you get her out of the house for an hour on Saturday so I can set up at Gertie’s?”
I look over at Quinn and smile. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
“Hey,” I say before she hangs up. “She’s lucky to have you.”
“I know,” Tatum laughs and hangs up.
I see the time as I slide my phone away and realize I have to meet Mikey. I hate leaving this scene. It really is what I imagine a happy home feels like.
“Hey,” I say as I walk into the kitchen. “I have to go.”
Quinn pouts and draws out her reply, “Okayyyyy.” If she put up any more of a fight, I would stay in a heartbeat, but Mikey and the other guys have been complaining about not seeing me in a while. Quinn knows that and understands, so I know she actually wants me to go.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, leaning in for a kiss.
“Mhm.”
“I love you,” I call as I walk backward towards the door.
“We love you too,” Gertie answers before Quinn can, but Quinn nods in agreement and waves.
I knock on Mikey’s door and hear loud laughter from the back as I walk in. I follow the sound to see a bunch of the guys from work playing cards in the corner. Beers line the table, and I realize I must be later than they expected, but Mikey looks up and cheers when he sees me.
“He made it!”
The rest of the gang looks up and smiles at me. “Baby daddy in the house!” Grady calls, and I’m surprised to see him here.
“Grady? You’re here!” I say back.
“He’s been around more than you have, man,” Mikey replies.
“Wow, I didn’t realize I was so easy to replace!” I joke as I grab a drink. I know they all mean well; we’ve always been the type of friends who rag on each other in a loving way.
We play a couple of rounds before Grady asks the question I’m sure they’ve all been dying to ask. “So, really, Grayson, how are you feeling about the whole baby situation?”
I know people probably think I’m crazy having a baby with a girl I only met this year. Of course, it’s not like we planned it, but I think people expected me to run away after hearing the news. And yeah, I thought about it for a minute, but after I made my decision to stay, I didn’t regret it once.
“I’m honestly good,” I reply truthfully.
Mikey shakes his head. “How?”
“I’m only going to say this once,” I say. I’m already getting tired of having to explain myself. “I love Quinn, and I know it might sound crazy, but somehow, I already love our child. I don’t know how it happened; it kind of feels like I just grew up and matured overnight, but it happened, and this is what I want. I want to be there for the birthdays, the late nights, the first time she learns to do a flip. I want to be a good dad to her, and I want to be there for her and Quinn. I know it seems insane to wrap your head around, and there will be hard times, but I’ve made my choice, and this is what I want. I don’t need the judgment or the questions; what I’ll need is the support and help.”
The room is quiet for a minute, and I hope I didn’t come off too gruff in how I spoke. Grady breaks into a grin and puts his hand on my shoulder, “I’m proud of you. I might think it’s crazy, but somehow, I also think you’re ready.”
I grin back at him; I didn’t realize how good it would feel to have someone acknowledge that.