“It would probably surprise you then that our group photo in those cowboy outfits is the only picture I keep in my home from those years.”
“Really?” She squishes her nose.
Focusing on my taut stomach I confess, “If we were cowboys in the movies, I’d be wearing the black hat and you’d be in the white one. It’s always been like that. I think it’s why we haven’t really gotten along.” In the reflection Samantha and I look at each other. “When my little girl is old enough, I want her to take dance classes from you.”
Sam faces me and I turn away from the mirror to meet her look. “Oh my God! You’re having a little girl?!” She hugs me before I have a chance to answer. “That’s so amazing! Congratulations. I would love to teach her. But won’t you want to?”
Now it’s my turn for nose scrunching. “It’s too hard for little girls to learn dancing from their mothers, I think. I used to care too much what my mom thought. I felt mortally wounded if I wasn’t perfect. Because I thought she was! And I know me, I’ll keep standards too fucking high. I don’t want her hating me before she’s ten. Give her time for that.”
Sam smiles, “My mom can be a little critical. She and Lexi have always been a lot closer, because their personalities are so alike and Lexi can take it. But anyway, I hear what you’re saying is what I mean.”
Feeling like it’s time to go, I glance around. “Okay, this is a little too much for me. How ‘bout you?”
She laughs and follows me to the door. “I’m really glad you came by.”
I grab onto the jamb that leads to their waiting room, staring at the floor, embarrassed. “I’m scared, Sam. I’m not ready to hang up my shoes. I want this baby, but I don’t want to stop being me.”
Samantha whispers, “Oh,” realizing now why I came. She has always been my greatest competition because, like me, she has trained for an extraordinary amount of years with an extraordinary amount of passion toward an art that has an age limit. If anyone knows and understands my fear to their core, it’s Samantha.
I meet her eyes, and she says, “When I got the opportunity to travel the world, do you know why I turned it down? Because of family. You know how close to my family I am.” My hand drifts onto my belly. She glances down and smiles. “But I didn’t quit dancing here in Atlanta. And you don’t have to quit, either. Even if somehow this takes you away from ballet, there’s always contemporary dance, and musicals, and so many performances that require somebody with the skills that you have. And who knows? Maybe you and your two boyfriends will travel around with your daughter all over the world and she’ll be able to be exposed to different cultures as you wow audiences everywhere! You never know what will happen if you don’t quit. There’s always a way.”
I roll my eyes, holding back a grin. “Why do you have to be so fucking perfect?” I walk through the waiting room and out her front door as I look back and say, “Thank you. Oh, and I only have one boyfriend now. Turns out, three is a party and four is a crowd.”
As I get to my car I hear Samantha shout, her curiosity getting the best of her, “Which one did you end up with, Marion?”
With Jack on my mind, I give her a sexy smile. “Which one do you hope I kept?”
“That’s not fair!”
Pointing to my head I smirk, “See? Black hat,” and slide into Jack’s black Porsche. Because I don’t have a horse.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
JACK
From the passenger seat Marion rolls her eyes with a smile. “Are you going to be like this all day?”
“Like what?” Gripping the steering wheel I turn left, entire body tense.
“Like you might tear apart anything you touch, and not even notice.”
Turning into the hospital parking lot, I grumble, “It’s not every day I become a father.”
Marion grabs onto the dashboard of the new SUV she teased me about buying last weekend, her chest heaving against contractions. Finally she gasps, “This sucks!”
I rub her back, steering with my left hand. “I know, Gorgeous. If I could do it for you I would.”
She cries out in pain, then cuts me a look. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I pull up to the entrance, leap out of the vehicle with it still running, and yank her door open. Whoops. Almost pulled it off the hinges.
“See what I’m saying? No no no! You can’t carry me there, Jack! I’m too heavy now!”
“Bullshit.” She throws her arms around my neck and I cradle her all the way inside. With the key fob in my pocket, the engine shuts down and some dickhead yells at me that I can’t leave my car there. Of course I ignore him. I can do whatever I want to do.
This is our day.
We called ahead to her obstetrician, Dr. Munro. Marion wanted a woman so we canned Morris and hired someone with a sense of humor.
Mar doesn’t know it but I phoned a second time and made it clear that waiting wasn’t an option. Her new doctor always finds me entertaining, so she doesn’t realize how serious I really was. Marion says she’s attracted to me, which is just ridiculous. And I don’t care if it’s true, as long as we get treated as best as the woman knows how.
I hear a familiar voice and look over my shoulder to see Lorraine hurrying up.
I lock eyes with Marion. “When did you call her?”
“When you ran to get my suitcase.”
Lorraine calls out, “You’re carrying her? Do you want me to get a wheelchair?”
“No!”
“Fine, do you know where you’re going?”
I jog my chin forward. “Third-floor.”
Lorraine hurries and pushes the elevator button. She’s wearing a conservative dress, and looks a lot less flashy than when I saw her last. Except for the wedding ring. It’s definitely bigger than the one David gave her. She locks eyes with me, all of the years that we’ve known each other between us. “You look like you haven’t aged a day, Jack.”
“Wait until my daughter is born. Then you’ll see some grey hairs.”
Marion touches my head. “You mean more grey hairs.”
I give her a wink and the three of us join a few white coats on the elevator. Lorraine pushes button number three and asks, “Did you call your father?” I can tell by the tightness in her lips that she’s worried the answer is yes.
Marion flatly says, “Nope.”
Relief is replaced by concern. I can respect that. Even if she doesn’t want to be face-to-face with the man she abandoned, at least she has the decency to feel compassion for his inevitable desire to be here yet not having the chance.
We don’t speak until the doors open and I grunt, “Just up ahead.” Spotting Marion’s doctor waiting for us, I call out, “We’re here.” At the look on her face I ask, “Why is everyone so surprised I’m carrying the love of my life? Least I can do when she’s carrying our future.”
Lorraine stops walking, her eyes rounding. I take no notice, leave her behind as I tell Dr. Munro, “Her contractions are about three minutes apart.”