Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Back in my room, I place Ada on the floor to play, making sure the bedroom door is shut. I pack the diaper bag with extra diapers and wipes. I add in a couple of pairs of pajamas in case she has a diaper blowout or some messy eating. I make sure there are some teething tablets, baby Orajel, and some Tylenol. I don’t think they’ll need it, but you never know. You can never be too prepared. I’ve learned that since becoming a mom. I grab another small tote and toss in her favorite blanket and her favorite toys.
Ada crawls over to me and holds onto my legs to stand. She bounces up and down and giggles.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, we’re not moving out.” I laugh. “Mommy is just making sure you have what you need tonight.” I zip up both bags and toss them over one shoulder before bending and lifting her into my arms, settling her on my hip. We make our way to the kitchen, where I put Ada in her high chair and pour out some puffs for her to snack on.
Does Maverick have a high chair? Do I need to bring mine? I better make sure. Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I dial his number.
“You’re not canceling,” he answers.
“I’m not. But do you have a high chair?”
“Yeah. I’ve got one of those that straps to the kitchen chair and folds up.”
“Okay. Good. Okay,” I say again.
“Stel, she’s going to be fine. You’ll be five minutes away.”
“No. I know.” I blow out a heavy breath. “I’m nervous,” I admit.
“Why are you nervous?”
“This is the first time I’ve been out since finding out I was pregnant.”
“What?”
“My friends, they wanted to party. We were in college. I didn’t want to tag along and watch them get wasted, and Derrick, Ada’s sperm donor, he wrote me off when I told him.” I’ve told him this, but I’m spewing the words to him again in my nervousness.
“My sisters-in-law are all amazing women. I promise you there are no expectations or judgments from them. You’re going to go. Have a couple of drinks, and relax. Tonight, you’re not in charge of everything. You let me handle all of that. I promise I’ll keep your baby girl safe.”
“I believe you,” I tell him. “Ada’s my best friend, Maverick, but you—you’re giving her some competition.”
“Yeah?” He sounds pleased by my confession. “I’ll share that title with her,” he tells me.
“She’s always going to be my number one.” My daughter is my heart and my entire world. She will always be.
“As she should be.”
“Okay. I’m packing some snacks, and I’ll bring milk.” I rattle off all the extras I shoved into the diaper bag and the extra bag.
“That all sounds perfect, Stel.” He doesn’t berate me for being overly prepared. He just accepts it.
“So, I guess I’ll see you soon?”
“Yeah, Stel. I’ll see you girls soon.”
I pack snacks into the extra bag before zipping it up and going over my mental checklist before loading Ada up in the car and heading toward Maverick’s place.
“She’s usually asleep by eight, but it’s a new place, so she might not. She likes to snuggle with her blanket, and I usually rock her.” I explain our normal routine. Boring but structured. That’s important for babies.
“Got it.” Maverick smiles at me.
“I’ll call to check on her,” I tell him.
“That’s fine too.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls his cell phone out, holding it up for me to see. “Fully charged, and the ringer is on high.”
I nod. “Thank you. Are you sure?”
“Stella.” Ryder says my name, and I turn to look at him. “She’s safe. We’ll protect her as if she were ours. Let’s go. I’m dropping you ladies off so you can drink.”
“Oh, I can’t. I have Ada.”
“You can,” Ryder insists. “Just a couple. I’ll drive you girls home later, and we can make sure your car gets to your place.”
“I don’t want to be too much trouble.”
“Stella. Give your girl a kiss and get your ass in the car.” Ryder’s tone is serious.
I look over at Jordyn. “You heard the man.” She leans over and kisses Ada’s cheek, who is in Maverick’s arms and loops her arm through mine.
“Love you,” I tell my daughter, also kissing her cheek. I step back and squeeze Maverick’s arm. “Thank you for this.”
“Go. Have fun. We’re having our own little party as soon as Uncle Ryder gets back, right, Ada?” he asks my daughter. She babbles back to him like she always does, placing her hands on his face and running her fingers through his stubble.
Something happens when he refers to Ryder as her uncle. My belly twists, not with dread, but with longing. I wish these amazing men—hell, this amazing family—was ours. It’s people like me and Ada, who have very few people in our lives that we can count on, that know what it means to have this kind of support system.