Page 84 of Honest Boys Don’t Play

“Your tone did,” he declares.

“They’re perfect,” she insists. “Just like his.” She looks at each of us. “Do I get to know his name?”

I glance at Luke in surprise. “You haven’t told her yet?”

He slips his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “I thought you might want to be the one to tell her.”

His thoughtfulness has that one pesky word popping into my brain again. This man makes it damn near impossible to resist him.

“This is Rory.”

“Rory,” she repeats with a soft smile aimed at the baby. “That’s different. It’s perfect.”

“I think so too.” I make eye contact with Luke across the room. I still can’t believe he came up with such a creative way to pick our baby’s name.

“Are you hungry?” Luke asks me as he picks up the brown bag from where his mom put it.

“Starving,” I admit.

“I’ll get yours ready.”

“Thank you.”

Since he’s nice enough to handle that for me and Rory’s with his grandma, I decide it’s a good time to use the bathroom. To say I’m sore down below is an understatement. My vagina feels like it was hit with a battering ram and while all those months period free were great, I’m certainly making up for it now with all the stuff that’s coming out. Being a woman is so fantastic.

Washing up, I step out to find that Luke has a plate waiting for me with my food freshly heated. Jocelyn is sitting on the couch now, just watching Rory who looks to have already went back to sleep in the few minutes I was in the bathroom.

I thought some of the things I read about how much newborns sleep was exaggerating, but apparently not.

I sit down at the counter bar and immediately dig into my dinner. I felt guilty for Jocelyn to bring us a meal, but now that it’s in front of me, I’m eternally grateful. Another thing I’ve learned in the past few days is that breast feeding makes me famished. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much in my life. It’s like I can’t get enough.

“Do you want something other than water to drink?” Luke asks, I presume already digging in the fridge for his own beverage.

“Nope, just water.”

He looks over at me with an arched brow. “You don’t want me to get you a Sprite?”

“No. Not right now, at least.”

He grabs a soda for himself and settles on the stool beside me.

We eat in companionable silence. The only sound in the apartment is Rory’s soft breaths and the low hum of the TV playing a rerun of Friends.

After we’ve finished eating Luke insists on cleaning up while I sit down. I don’t argue, because at the moment it feels like I’m never getting over this bone deep tired.

“Do you want to take the baby?” Jocelyn asks me.

I wave away her concern. “No, you’re here to visit. You need to soak in the baby cuddles.”

She gives me a soft smile in response.

“I won’t stay much longer since I need to make the drive back home.”

Luke smacks a kiss on her cheek before he takes the spot on the sofa beside her. “Thanks for coming, Mom.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get out yesterday.”

“Blame Rory,” I joke. “He decided to show up sooner than anyone expected.”