Chapter 1 #2
“Is he giving you a hard time about the budget for the birthday party? We are not skimping on the bounce house. I will fight him for that myself.”
“It’s not about the birthday party either.” Tachina held up a hand to slow Addison down. Their son was turning five soon, and Vic had agreed to everything she’d wanted to do for Kian’s fifth birthday celebration.
“Then what is it? You’re killing me?” Addison fell back against her chair practically looking defeated.
Tachina hesitated for a moment. She knew once she said the words out loud, she couldn’t take them back.
Shit was about to get real. This was something she had thought long and hard about, and in her gut, it was truly something she wanted.
She felt a little ridiculous for considering it, but she’d come to the final conclusion about it.
“I think…” she began. She closed her eyes and exhaled. “I have baby fever.” She opened her eyes.
Addison froze. Then she blinked. Then her mouth fell open.
“Oh.”
“But I don’t think it’s just baby fever,” Tachina continued. Now that the flood gates were open, the words continued tumbling out. “It’s like baby inferno. Or a baby blaze. Or maybe apocalypse.”
“Baby apocalypse?” Addison burst out laughing. She sat forward and snagged her drink and took a healthy sip.
“I’m serious. It’s starting to feel physical. Like my uterus and ovaries are sending me push notifications that they are willing to go to work at a moment’s notice.”
“Girl, you are killing me.” Addison giggled.
“I’m not joking. I see a baby, I get emotional. I smell baby lotion and I’m almost brought to tears. I pass the baby clothing in a store, and the next thing I know, I’m holding a onesie up against my face like a weirdo.”
“That is bad.” Addison fanned her face while tears rolled down her face.
“It’s worse than bad.” Tachina slumped in her chair.
She glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. No one was listening to their crazed conversation.
“I get it. Kian is about to be five,” Addison said quietly. “You don’t want him to be an only child.”
“Exactly.” Tachina nodded. “I’m an only child, and I hated it growing up. I don’t want him to miss out on that built-in best friend. I mean, my cousins were cool when we were growing up, but I felt like the oddball or the third wheel when we were together.”
She sighed. She loved them dearly and knew it was returned. But there was a dynamic that they all had amongst them that she had missed out on.
“It makes sense.”
“And I’m not getting any younger.” Tachina inhaled and blew out a deep breath. At thirty-six years old, her biological clock was blaring quite loudly. “And dating is a wasteland. I’ve been on the apps. I’ve been on blind dates. They have all been disasters.”
“I know.” Addison nodded.
“You remember that one guy who tried to sell me life insurance? On our date? Or the one guy who asked if Kian could call him Dad on the second date?” She shuddered just remembering all of the horrible dates she’d been on.
She couldn’t even remember one decent one that hadn’t almost had her considering switching teams.
“That one you should have blocked him and his whole damn family. Can Kian call him Daddy?” Addison muttered. “Kian has a damn daddy.”
“So…I want another baby,” Tachina swallowed. “And I know the exact person I’d want to do that with.”
“Wait…” Addison gasped. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Don’t tell me you—”
“Vic.” She sat there and returned her friend’s wide-eyed stare.
The silence that fell between the two of them was palpable.
“You are going to ask Vic to impregnant you on purpose?” Addison gasped again.
“Yes.”
“You want to have another baby with the guy you used to work with who you had a few one-night stands turned co-parent who you get along with better than any divorced couple in America?”
“Yes,” Tachina answered. This time her voice was stronger. She’d thought about it, and her answer was going to be yes no matter how Addison asked her.
“You are going to be the death of me.” Addison glanced at her glass. “Maybe Monica was right. We should have ordered the Jack.”
“It’s not a crazy idea,” Tachina said.
“It absolutely is crazy. I can’t even get this type of storyline on reality TV!”
“I trust him,” Tachina said softly. “We work well together. We never fight. We communicate. He respects me and decisions when it comes to Kian. He’s been consistent ever since we found out I was pregnant.
I don’t want several baby daddies. That’s not me.
” She screwed up her face at the thought of dealing with multiple guys with different kids.
That was a headache she wanted to avoid.
“That is completely understandable.” Addison tipped back the rest of her tea as if it were something stronger.
“And Kian’s his only child. He might want another someday.”
“Or he might not,” Addison said carefully.
That was something Tachina had considered.
“Which brings me to the two questions I have,” Addison said. “What about the girlfriend, and how are you going to ask him?”
