Even though he’s giving me a look I can’t quite decipher, he goes over the project with me. The company’s almost ready for its IPO.
I mechanically write down what he says, but my mind is whirring about why he asked me to marry him if he’s too embarrassed to take me to his father’s birthday party or introduce me to his family. Now that I think about it, he didn’t seem that enthused about meeting my dad, either.
When I return to my desk and sit down, I note the Amazon box under the drawers. It’s full of different brands of prenatal vitamins. There’s a note inside that reads:
Wasn’t sure what was the best, so I ordered a bunch.
It’s an act of somebody who’s trying to do the right thing and take care of the mother of his child and the baby itself.
Come on, Amy. You only heard one side of the conversation. Maybe somebody on the other side made some weird comment.
Not very convincing, because there was hardly enough pause for somebody to say something, but I have to shake this off until I’m emotionally and mentally ready to talk to him about it.
As I sit in front of my laptop, I have a text from Emmett.
–Emmett: FYI you have a 30-min lunch massage at the Aylster spa from M-F.
I stare at the message. He didn’t even hint about a massage. Once the shock wears off, confusion follows. This is another example of him acting like he cares.
So why did he say, “Too damn embarrassing”? I just can’t imagine who or what he could be talking about, except me.
Part of me wants to reject this massage offer, but I change my mind. It’ll be good to do something to de-stress myself. Not just for me, but for the baby, too.
–Me: Thanks.
–Emmett: You may not have time for lunch, so they’re going to buy whatever you want and have it ready for you when you leave. Give the spa receptionist your order before they start the massage.
–Emmett: And you don’t have to limit yourself to the hotel restaurants. They can get you stuff from outside if you want.
He’s thought of everything. Maybe he was embarrassed about something else. Maybe he’s feeling awkward about meeting the father of a woman he knocked up without meaning to. Maybe he’ll come around after a few days and realize we can’t just get married in a vacuum. We might not be marrying each other’s families, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be an important part of our lives. If nothing else, our baby deserves to know its uncles and grandparents.
But as the hours pass, I don’t get anything that indicates Emmett’s changed his mind about keeping our families separate and uninvolved. What I get instead are incessant texts from him. Like this one after lunch.
–Emmett: Sage or sunflower yellow?
Two shades pop up on my phone. Both are lovely, but sage feels a bit too dark.
–Me: Sunflower yellow.
Or this one midafternoon.
–Emmett: White or oak?
–Me: Oak.
–Emmett: Why?
–Me: Warmer.
–Emmett: How about oak or cherry?
–Me: Oak.
Then before he can ask why, I add:
–Me: Cherry’s too dark.
–Me: Can I come by after work?