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Looking at Tommy again, he grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. With him by my side, I feel a surge of courage, almost invincible.
“Okay, let’s do it.” Even getting those words out makes me feel better. This is going to work. It has to work.
Greg stands, handing TJ back to Sam. "I'm gonna call Detective Parker at the LAPD. We'll get this set up," he says.
Miranda rises as well. "I'll call Grayson and plan a meeting with Tia."
As Henrietta and Mack linger for a moment, Tommy's mom stands up decisively. "Come help me with lunch, Mack," she says, leaving Tommy and me alone in the room. But something is radiating off Tommy in full force. Something akin to panic.
"So…" I attempt to ease the tension.
Tommy's gaze fixes on the fireplace. "Where are we gonna live?"
"Uh, what?" His question catches me off guard, completely unrelated to our immediate concerns.
"I've been in San Diego the past two months, and you were living there, and Sam's there. Should we stay there or go back to Costa Rica... after the baby's born, of course. Hospitals here are better. And should I get a real job? I mean, I have my trust fund, but it won't last forever. Maybe sales, or surf lessons like you—" His words are tumbling out in a rush, obviously having some sort of meltdown.
"Whoa, Tommy! We don’t have to figure out everything today."
"But we have a baby!" His breathing is quick. Too quick. The poor guy is going to pass out if he doesn’t calm down.
"Yes, and we have months to prepare. You just told me that Ma will help out and Sam won’t let us end up without a roof over our heads, and we can figure out the rest as we go along."
"Should we get married?" His question is so sudden it makes me laugh.
"Is that a proposal?" I tease.
He buries his face in his hands, groaning. "I don’t know! It’s all so... unexpected. I mean we slept together twice and got pregnant."
Lifting his chin so he's looking at me, I search his eyes. "But you’re happy?"
His smile broadens, his ears turning red. "So happy, Tilly."
"Then I'm good right here. I don't need a wedding or a big house. I’m not that kind of girl. As long as our little man has a room and a comfortable life, we’ll be fine."
"But Tilly, we have to decide something. We’d be stupid not to."
Taking a deep breath, I voice my true desire though everything in me is saying it's going to mess up what I’ve built with him over the last two days. "I want to live near Sam. I want our little man and TJ to be best friends, to surf and get into trouble together. But if you prefer Costa Rica, we’ll make it work."
"No way. I’m not missing a second of this. I'll move to San Diego."
Leaning into him, relieved and content with his decision, he wraps an arm around me. If only we could resolve the issue with my family, I could almost consider my life perfect.
Chapter thirty-four
Tommy
We laze around my mom’s house for the rest of the afternoon until my mom makes us a huge roast beef dinner. Sitting around the table, everyone is digging into the food like it’s their last meal.
“Holy shit, Tommy’s mom, this is delicious,” Greg says. With one hand he’s shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth while the other rocks a fussy TJ. Sam has her chin in hand and seems to be half asleep, her meal untouched. But no one bugs her. After the long drive up the mountain, they both probably need a good night’s sleep. Our plan is to stay here until tomorrow, then we’ll all make the drive back down to San Diego.
I’m not exactly thrilled to be leaving so soon. But Miranda needs to speak with Detective Parker, and Tilly needs to have a meeting with her aunt. If we’re going to turn on the family, the sooner we do it, the better. As much as I would love to stay here, where my mom cooks and cleans for us, and our friends are nearby, reality is already knocking on the door.
“Thank you, baby. And call me Enri or Ma,” my mom says.
I groan. “Stop with the baby stuff, Ma.”
Sam snores and falls off her chin, only to wake with a start and snap her head up. “What’s wrong with the baby?!” she shouts to the table.
