15. Theo
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THEO
Me:
Just got home. Did you pack your things?
I send the text to Collins as I sit at the counter in my kitchen, the plate of grilled chicken with veggies in front of me.
For the past week, I’ve been going to her house every night, but instead of crawling into bed with her and taking up the space in her double bed, I’ve opted to sleep on her couch.
And I try to give her space, since it’s not like she asked me to live with her.
I wait until she’s coming home from work to go over, leave for my job while she’s still sleeping, and head to my house after work.
I wait a couple of seconds for her to answer, but she must be busy. I pull up my father’s contact and call him. It rings three times before his face finally fills the screen. “Hey there, my boy,” he says, just like he always greets me.
“Hey, Dad.” I return his smile as I cut a piece of chicken and pop it into my mouth. “You busy?”
“For you”—his smile gets even bigger—“never.” My father has been my rock my whole life. He stepped back a lot and let me make my mistakes, but was there to help me through them. “What’s up?”
“I’m calling because I’m coming down there.”
He forms a fist with his hand and holds it up. “My boy is coming home.”
I roll my eyes. “Dad, you act like you haven’t seen me in years, when I was there not too long ago.”
“You have a kid, and you’ll see what I mean,” he jokes, and it hits me right in the middle of my chest.
“I’m actually going to be coming with someone.”
His smile fades, and I can see the questions fill his features. “What do you mean you are coming with someone?”
“I mean, I’m coming home with someone, and I want you to meet her.”
“Oh, wow,” he runs his hands through his black hair, “a woman.”
“A woman,” I confirm.
“I thought that you said . . .”
I shrug my shoulders. “I said a lot of things”—I put my fork down—“but sometimes things happen when you least expect them.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” he replies softly. “You are one of those things I never expected.”
“Lucky for me,” I laugh. “Anyway, just letting you know I’ll be home, and I want you to meet Collins.”
“Oh, she has a name.” He barks out with laughter, and it’s a sound that makes me feel safe, which is weird. I guess I never felt it before.
“She has a name.” I laugh with him.
The last couple of weeks, I’ve been processing things, while at the same time I’ve wanted nothing more than to shout our news from the rooftops. Still, I don’t want to tell him over the phone that Collins is pregnant. It’s something I need to do face-to-face.
“I will tell your mother and your sisters, unless you don’t want them to know.”
“No, no.” I shake my head. “I want them to meet her also.”
“Big deal right there.” His voice goes soft. “The last time that happened . . .”
“I know, Dad. We’ll talk more when I get home.”
“Do you want me to go by the house and air it out? Get some basic food in there?”
“That would be amazing.” I hadn’t even thought about that. “Thanks.”
“Will do. Call me when you get in, and we’ll come by and see you.”
“I can’t wait.” I smile. “Give Mom a hug for me.” The softness in his eyes changes when I talk about my mother. The love he has for her will never ever be questioned.
“With pleasure,” he replies. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Dad.” We hang up, and I finish my dinner, knowing I have to make one more stop before we leave tomorrow.
For the last week, Caleb’s been wondering about what’s going on with me. He’s been wanting to ask me questions, but is waiting until I am ready. It helped that his main focus was on Sierra and her recovery and everything going on in her life.
I wash my plate and put it in the dishwasher before grabbing my keys and heading over to Caleb’s house. I knock on the door instead of ringing. My finger taps my leg nervously as I wait for him to answer. The nerves make my stomach feel like someone just punched me.
I hear him shout out, “No,” before he opens the door.
“Hey,” he says, his voice a little shocked.
“This is a surprise. I thought you were going to visit your parents this weekend.” I lied to him today, saying I was going to leave at six, but it was only because I had to get a couple of things done before we left, and I couldn’t exactly tell him why.
“Yeah.” I run my hand through my hair. I follow him into the house and sit on the couch in front of him and Sierra.
“No.” She sits next to Caleb, not saying one word.
Her eyes search mine. “Fuck, I don’t even know how to say this.
” I put my elbows on my knees, fold my hands together, and move them up and down nervously.
She gets closer to Caleb to hold his hand in case it’s something bad and she has to support him.
“You’re scaring the shit out of me,” Caleb snaps at me, worry all over his face. He sits at the edge of the couch. “Just say whatever it is.”
I think about different ways to say it, but in the end, there is really only one way: “I’m going to be a father.” A gasp fills the room. Sierra’s eyes are so big they look like they are about to come out of their sockets.
Caleb blinks. “I’m sorry, what?”
I look at my hands. “I’m going to be a father.”
“Yeah, I think I heard you the first time.” He sits back on the couch, running his hands through his hair. “Holy—” He closes his eyes tight and then opens them up. “Who?”
“Funny story,” I say, trying to make light of it. “When Sierra was shot . . . it was her paramedic.”
“The hot girl?” he asks.
“Wow, good to know that while I was bleeding out, fighting for my life, you were out there checking out the girl—”
“I think bleeding out is a stretch,” I say, trying to cut in, but that earns me a look from Sierra that says, Maybe you should shut up. I hold up my hands. “Not saying a word, but yes.” I glare at Caleb. “She has a name, and it’s not ‘the hot girl.’”
“I’m assuming,” Caleb retorts. “Oh my god.” He runs both hands over his head. “Jesus.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m going to visit my parents. I’m going to take Collins to meet them, and we’re going to tell them together.”
