she gets sick.
She yawns and says, “Thank you again for watching over us. I’ll try to sleep and not wake you up if…”
“Please, wake me up,” I appeal and kiss her forehead before releasing her. “Sweet dreams.”
She turns to look at me, giving me a shy smile. “You too.”
My daily routine consists of spending an hour in the gym, rinse, swim ten laps in the pool, and then shower. Fridays are casual days at the office. I normally arrive early with boxes of bagels and trays of fruit for the employees. This time I ask my assistant to pick them up at the coffee shop for me. I also warn her that I’ll be late. I want to make sure Nyx eats breakfast. She woke up at least two more times that I heard. I should have her sleep in my bedroom to keep an eye on her.
“How are you feeling?” I ask as I hand her a cup of yogurt and one of the last ginger seltzers.
“I texted Demetri to see if he can find something similar to these drinks while we wait for your dad to finish the next batch,” I announce.
“Thank you,” she sighs. “I’m grateful to you for taking care of me, but I also hate you a little.”
“Not a morning person?”
She gives me a glance over and says, “Look at you. It’s as if you’re ready for your photoshoot looking all hot, fresh, and sexy. I…I look like roadkill.”
I laugh and shake my head. “You look beautiful,” I correct her. “Tired, but beautiful. We should find you a doctor. Marcia, my assistant, is already searching for a nutritionist.”
“That’s on my list of things to do. Maybe I can get an appointment as early as next week,” she says. “And don’t worry about booking me a flight. I’ll do it later today. I just need to decide when it’d be best to leave.”
“Why are you leaving?” I frown. “You should stay here longer.”
“You’re so sweet, but I’m sure having someone waking you up in the middle of the night because I can’t keep any food in my stomach must be aggravating to you.”
“Not at all,” I assure her. “I had no idea what morning sickness was all about until I met you. Not sure if my life will ever be the same.”
“So romantic,” she jokes and frowns. “What about…? Sorry, I shouldn’t be asking personal questions.”
“We’re friends,” I observe, knowing where her train of thought was heading to. I had a pregnant girlfriend. She’s wondering if I’m handling this well because of my previous experience. “We should be able to trust each other, don’t you think? Now, to answer your silent question, Bronwyn didn’t have morning sickness or if she did, she never told me. I…when she gave me the news, she was about thirteen weeks pregnant.”
“Hmm,” Nyx says, and I wonder if she’s thinking what I am thinking.
Who waits so long to tell the father, and why didn’t I question any of this from the beginning? I’m an inquisitive man, but during that time I wasn’t thinking at all. As of today, I don’t have any answers about my behavior while I dated Bronwyn. I took everything she told me without questioning if any of it was even true. The biggest issue about those years is, who the fuck was I?
“But you’re a pro living with a pregnant woman, and that’s why you’re so calm about this,” she states.
“Kind of,” I respond. “Bronwyn and I didn’t move in together until Wyatt was born. She lived in Midtown. Her place was closer to work. I lived in Brooklyn, and the commute was too much for her to handle. We decided that once the baby was born, she’d quit and live with me, but until then we’d live apart. I was also traveling a lot. So no, I think I’ve dealt with more stuff during the past week with you than with her.”
I sound like a shitty boyfriend and a terrible father. I was excited about my son, committed to them, and I visited her as much as it was possible unless she drove down to her mother’s place in Philly. Then I wouldn’t see her during the weekend.
Nyx watches me, and I’m not sure if she’s judging me or…
“What are you thinking?” I ask instead of assuming.
She shrugs. “Nothing really, I’m just…”
“Judging?”
“No, analyzing. Because when you talk about your relationship it sounds one way but then, you swear she’s the love of your life. Was she