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Chapter 27
Addison
After our double date with Freddy and Virginia, Daniel didn’t ask me back to his place. I tried not to feel disappointed, but I had hoped the night wouldn’t end right after dinner, which was delicious. I had never felt so full. Steak, truffle garlic mashed potatoes, balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts, and crème brûlée. My bump grew three times its size.
I was nervous at first when Daniel sprung the double date on me, and then said he wanted to tell Freddy about the baby. Now it wasn’t just a secret between Daniel and me. And Monica. That was another surprise he sprung on me when he said he wanted to share the news. It made it even more real knowing there were people in his bubble who knew we were going to parents. Whether we were parents together, or parents who co-parented, it seemed like we were in this thing together.
Freddy was shocked by the news, which was understandable. As excited and congratulatory as he seemed, I couldn’t help but wonder what he really thought about Daniel becoming a dad. And with someone like me. I was sure he had his doubts. I could tell by the face he gave Daniel at one point. There was a flicker of doubt, and I hoped it didn’t plant anything in Daniel’s head.
But now, as we made our way back to Brooklyn, something seemed to have shifted between us. The excitement he had was gone, and instead, he seemed ponderous as he looked out the window. This was nothing like our drive home after the theater last weekend. His hand didn’t find mine, his lips weren’t places that made me blush, and his eyes had barely looked at me since we left dinner.
“You okay?” I asked softly.
“Hmm?” he replied, tearing his gaze from the Brooklyn bridge we were crossing over. “Oh, I’m fine.”
He reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Dinner was fun. I really like your friends.”
“Yeah, it was a good time,” he said. “Sorry I couldn’t invite you back to my place tonight. It’s just this deal with London is taking everything out of me. I’ll probably have to wake up really early, and you need rest.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I wondered if I should believe him. It wasn’t like we got much sleep any other night we had spent together. It seemed like an excuse, but I didn’t know why. The night had started off so perfect.
“It’s okay,” I said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
The car pulled up outside of my apartment, and I looked disappointedly up at the brick building, knowing I would be entering it alone.
“Well, thank you for tonight,” I said.
“Thankyou.” Daniel leaned in and finally closed the distance he had kept between us the entire ride home, giving me a quick, gentle kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you soon.”
I really hoped he meant it.
Armand opened my door and I stepped out into the coolness of the evening. I gave Daniel a little wave before heading into my building.
The rest of the weekend, I didn’t hear from him. I tried to convince myself he was just busy with business or catching up on sleep. I spent Saturday and Sunday on the couch watching a marathon of movies and ordering in Thai food. I was craving anything spicy, and made a mental note to ask my new doctor if it meant anything.
At dinner, Freddy had been able to get me in with a doctor he highly recommended, and she was in Brooklyn, which was convenient. My appointment was on Monday, and I was excited for another ultrasound because it meant I got to see the baby and hear its heartbeat again.
I thought about inviting Daniel with me, especially after he found out about my awful experience with the doctor in Manhattan. He seemed hurt that I hadn’t told him, or perhaps that I hadn’t invited him. I just didn’t know where we stood back then. I still didn’t know.
Which was why I invited Monica instead, who was more than eager. I had taken the morning off work, and since she mostly wrote at night, she was able to come with. We walked into the doctor’s office and were met with warm wood furniture and framed photos of babies and their moms on the walls. There were toys for siblings to play with and parenting magazines scattered about. It was a completely different vibe than the white-washed walls of the office in Manhattan.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat down in a cushy chair with my new patient clipboard.
“This place is way better,” said Monica, looking around.
“Thank God,” I said.
“How did you find it?”
“Oh, Daniel’s friend recommended it.”
“His friend knows?”
“Yeah,” I nodded as I began jotting down my info. “Daniel wanted to tell him.”
“Eeeeh!” said Monica, nudging me. “This is huge, Heart.”