Chapter Thirty-Seven
Linc
T he week passes by quickly, and before I know it, it’s Friday and I’m packing up the last of the kitchen. If I never see a cardboard box again, I would be totally fine. Jax texted about an hour ago that he was coming over with pizza and to help. I’m stacking a box on a pile in the living room when he walks in, the smell of pizza following him into my apartment.
“I bring rations.”
“Thank god, I’m starving.”
He sets the pizza down on the coffee table, and I grab paper towels and plates from the kitchen. I hate using paper, but when everything is packed away, it’s pretty much unavoidable.
Jax looks around the room. “How do you have so much stuff?”
“I have no clue. I even took four boxes over to Goodwill yesterday. This whole process has made me start looking into minimalism.”
He laughs. “Good luck with that with a baby on the way.”
I take a bite of pizza. It’s still too hot, but I need food. “Is Audrey over at Mel’s?”
“Yeah, she said they needed to pack up her important stuff and her ‘unmentionables’, as she called it.”
I look around my apartment. “This is all so crazy.”
Jax looks at me, confused. “How so?”
“The way everything can change in such a short time. Three months ago, I would have never thought I’d be moving in with Mel and have a baby on the way.”
“You certainly picked the accelerated course.” He shakes his head.
“Wouldn’t change it, though. I’m so excited to be a dad.”
“I knew you liked kids, but I never thought I’d see the day when you would say those words.”
“Is it under the circumstances I would wish for? No. But I’m happy all the same. I really am looking forward to being a dad. I just want Mel to see that, though. I think she does, but every once in a while, she’s surprised by something I do or say about her or the baby. Like she still thinks I’m going to make a run for it.”
“Can I speak with transparency, and you not get angry?”
“Sure.”
“Mel has trouble seeing the gray areas of life. I’ve gotten to know her pretty well over the past year. She met you and then formed her belief of you over your first couple of interactions. If you want to change that, it’s only going to happen with actions and consistency.”
“I know.” I nod. “I know I have an uphill battle when it comes to how she sees me, but I think I’m making a little headway. All I can do is show up every day, be there, and be a calm place for her.”
“See, you get it.”
We sit in silence for a while, working our way through the entire pizza.
“If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh at me?”
Jax crosses his heart like a ten-year-old. “Promise.”
“The only sad part of all of this for me is that I always imagined all this would happen after I was married. Like, find the one, get married, try for a baby, get pregnant. Seems a little bittersweet at times.”
“I never took you for a romantic.” He pushes my shoulder.
“I’ve told you about how I wanted to eventually get married and all that.”
“I remember.”
“Then don’t act surprised.”
Jax wipes his mouth and throws the paper towel in the empty pizza box. “Listen, I know this might not be happening in the order you imagined. But what I have found is that some of the best things in life don’t necessarily happen like I plan.”
“Who’s the romantic now?” I side eye him.
“Shut up. I’m serious, though. Sometimes I think God, the Universe, whatever is out there, has a much better story for us than what we can come up with ourselves. And sometimes, when things get rough or when we’re the most conflicted, the best things happen.”
I nod, looking down at my hands. “Maybe you’re right.” I clap his back. “Thanks for listening.”
“Anytime.” He slaps my back in return. “Now let’s go pack up your unmentionables.”