“How long have you guys been together?” Sierra asks.
“Um, technically,” I hesitate, and I hate that the words are even coming out of my mouth, “we aren’t.”
“I warned you—” Caleb starts, and I shake my head.
“We met one random night. One thing led to another and—”
“I know how babies are made.” Sierra laughs. “I don’t need the details of that.” She holds her hand up to stop me in case I was going to go into detail, which I wasn’t.
“She didn’t know how to get in touch with me and, well, when she saw me that day, I sort of went to talk to her since—”
“You left while she was sleeping,” Caleb fills in for me.
“You did not, Theo.” Sierra’s voice is tight and her jaw is clenched. “What is wrong with you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“So you’re with her because she’s having your baby, or are you guys going to just coparent?” I knew, out of all people, Caleb would be the one to ask me the questions no one else would have the balls to ask me.
“I like her,” I admit to him. “I want to make sure she’s okay, and the baby is okay. But since I’ve started to get to know her I . . .” My voice trails off.
“So you might want to pursue where it goes?”
I nod my head. “I want to see where this is going. We obviously know we’re good in bed together. Great, even.”
“That’s, like, the most important thing.” Sierra rolls her eyes.
“No, it’s not,” I huff out. “I’ve been spending time with her and I really fucking like her.
” Caleb starts to interrupt. “And not because of the baby. Fuck, when I saw her at the hospital, I was about to ask her out. I did ask her out, but I didn’t know she said yes because she wanted to tell me about the baby. ”
“Awkward,” Sierra sings, “and you’re a dick. I wouldn’t put that story in the baby book, that’s for sure.”
“I’m going to be there every step of the way for whatever she needs.
If that leads to more, then it leads to more.
That would be the cherry on top.” They share a look, and I finally say my biggest fear.
“Fuck, what if I want her and she doesn’t want me?
” I’ve been asking myself this the whole time I’ve been trying to get my bearings.
“I literally don’t have any answers to any of the questions.
I don’t think she does either. We said we’re going to talk this weekend. ”
“You going to ask her to be your girlfriend?” Caleb asks.
Sierra hits his arm. “It’s not high school, Caleb.” She shakes her head, then turns to me. “This can get really messy.”
I know, but something inside me says Collins isn’t that person. “If it’s meant to be that we’re just friends, then I’m going to bust my ass to coparent in the healthiest way possible.”
“I don’t know what to say, man,” Caleb starts. “It’s—”
“It’s.” I smile. “I’m having a baby.”
“Technically, she’s the one having the baby,” Sierra counters.
“He put it there.” Caleb points at me.
I get up. “I’m going to head out. She gets off shift at three, and we said we’re going to be leaving at seven. I want to make sure I have everything ready.”
“If she works until three in the morning, when do you see her?” Sierra asks me, and I smirk.
“I go to her house every night at three to cook her dinner and wait for her to go to bed, and then I go to work.”
Sierra blinks away tears. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?”
“Oh my god,” Caleb mutters. “That’s why he’s been dragging his ass and taking catnaps on the job.”
“Yeah, listen. Before I leave, I wanted you to know I hired Nino and Frankie to work for me this weekend.” Caleb’s eyebrows pinch together.
“Collins’s house is sort of on its last leg, and I know she isn’t going to let me do anything, but they are going to be redoing her front porch and her back porch. ”
“You think that’s wise?” Sierra asks.
I shrug. “Ask for forgiveness, not permission.” I try to convince even myself of that.
“That’s very smart,” Sierra deadpans. “Also, not okay.”
“If she needs to have it done, she needs to have it done,” Caleb says, taking my side. “If that was me, your ass would be living in my house the minute I saw you shouldn’t be living there.”
“Wow,” Sierra says.
Caleb turns his attention back to me, ignoring Sierra. “When are you going to ask her to move in with you?”
“Thought about maybe broaching the subject this weekend. It would be easier since my house is bigger, and it’s close to everything and not on the other side of town.”
“Well, you got her to sleep with you once,” Caleb jokes, “I’m sure asking her to move in with you is going to be a piece of cake.”
“I think getting her to sleep with him was easy,” Sierra cuts in. “It’s putting up with him that’s going to be the hardest.”
“Hey”—I point to myself—“I’m a fucking delight.” They both laugh at me. “Anyway, thank you for your TED Talk.” I walk to the door. “I would also appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone until we officially tell you, or better yet, I tell my parents.”
“I really wish I could be there for that,” Caleb quips.
“So you can check her out again?” Sierra raises her eyebrows. “By all means, Caleb, you are free to leave.”
“I’m literally in love with you,” he reminds her, leaning to grab her hand. She snatches it out of his. “I moved into your house to be with you. If that doesn’t scream I’m all in, I don’t know what does.”
“Not checking out the woman who is trying to save me while I’m dying on the floor.”
“Now, you were dying.” Caleb shakes his head, then turns his attention to me. “Thanks for coming over and starting a fight.”
“My pleasure. I’ll see you both next week when I’m back in town.”
“And you’ll bring Collins with you so we can meet her?” Sierra asks me.
“We’ll see.”
“What, why?” Caleb asks.
“I’m trying to get her to like me. The last thing I need is to bring her over here to see how unstable both of you are.” I open the door. “Love you both.”
As I get in my truck, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “At least that part is done. The hard stuff is next.”