“So excited. I want to go to the Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, oh, and Lego Land.” She is all excited while Mom frowns and Cooper groans.
“We will do all that,” Karrie says with a smile.
“With reason. She’s pregnant and shouldn’t be on her feet for so long.” I put in my two cents while Karrie gives me the finger.
“Okay, I’ve got to get my girl fed. Talk to you later. Mom, text me when she takes off.” We blow kisses and hang up.
The next day Karrie and I are waiting at the bottom of the escalator for Allison, who runs to me, hugging me and then Karrie.
The weekend goes by so fast I don’t even see the time till she is packing on Sunday to go back home. We had to stop and buy her another piece of luggage to take back all the shit she bought. We hit up every single thing she had on her list and then some.
She comes downstairs after packing, finding me lying on the couch. “Hey, where is Karrie?” she asks, coming to sit down on the other side.
“In the shower,” I say while she leans over and picks up the second frame that we have with the new picture of the baby.
“I can’t believe you are going to be a dad.” Her finger touches the picture. “I mean, you’ve been practicing since I was born.”
I look over at her, seeing a tear coming out of the corner. She wipes it so fast it’s almost like it wasn’t there. I sit up, going to sit next to her, putting a hand around her shoulder.
“I can’t wait.” I look at the picture with her. “I was scared, you know.” I start off telling her, “The minute they said she was pregnant, my heart swelled. I got scared. Could I do this since I technically didn’t really have that great of a role model?”
“Did you tell Dad?” she asks me. It’s something we don’t bring up. I know she talks to him from time to time. I shake my head.
“He tried to call me after that whole bullshit with the rape charge, but I didn’t answer. He wasn’t there when I needed him or at least when I really needed him. You think he showed me how to shave? That was Cooper. You think he showed me what it was to be a real man? Again, that was Cooper. You think he showed me that when it gets tough you fight for it? Cooper taught me that also. You think he showed me to put your kids before your own selfish needs? Again, no. I was fucking terrified, but then guess what I did see when I looked up? Cooper stood there wiping away Mom’s tears. It was in that moment I knew I could not only do this dad thing, but I could do it like a motherfucking boss.” I look over at her. “Besides, if I wasn’t the best that I could be, Mom would kick my ass.”
“She totally would,” Allison agrees with me.
“Hey, you two,” Karrie says from the doorway while she holds a carton of strawberry ice cream with three spoons in it. “Wanna watch Naked Dating?”
Allison throws her head back, laughing. “You know that’s considered double dipping even if it’s ice cream.” She points to the carton that Karrie is eating from, who just shrugs her shoulders, coming to sit on the other side of me.
She turns on the television, flipping channels. She stops when she comes onto 90 Day Fiancé. “It’s my favorite show.” She shakes her spoon in the air. She scoops some more ice cream, offering us a spoon. I shake my head while Allison grimaces, refusing, too. “More for me,” she says, smiling.
I lean over to kiss her lips. The taste of ice cream on her lips is divine. I lick my lips, going in for another kiss.
“Hmmm,” she says, putting her hand around my neck, still holding the spoon.
“You guys are aware I’m right here, right?” Allison speaks up, making Karrie laugh. “Okay, love birds, before I throw up my dinner, I’ll go up to my room.”
“You don’t have to leave. We’ll stop kissing,” Karrie says, straining her neck to see Allison.
“Goodnight,” I tell her, going back to kissing Karrie. “We will never stop kissing,” I tell her, letting my tongue slide into her mouth, her tongue cold from the ice cream. “Ever.” I finish that with another kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Karrie
I walk up the front steps, the grocery bag hitting my knees. Turning the knob and having it closed makes my arm ache. “Fuck,” I say out loud, dropping the bag on the ground while I reach into my purse, pulling out my keys. “Where the hell is Matthew?” I ask myself. He was here when I left. It’s Valentine’s Day and for some reason we are not playing or traveling tonight. Unlocking the door, I pick the bag up, walking in. The lights are off in the whole house, except the glow from tea candles that are lining a path of red roses. I drop the bag and my purse with my keys on the floor, walking to the living room, which is where the roses lead to.