I head over to her house afterwards, knowing Daisy should be at school by now. I have my spare key with me, but I decide it’s best to knock this morning.
Tash opens the door, looking tired.
“Hey, are you okay?” I’d feel terrible if she’d been lying awake all night worrying about us.
She ushers me in. “Yeah, I stayed up with Millicent half the night watching Dexter.”
“Feeling a little murderous?” I joke nervously.
“Oh, no, it was Millicent’s choice.” She sits on the couch and pats the cushion beside her.
I oblige, putting all my gifts on the coffee table. “I’m sorry. I was an idiot. I know you have a history of not being treated equally in a relationship, and I should have realised that what I was suggesting could easily imply I didn’t think your career had any value. But I promise that wasn’t it…”
She presses one of her fingers to my lips. “Shh, I know. I overreacted. You’re nothing like Brad, and I shouldn’t have put my insecurities or preconceived ideas onto you.”
I smile, relieved. “Either way, I will think twice before I speak in the future.”
“You’re kind of right about what you said, though. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m probably not going to be able to commit as much time to work as I want once the baby arrives. I’m going to start looking for an assistant next week.”
“Well, once the tour is over, I’m going to take some time off so you can do whatever you need to. I’ve said before, I love all the craziness that goes with being a parent, and I want to be around as much as possible.”
She throws her arms around me and holds me tightly. “I am so, so lucky I found you.”
“I feel the same. And I know I joked about buying a mansion yesterday, but I really would love for us to look for a new house together. I’ve got a potential buyer interested in my place, and I’m not sure your house would be big enough when the girls come to visit. Please don’t feel pressured to make any decisions right away, but I was thinking if you didn’t want to give this place up, you could rent it out…or put it on Airbnb…”
She pulls back and strokes my cheek. “Thank you for considering my feelings, but I’m not tied to this place. I would love for us to look for a new house together. I don’t want you to bankroll the entire thing, though. I want to pay half.”
“I am more than fine with that.”
I suddenly realise that Tash’s independent streak, while causing tension yesterday, is actually a really good thing. I won’t ever question whether she wants to be with me because of my bank account—and that’s something that did occur to me more than once with Rachel—even before I went on Sing to Me.
“I guess it’s lucky we live fairly close to each other, so we won’t have to argue over which suburb to settle in,” I tease. “But I also understand you wouldn’t want to be too far from Daisy’s school. Or Millicent.”
She looks at the array of gifts on the coffee table and picks up the massage oil. “You are a sweet, sweet man. I think you deserve to benefit from some of these goodies.”
I grin. “I won’t argue with that. Should I take all my clothes off right now?”
She bursts out laughing. “I think we should both be wearing as little as possible.” And then her face turns wistful.
“What?” I ask, smiling.
“I’m just thinking how crazy it is that I’m sitting here with you, and your baby is growing inside me.” She reaches out and brushes her hands through my hair. “These curls…I dreamt about these curls for years, and now I can finally touch them anytime I want.” She outlines the creases on the side of my mouth. “And these lips…I knew from watching you sing how amazing these lips would feel on mine…”
“You have an unfair advantage of knowing a little about me before I got to know you,” I protest.
“I don’t mind. We have all the time in the world to make up the difference.” She leans in and buries her face in my neck. “And I couldn’t know things like how amazing you smell, or how you really are as kind as you seemed on TV. I mean, I could guess, but it was so much better getting to learn that firsthand.”
“Well, I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to meet you when I did. I don’t know what would have become of me otherwise. And while I can guess you started out as a fan, I really appreciated how you were there as a friend when I needed it most.”
“I’m still a fan, Mr. Page. In fact, I’m probably now your biggest one.” She stands up, pulling me to my feet with one hand, and carrying the bottle of massage oil in the other. “Let me show you just how much.”
I laugh. “Lead the way.”
I follow her into the bedroom, knowing that even though life is not always going to run according to plan, I have this wonderful woman by my side.
THIRTY-THREE
Tash
I’m not someone who enjoys being pregnant. And I’m also not someone who looks forward to giving birth (although, I don’t know many people who do).
So, when I feel the beginnings of labour starting, I am both glad that my pregnancy is coming to an end, but also filled with dread about the ordeal I’m about to endure.
It’s 5am, so I gently tap Lincoln on the shoulder to wake him up. I still can’t believe I’m having a baby with this man.
He rolls over, his mussed-up hair and adorable sleepy face making my heart melt.
“I think the baby’s going to arrive today,” I whisper.
That well and truly wakes him up. He immediately sits upright, eyes wide. “Really? You’re in labour? Have your waters broken?”
I laugh. “No, no. I’m sure that’s still a few hours away. The contractions are super faint right now. I remember with Daisy, they started about ten hours before she actually made an appearance.”
“Yeah, but they always say the second time is quicker. We should make sure everything’s in place. Do you want me to call your parents?”
“Maybe let them sleep in a bit longer. We’ll get them to pick up Daisy in a couple of hours.”
He stares at me. “How can you be so relaxed about this whole thing?”
“Because I know we’ve got a long way to go.”
“Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
“A cup of tea would be nice.”
“Okay, you stay there, I’ll be back in a moment.”
“I don’t need to stay in bed, babe. In fact, I should probably walk around.”
“Right, yes. Ignore me. Just do whatever feels right for you.”
We decide not to wake Daisy up yet. Lincoln makes me the tea and then runs around the house like a madman, ensuring my hospital bag is packed and that the house is in order. I watch as he momentarily pauses at the door to the baby’s bedroom. I go over to join him, looking in. It’s all set up with a cot and blankets and a nursing chair. I can’t believe there will be another person living here within a couple of days!
“I should tell Felix!” he says suddenly, getting out his phone.
“Yes, you do that.” Felix is still in Sydney, but he’s planning on spending some time in Brisbane in a few months. I teased him about being an on-call babysitter once he arrived, but he was surprisingly open to the idea. I think he might even be considering the possibility of having children himself someday. He’s been dating a lovely guy called Ames for a while now, and while Felix assured me it was too early to really tell, he had high hopes for this relationship.