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“Promise?” he asked.
She pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key. His lip twitch turned into a tiny smile and somehow that made her feel like she’d just won a massive victory.
One she wouldn’t take for granted.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CRACK THE CODE
ZARA
“You have your mama’s eyes. Did you know that?” Zara asked.
Amber kicked her legs and squealed.
“Yep. Which is a good thing because blue eyes are the most beautiful in my opinion. Of course, that’s probably because I don’t have them.” She secured the diaper and straightened out the onesie.
Amber’s full tummy called to her and she bent down and blew raspberries. Amber squealed, giving her a happy toothless grin.
Zara buttoned up the yellow onesie covered with little giraffes. Baby clothes were so cute. She wrestled a pair of white socks on the kicking feet.
She was at the point in her life where her friends were having families. It was both exciting and terrifying. She’d never stopped working long enough to wonder if she wanted kids someday.Sometimes she thought she did. But then maybe she only wanted to be a kickass aunt. It was too hard to know for sure.
“But that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” she said in a soft, sing-song voice. She tossed a burp rag over her shoulder before gathering the baby in her arms. Amber straightened her spine and looked right at Zara. “Right? We’re here to ask ourselves the hard questions and finally get some answers.”
Amber yelled and a pudgy hand slapped Zara in the mouth. She caught the little fingers with her lips and pretended to munch on them. “Mmm, nom, nom, nom. Baby fingers are my favorite.”
Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned, wrapping her arms more securely around the baby with the failing arms.
Asa leaned casually against the doorjamb, his hands in his pockets. It was one of his go-to postures and it was so familiar to her now she probably wouldn’t recognize him if he stood any different. Today’s shirt was light blue and said, “I am a fucking delight” in fancy black script.
Since their road trip two weeks ago, they’d settled into a comfortable routine. They shared at least one meal a day together. He didn’t always have breakfast with her, but if he wasn’t there for breakfast, he was there for dinner.
She’d begun playing the piano daily. Sometimes he joined her, most times he didn’t. But that was okay. He was trying and she wasn’t going to push.
Her writing had picked up in a way she hadn’t expected. Writing for her had always been something she did alone. So, the days when Asa was out of the house tended to be her most productive. She hadn’t told anyone she was writing. Mostly because it wasjust for her at the moment. She still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do with any of it.
And every night, when it was late and she couldn’t sleep, she’d sneak back into the stairwell. Because even though he didn’t play with her often—and even then, it wasn’t anything of his own—he still played in his room when he was alone.
And she loved it.
She hadn’t made the mistake of falling asleep on the stairs again. She had no idea if he knew she was listening, they never spoke of it. She didn’t ask and he didn’t volunteer.
But those hours she spent listening to him play were the best parts of her day.
Unless she was invited over for dinner at Nikki and André’s and she could snuggle the baby. Baby snuggles were superior to all else.
“Look,” she said, squishing her cheek next to Amber’s. “It’s Uncle Asa.”
“Ah!” Amber hollered, reaching a flailing arm in Asa’s general direction.
He immediately came closer, reaching for the baby.
“It’s pretty obvious that you’re the favorite.” Zara reluctantly handed over the baby. But the reluctance was short lived when Amber grabbed Asa’s short beard with both hands. His mouth split into a wide grin and Amber yelled right in his face.
“She just likes my beard,” Asa said.
“Duh,” Zara said with an eye roll. “Who wouldn’t mind holding onto that beard with both hands?”
