“It’s because she plays sports, isn't it?” Cait stared hard at the beige bedspread. “You’re going with the stereotype.”
“No,” he said quietly. “I’m going with what I saw last week when I stopped by your place to drop off Connie’s old crib.”
“Connie’s crib? Your mom’s parting with that?” Easier to jump on that than to question what Tristan had seen.
“It was time. I told her Marnie could use a sturdy one. Better to put it to good use than to have it sitting around in a dusty closet.”
“But what if you need it someday?” When he arched a brow at her, she wanted to chew her tongue off.
Sure, right. Bring up kids when you’re in the mother of all fucked-up situations.
“Not thinking about kids yet.” He touched her cheekbone. “Are you?”
Her heart was beating so fast that she feared hyperventilation would be next. “No. Not yet. Too soon. Too—”
“Too complicated.”
She swallowed, nodding. “But maybe someday.”
One corner of his mouth tipped up. “You’d be a good mother.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You’re great with kids. I’ve seen it.”
“I could be the one infertile turtle in the bunch,” she said, causing him to laugh.
“Infertility’s tough.” He cleared his throat. “But sometimes it’s better if people don’t have kids. Genetically. You know, because of my sister. CF’s carried in DNA.”
“So you don’t want kids?”
Why did that bother her? She wasn’t ready for a child, and they hadn’t discussed any of this. With Matt in the picture, the complications were enormous.
Just how did someone—three someones—figure out something like that, anyway? And why was she thinking about it? They weren’t family planning.
Yet. There were a lot of yets in her life right at the moment.
“More that it’s not really responsible for me to consider it. At least the way I view things. I understand why people take the risk, but if I didn’t have to…”
“Why wouldn’t you have to?” All at once, she understood. “You’re saying me and Matt could…”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He rubbed his thumbs along her cheekbones, keeping a tactile link between them while she processed her whirling thoughts. “They’d be mine just as much as if they were biological.”
Rather than reply, she burrowed into his embrace, waiting until his arms tightened around her to ask what she didn’t want to know. Even hearing more about Val was better than talking about potential children she could potentially have with Matt if they all ended up together. “What did you see with Val?”
“So that’s the end of that deep, insightful conversation. You and Matt are two peas, all right.” He let out a short laugh. “You know the playground next to your mom’s building.”
“Yeah.”
“Val was there. On the swings. But she wasn’t alone. There was another girl with her, and they were kissing.” He sighed when she frowned. “I knew you’d flip.”
“I’m not flipping. I’m just…concerned.” She bit her lip. “Could it have been an innocent kiss?”
“No.” His answer was so definitive she wondered what else had happened. “There was touching too,” he said at length.
She rolled off him and onto the bed, balling the sheets in her fists. “I don’t want her to have to deal with people judging her. Thinking she’s less than because she’s not the same.” Hot tears pricked the backs of her eyes. “I love her so much. How can I help her with this?”
“By doing just that. Loving her. You can’t take her pain away or make different choices for her,” he said gently, turning on his side to cup her cheek. “But you can be there for her and let her know you’ll support her no matter what.”