I wrapped a towel around my hips before I flicked her back a response.
Me: I will pick you up at 1:30
Astrid: I look forward to it ?
Astrid: Oh, and promise me you’ll stay for dinner at my place afterward.
Lately, she had tried to get me to stay for dinner, and so far I had been able to avoid it. For me, it was important to keep the boundaries clear. I wanted the lines in the sand to be stark and unmistakable.
Me: I have plans
Astrid: :(
Astrid: Relax. It’s only to say thank you. Not every offer is an attempt to rekindle our relationship. This will be a lot easier if you didn’t think everything was about trying to get back with you.
She did have a point. If we were going to co-parent our son, we had to learn how to do it without reading into things.
Me: Dinner sounds good.
When I picked her up for the appointment, she was standing on the porch waiting for me. Since arriving back in town, the club had loaned me a pickup to use so I could take Astrid to appointments. Despite some guys taking their old ladies on the back of their bikes right up until the birth of their baby, there was no way I was risking anything happening to her or our son.
She smiled brightly when she saw me, and I was suddenly overcome with a peaceful calmness. Maybe she was being honest and wasn’t interested in getting back together. Maybe all she wanted was for us to be able to raise our son together without any drama.
We shared a smile, and for some reason it felt like everything was going to be okay.
“Everything is looking good,” Dr. Halidad said as we sat across from her in her office. She was a highly recommended obstetrician. When I’d found out about the baby, I’d asked Teeth, one of my club brothers from the NOLA chapter, to do a little investigating and find a good doctor. He and his wife had six kids. They knew what they were looking for.
“But if he doesn’t turn up for the show in the next couple of days, I’d like to induce him.”
“Is there anything I can do to encourage him to make an appearance?” Astrid asked.
Dr. Halidad smiled. “If you’re into old wives’ tales, there are plenty. Eat spicy foods, have intercourse—but I think that one may have been made up by the husbands.” She winked at me.
“There’s no truth to it?” Astrid asked.
Dr. Halidad crossed her legs. “While orgasms can cause your uterus to contract, and sperm does contain prostaglandins, the jury is still out. It’s definitely not a given.” She smiled at us and sat back in her chair. “But it’s certainly fun to give it a go.”
Astrid looked at me.
I looked back.
Yeah. Sex wasn’t going to happen.
“I think he’s ready to meet his mom and dad, so I’m going to go right ahead and book you in to be induced on Thursday.”
Thursday was only two days away.
Astrid reached across and grabbed my hand. “Can you believe it, Ruger?” Her face was bright with happiness. “Only two more days and your son will be here. Can you believe it?”
I couldn’t.
And the sudden realization that I was about to meet my son filled me with a happiness like I had never known.
After the appointment, I dropped Astrid home so I could take care of some club business for Bull. When I finished up at the NOLA clubhouse, I tried ringing Chastity, but the call went straight to voicemail.
Frustrated, I took a quick shower before heading back to Astrid’s apartment in the French Quarter.
Inside, Astrid had set the table and poured us wine.
“Dr. Halidad said it’s okay to have a glass,” she explained.
She looked nervous.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She smiled. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just… it’s really happening now. In less than two days, we’re going to be parents.”
I understood where she was coming from. The idea was crazy. And if I was really honest, I was a little nervous about it, too. I took her hands in mine.
“Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
We sat down to eat. Astrid had ordered in a feast from the delicatessen on Peters Street, including the caprese, which she knew was my favorite.
We talked easily as we ate, but as I poured myself another glass of wine, I noticed she was looking nervous again. When I quizzed her, she started to rub her belly.
“I guess as it gets closer I’m wondering how this is all going to work,” she said.
“How do you mean?”
“With us, Ruger. You and me.”
“Astrid—”
“I know… please, hear me out.” She cut me off. “I’m not suggesting anything other than you and I spend as much time as possible with our son when he arrives. Maybe you can move back permanently. It will be hard to have a relationship with him when you live a state away.”