Page 71 of A Treasure To Keep
On the plus side, I picked up a rental car this morning. I’ve spent more on ride shares in the last two weeks than most people do in a year. The rental car is simple, a sedan with enough space for a car seat in the back that I can see out of. At first, they wanted to give me a larger car. I noticed how I’d have to climb into it before asking to see other options.
Andrea insisted on driving from the rental place. He claimed it was because he could sense I was nervous about driving. He’s not wrong.
Andrea hasn’t been able to take time off work and needed to go straight to work after we were done. I thought it would be a quick detour. Except once we got there, he snatched the keys from me, pushing me into the nail salon that’s in the same shopping area.
Now that I have a fresh mani-pedi, I’m practically a brand new woman. We’re still in the middle of winter, meaning my toes are always black. Once spring arrives, I’ll switch to white. I got my standard almond-shaped gel-x nails in a deep blue color, ironically matching the cast on my broken finger.
Andrea is out on the floor, picking out items for a client when I walk in. The ding of the door gives away my arrival. When Andrea notices, he wraps me in his arms. “I can already tell you’re practically a new person. You deserved to spoil yourself.”
“Thank you, my love. Can I have the keys now?” I bat my eyes twice, noticing when he chuckles while digging in his pocket for the keys. We both know all it takes is a few bats of my eyes, and I get whatever I want from this man.
I kiss him deeply, Mr. Hansley complaining as always when we show our love for each other while on the clock. In my defense, I’m not on the clock. Whatever, I need to get to the hospital.
I avoid the highway, taking the scenic route, which takes fifteen minutes longer. The extra time is worth saving my anxious mind.
The nurses all know me by now, reminding me that I still need to sign in, but not asking who I’m seeing and where I need to go.
My heels click faster than normal on the floor as I impatiently race to the NICU. It’s been an entire fifteen hours since I’ve seen Théodore, and in my opinion, that’s fourteen hours and fifty-nine minutes too long.
When I turn the corner, I expect to see my son in his clear box. Instead, I see the tattooed, muscular back of Marco. Has his back always been this hot?
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see Théodore. I brought you coffee. The ice is all melted now.” Marco has pulled a complete 180 since Théodore was born. He’s here daily, empathetic toward my needs, and hasn’t mentioned anything about the custody paperwork.
“I had a self-care morning. Andrea paid for me to get my nails done.” I ball my fists, instant guilt filling my gut that I spent almost two hours getting my nails done, fifteen minutes with Andrea, and extra time getting here.
“Good. Don’t feel guilty. You deserve it. Théodore has three parents. There’s plenty to go around.” There’s that empathy. Hold on.
“Three?” Marco hasn’t mentioned anything about Andrea being involved as a parent.
“Yeah. I have a gift for you. We should wait for Andrea.”
Oh boy. His genuine tone makes me think he’s got something to surprise me with. I hate surprises.
Chapter 78
Andrea
After work, I take a ride-share to the hospital. El mentioned that Marco has been here all day, arriving even before she did. She also mentioned Marco has something to tell us.
When I walk into the NICU, Marco is holding Théodore, and El is gazing at both of them with a smile on her face. I’m almost taken aback by how they both pull at my heart with their care for Théodore.
I walk up to El, surprising her when I kiss the top of her head. At that moment, Marco sets Théodore in his bed before clearing his throat. El and I turn our heads to Marco. He has his hands behind his back, his lips pressed together nervously. Once he knows he has our attention, he hands us a stack of papers, a newly highlighted section added to the custody agreement. I grab it from him, noticing what the addition states.
I tighten my jaw, settling myself from crying. This is what I have secretly hoped for since we were served these papers.
El turns her attention to me, knowing Théodore is safe and asleep. “What do they say?”
I read through the words again, confirming that I read everything correctly. “That even though I’m not on the birth certificate, I have as much say in Théodore’s life as you two have.”
She stands, snatching the paperwork from me, reading the same words I did. Her jaw drops when she processes the highlighted words.
Marco clears his throat, catching our attention. “Théodore should have as much support as he can. And that includes support from all his parents. What do you two think about the amendment?”
Our eyes connect, sharing the same expression we had months ago before this whole mess started. My heart skips a beat, wondering if he notices the same connection. I shake away the thought, realizing he’s waiting for a response. “I’ll send this over to our lawyer to double-check everything. I’m sure it’s no problem.”
A month ago, I couldn’t have imagined that this could have happened. I can’t believe this almost four pound baby could have softened this six-foot-four man in such a short period.