“Well, Kian shared with me two weeks ago that his daddy’s girlfriend moved out. That they broke up.” Not that Tachina was proud of getting the latest tea on her son’s father from her kid. But hey, who else could she innocently ask? “And how I’m going to ask, I have no clue.”
“So you just want the sperm but don’t know how to ask?”
“Um, did I come back at a bad time?” Monica arrived at the table with Tachina’s drink and a refill for Addison. Her eyebrows were threatening to touch her hairline.
“Not really.” Tachina chuckled. She didn’t even want to know what the woman was thinking.
Monica dropped off their drinks and scooped up Addison’s empty glass.
She leaned her hip on the table and lowered her voice. “If you are looking for sperm, I know where you could get some from. High quality at that.”
“What?” Addison and Tachina echoed simultaneously. They glanced at each other before turning their attention to Monica who grinned.
“Well, I have a cousin who works at the Ohio Cryobank. She handles donors’ files. She could hook you up with a rich donor—doctor, lawyer, tech guy…whatever you want. She’d only request a tiny little fee and she’d make sure you would get the top-shelf sperm.”
“Top-shelf? Like premium liquor?” Addison’s mouth dropped open.
“Yup. The good stuff, darling,” Monica said proudly. “Want her number?”
“Oh my God,” Tachina whispered. She stared at Monica as if she’d never seen her before. She didn’t even know what to say, and from the way she talked so candidly about the sperm donors led Tachina to believe she’d done this pitch before.
“Want someone tall? Athletic? Smart? She’s got spreadsheets.”
“Spreadsheets?” Addison’s mouth was almost on the floor.
“Even color-coded,” Monica bragged.
Tachina lifted her hand and took a deep breath. This was more than she wanted to know about Monica’s cousin’s side hustle.
“That is very kind of you to offer your cousin’s services, Monica. But it’s going to be a no. I’m good.”
Monica went to argue, but Tachina smiled.
“Seriously. I’m good. Really good.”
“You sure? Maybe you should take her number just in case you change your mind.” Monica wagged her eyebrows.
“I’m sure.” Tachina couldn’t help but laugh at her. “I’m not looking to shop for sperm…at least not yet.”
Addison had tears streaming down her face again. She wiped them away and snorted. “Spreadsheets.”
“Well, just know the offer stands. Let me go check in on your food. It should be ready any minute.” She tossed them a wink and sashayed off.
When she was gone, Addison gripped Tachina’s hands across the table. They shared a laugh at what had just gone down.
“Okay. So no sperm spreadsheets and color-coded tabbies. Which means you’re serious about asking Vic to knock you up again.”
“I am.” Tachina squeezed her friend’s hand and smiled.
“And you are absolutely sure about trying for another baby?” Addison’s smile disappeared. She was completely serious right now.
Tachina gave a firm nod. There was no judgement in her eyes. Addison had always had her back, and nothing would change that. Tachina was sure of it.
“Well, okay then. I’m in this with you. I will throw you the cutest sprinkle shower Cleveland has ever seen. Tiny cookies, decorations, and tiny everything!”
“Thank you.” Tachina laughed. Relief filled her that she hadn’t been wrong about Addison.
Addison and she had been best friends since high school.
“But…” Addison began. Her features softened as she let Tachina’s hand go. “What if Vic says no?”
The question hung between them. It was something that was on her mind. She hadn’t let herself think about that. Not really. There had been too many what-ifs she had thought about from her standpoint.
But what if he refused?
What if he got uncomfortable?
What if he thought her crazy for asking?
What if a second baby ruined everything they had now?
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge if I get to it.”
“Okay, but promise me one thing,” Addison asked. “Don’t get your heart tangled up in this unless you’re prepared for any answer he may give.”
Tachina nodded, but inside she already knew the truth. Her heart had been tangled the moment she’d felt the first spark of baby fever and it had wrapped itself firmly around the idea of another baby.
In her heart, she already loved that future child.
“So when are you going to try to talk with him?” Addison asked.
“Soon.” Tachina lifted her glass with her trembling hands. “Before I lose my nerve.”
Addison toasted the air. “To bravery.”
“And possible bad decisions.” Tachina raised her glass across the table to meet Addison’s.
“And sprinkle showers.” Addison giggled. “Oh, and top-shelf sperm alternatives!”
“Addison!” Tachina sputtered.
They clinked their glasses as they burst into laughter loud enough that Monica glanced over at them from the counter.
Tachina wasn’t sure what the future held, but she sipped her drink and felt the warmth of friendship around her and she knew one thing.
She was done waiting for life to magically align.
This was something she wanted.
Even if that meant asking the father of her son to give her another baby.