“Wait, what?” Her tone made it clear she hadn’t expected the conversation to take this sort of turn.
“You could come here and have the whole third floor to yourself. We could set up a room for you and the babies and even hire live-in help if that’s what you wanted. And if you needed even more privacy, you and the twins could always have the guest house. You’d have all the space you need.”
Silence followed, and as soon as I was done talking it dawned on me that I’d put far too much of an offer on her.
“That’s…I don’t know. That’s a really nice offer. But right now, we’ve got the Cammy situation to worry about. Not to mention what my parents are going to think when they find out.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” I took the chance to pull back my enthusiasm a bit. “But the offer still stands.”
“Thanks. Really.” More silence. “Alright, I guess I should try to get some actual rest.”
“Do that. And you’ve got my number now, so call me if you need anything at all – even if it’s just someone to talk to.”
“I will. Thanks again.”
I hung up and set the phone down on the bar, wondering how the hell I was going to navigate all of this.
* * *
I had a short day at the clinic the next day, and right as I was shutting down my computer for the afternoon, a text came in from Camilla. It was a response to one I’d sent earlier asking how the babies were when she told me she was going to visit.
Hey! We’re actually checking out right now. We’re going to grab some takeout on the way to her parent’s place.
I glanced up from my phone, not sure how to respond. I desperately wanted to see the twins. But how on earth would I be able to justify going over there? As far as anyone else knew, Sadie was nothing more than my daughter’s best friend.
Fortunately, I didn’t need to puzzle out the situation for long.
Are you busy? If you’re not, Jack and Annette were wondering if you could come by and give their place a look-over to make sure they have everything they need for the babies. If not, no big deal.
I smiled. It was the perfect excuse.
Just now finishing up at the office. Why don’t you two head over there now and I will stop and grab the takeout on my way over? No sense in waiting on that.
I hopped out of my seat, excitement running through me at the idea of seeing my kids again.
Another text from Camilla arrived as I grabbed my coat.
Sure! Here’s the address for the Chinese place, and her parents’ place.
I sent her a thumbs-up, and I had to summon all the self-control I had to not sprint out of the office like a giddy kid. I said my goodbyes to the front staff, then stepped out of the clinic with a huge smile on my face, jingling my keys in my hand as I made my way to my truck parked out front.
The day was gray and dreary – standard stuff for January in Colorado. That didn’t matter; the only thing on my mind was seeing Sadie and the twins.
Once in the car, I put the address of the restaurant and her parents’ house into Google Maps. When the map was finished plotting, however, I was struck by their location – all the way east, in Aurora.
I remembered Camilla mentioning to me once before that Sadie worked downtown, just like her. That meant, that when she finally went back to work, she’d be stuck with an hour-and-a-half commute every day.
If she were to live with me, on the other hand, it’d be about ten minutes.
It was something to think about.
I made the drive, stopping at the strip mall Chinese place to pick up the food, and loading it into the backseat of my truck. Ten minutes later I pulled up in front of Jack and Annette’s place.
Their house was nice but small. The home was a single-story brick bungalow, and a peek around the corner allowed me to see the one-car garage in the back.
I approached the door and knocked, the food in a paper bag under my arm.
“Hey there!” the door opened and there stood Jack, his gray hair tied in his usual ponytail, an excited expression on his face. “Doctor and food delivery all-in-one! Now, that’s service!”