up, blinking away the tears.
“Son, life is full of surprises. This one is unexpected, unsettling for you and Aurelia, I’m sure, but it sounds like you’ve already realized the beauty of the situation. And thank God Aurelia was there to help. She’s a good friend, Ben, and I know you appreciate her. Life throws a lot of crap at us, and I hope you’ll take a moment to soak in the goodness of this little miracle.”
Great. More fucking tears.
“You said Bodhi’s friend is going to track down the mother?” his father asked.
“That’s the plan.” He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes, regaining control of his emotions. “I’m going to see him Monday.”
“And how are you holding up, son?”
“I’m okay. The first day or two was crazy, but then I got my head out of my ass.”
His father chuckled. “And Aurelia? How’s she doing?”
“She’s exhausted, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been. Really close, Dad. We’re together, as a couple.”
“About frigging time,” his father said with a laugh. “Boy, if I’d have known all it would take was a kid, I’d have had someone drop one off on your doorstep two years ago. Watching you lust after Aurelia has been damn painful.”
Ben laughed. “Thanks for the commentary, but I really need some advice.”
“I gave you this talk when you were a teenager. Condoms, Ben. Don’t leave home without them.”
“Dad,” Ben said sternly, earning another chuckle from his father.
“Sorry, but come on, Ben. If we don’t find humor in times like these, we’d all lose our minds. Wait until your mother finds out her love potions finally worked.”
“Christ,” he said under his breath. “Dad, listen, I have two problems. The first is that I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing with Aurelia. She doesn’t need this type of responsibility in her life. She just bought the bookstore, and she’s—”
“Stop right there,” his father said. “For a guy who waited a long time to be with the woman he loves, you’re giving yourself way too much credit. You can’t make decisions like that for her. Aurelia’s a bright girl. She’ll do what she wants regardless of what you think is fair. You know she loves you. She has for a long time, son.”
“I know that. And she loves B.”
“Bea? That’s my granddaughter’s name? I love that.”
“Dad, focus, please. I really need your help here.” He had a fleeting thought about B needing a real name, but it was gone as quickly as it had come as more pressing worries hammered him. “What happens if this ends up being too much for her and she doesn’t tell me because she’s too attached to the baby? And not just that. I need advice on how to raise B. I’m making a list.”
“A list?” His father chuckled again. “Ben, you can’t raise a child by a list.”
“I’m not. I’m just making sure I’ve got the main things down, so I don’t screw her up.”
“Oh, Ben. You’ve spent your entire life strategizing. You did it as a kid in every endeavor, from baseball to freaking Halloween. I remember you mapping out the streets, figuring out the quickest routes to cover the most houses and make sure you didn’t miss the ones that gave out the best candy. You can’t strategize fatherhood any better than you can strategize love. All you can do is be the best man you are capable of being—as a father and a significant other. Be honest, Ben, and love unconditionally. Never make promises you can’t keep, and always give the other person space to make her own mistakes. That goes for kids and lovers. And maybe more important, give them a physical space of their own. Kids and adults both need a place to be alone with their own thoughts, to make their own decisions, and figure out how they feel about things.”
“But B’s just a baby. She doesn’t need space.”
“Trust me, Ben. Baby monitors are the best invention known to man. Get them. Use them. Your little girl needs to learn to sleep in her own room, or every time you and your big girl make a little noise, you’ll wake her up.”
“Right,” he ground out. “You and I will never talk about me and my big girl in the bedroom again.”
His father laughed. “It isn’t exactly high on my list of priorities either, son.”
“So you don’t think I’m a selfish prick for asking Aurelia to be my girlfriend in the midst of my baby surprise?”
“Nah. The best unions