Page 56 of The Lipstick Flip

“What can I help you with?” the woman asked as she reached us.

“Do you have that jacket in stock?” Noah asked. “I want him to try it on. Wouldn’t it look perfect on him?”

The woman gave me an assessing look and a smile. If there had been any doubt in her mind before, it was gone now.

“I’m going to start trying some of these on,” I said. “Fitting room?”

“We do have some of those jackets,” the woman said to Noah. “Let me get him settled, and then I’ll see what’s in back.”

Noah was looking at me. It wasn’t an angry look. It wasn’t an…anything look.

“Is that okay?” I asked.

“Sure,” Noah said.

So, I tried on the clothes. It was a whole fucking process. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. Because I’d gone through about half the shirts before Noah said, “I want to see.” And then I had to start over from the beginning, putting the clothes on, stepping out of the fitting room so Noah could see, holding my arms up and turning in a circle and letting him tug on it and adjust it and settle it across my shoulders like I didn’t know how to put on my own clothes.

Stiff touches. And the tugs were a little…sharp, maybe. But his face was smooth, and all he said was “That color washes you out,” and “It’s too short,” and “I wonder if I’d like it with the sleeves cuffed.”

“Thank you,” I said, around shirt number eight. “For helping me.”

“Mm.”

“Noah?”

“I think we need to try a size up in this one.”

“I said thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome.”

I looked over his shoulder. Just that woman now, still folding sweaters.

I took his face in my hands. I kissed him. And I said, “Why are you mad at me?”

A pink blush was rising in his cheeks, and he cut his eyes away. “I’m not.”

“I’m having a good day with you. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

His mouth relaxed. His eyes softened. “I’m having a good day with you too. I promise I’m not mad. I just—I just got in my own head for a minute.” He hugged me and said into my chest, “It’s okay now. Let me see you in that red flannel again, but this time, let’s add that canvas jacket.”

When I came out of the dressing room, Noah said, “Oh Daddy.”

“Okay.”

“Howie, I can feel myself getting pregnant.”

I gave him a look.

“Babe, you look so good! I think this is it. Can you put these on, and we’ll see the whole outfit?”

He handed me a pair of pants. I shook them out and said, “These are cargo pants.”

“They’re going to look great on you.”

“I have cargo pants.”

“You have work pants that have cargo pockets. These are nice pants that happen to have a cargo pocket design.”