Chapter Thirty-Three
Linc
O n Saturday morning, I start packing up my apartment. I’m going to miss it here; this was my first place on my own. And as I work through the living room and kitchen, I’m realizing that I’ve accumulated more stuff than I thought over the past four years, so I start dividing up things between my new place, storage, and charity.
I’m packing up my game console when there’s a knock on the door. I push up to stand, and when I get to the door, Marcus is on the other side.
“Hey.” I walk back to the living room.
“Hey.” Marcus follows me in, setting a bag of food on the coffee table. “Have you had lunch yet? Brought sushi.”
“Thanks. I haven’t actually, and I’m ready for a break.” I look around my mess of an apartment. “I didn’t realize I had so much stuff.”
“Just wait until baby stuff takes over.”
“I can’t wait for baby stuff. Let’s eat in the kitchen. I need to wash my hands.”
We move to the kitchen, Marcus empties the contents of the bag onto the island, and I wash my hands.
“Water good? I don’t have beer.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
I set the water down and look at Marcus as he’s filling his plate from the containers. “What made you stop by?”
He leans over his plate, elbows on the counter. “Are you sure about moving in with Melonie?”
“Cutting right to the chase, I guess.”
“I just don’t want you to get your feelings mixed up.”
“Marcus, I know where I stand with her.”
“Your brain knows that. But what about your heart and your dick?”
“My heart belongs to that baby, and my dick knows things are going to be very lonely.”
“So, you’re going to live with her, watch her go through this pregnancy, learn every little thing about her, all while not dating, and you think you can control your feelings?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I? If I want to be close to my child, I have to be close to Mel. I have to put everything else to the side because fuck, Marcus, I already love this baby so much.” I look him straight in the eyes. “When I saw the ultrasound, it was like my world stopped. I knew I would do anything in the world for that blob on the screen.”
Marcus nods and picks up a piece of salmon roll. “What happens if Melonie dates?”
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t even want to think about that.”
“You can’t be the overprotective baby daddy. She’s going to want her freedom. And this won’t last forever. Eventually, one of the two of you will want to move out.”
The thoughts of how this situation would all end have run through my mind with multiple endings. There’s only one scenario where I don’t come out disappointed, but maybe I’m willing to risk the hurt in the long run for the short-term comfort of having Mel and the baby close.
I sigh. “I know.”
Marcus pats my back. “We’re here for you. Talk to us if you need to, and we’ll help keep you grounded.”
“Thanks, I will.”