should be focusing on themselves and not having to worry about me being around. Roman was actually the one who planned to room with Jordan initially, but when he found out about the baby, he took an RA position at the dorms and is spending his senior year living there.
Jordan slowly backs away from the TV, the closing chorus of “Under the Sea” ringing through the room. “I hate that you were right,” he says, crinkling his nose at Xia as she walks toward him.
“Duh, I'm always right.” She giggles, her eyes dropping to the small bundle of blankets and Lalia’s tiny face. With a soft touch, she takes a thumb and runs it tenderly along her daughter’s face before looking up at Jordan. Her eyes are warm and the love that she has for both of them displays plainly on her face. It's a love I wish I had again, one that's pure and unapologetic. His lips curl with a smile as he carefully leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to her lips while trying not to disturb Lalia.
“Just give it about twenty minutes,” Xia says, running a hand down Jordan’s arm. “Then carry her upstairs and put her in the crib. It will be just long enough for her to fall into a deep enough sleep.”
“All right,” he says.
“Love you both,” she says, stepping backward toward the door. I’m standing right in front of it and it looks like she’s about to back into me when she turns around. “And you. I hate that you are moving out,” she pouts. “Call us when you get settled in, okay?” I nod and give her a quick hug as she waves at us all before stepping outside. It’s her first day back at school. She was able to do hybrid classes where she did mostly online work toward the end of her pregnancy and right after Lalia was born. Jordan doubled up on classes last semester so he could finish early. It really seemed to work out well for them.
“I hate to admit it, but she is always right,” Jordan says, his eyes never leaving Lalia. And because of this, I can't tell if he's talking to me or not. I reach down and slide my duffel bag back onto my shoulder as I stare at him in awe. I'm just so used to Jordan being this tough guy, killer on the field. A guy who can run through 200-pound linebackers with ease. A guy who can take a murderous hit, getting slammed hard against turf, and jump back up like it's nothing. But here he is, my friend, cradling his little girl with the most loving and gentle touch I've ever seen.
I smile and watch as he settles slowly into a rocking chair near the large bay window before I continue my task of packing my car. I didn't bring a lot with me when I moved in. Just my bedroom linens and a few essentials. Most of my things are packed away in a storage unit, and I won't pretend like that's a lot either. Two weeks ago, I lucked out and found a room available in one of the coed suites offered near campus. They’re for seniors only, and apparently one of the tenants moved out earlier than expected, so I’m able to take his place.
My trunk slams as I force it closed over the mountain of stuff my duffel bag is sitting on. I would have stuck it in my backseat but that's where my TV sits, buckled safely across the seat. I mean, priorities, right?
I lean heavily against the back of my car, looking around the property. It's peaceful for sure, but just a little too quiet for my liking. And in no way helpful in drowning out all the thoughts in my head. I'm always thinking about her, but I'm starting to feel like she’ll never come back. When she cancelled the engagement, I thought it was just cold feet. Shit, I get it. We are young, we barely know what next week is going to look like, much less the rest of our lives. But I was following my heart and I knew that no matter how the future looked, I wanted her in it.
Unfortunately, the day we ended our engagement was also the day that Kenzie almost died. That’s when Cherry became distant. I was patient, I gave her space, assuming that she was just struggling. Hell, Kenzie scared the fuck out