“And what is it you want to hear?”
“That you love her.”
“That I do. So much that when she broke it off, or I did, I didn’t know how I was going to survive,” Hue agreed. No use hiding it.
“What is Krystal going to say?” Math asked with interest.
“Why would Krystal care? She got rid of me years ago,” Hue said of his ex-wife.
“She always hated Mandy. Hated how you two could joke around constantly. That was one of the main reasons she didn’t like visiting when my family was around. One of many.”
“I never thought about her that way back then. She was married to Seth for most of those years. At the time, I thought they were happy. Hell, I thought I was happy.”
“Just saying how it was. So, you never thought of her like that?” Math teased him again.
“No,” Hue argued. He had never thought of another woman like then when he was married. Not once.
“High school when she tutored you? Nothing?” Math winked at him.
“Well, I thought she was pretty hot back then, but she was too old and mature for me. Remember how she used to wear those blue glasses all the time back then? How sexy they made her look? And how she would act all cool by wearing sweatpants all the time when I came over. I still have a thing for a woman in sweatpants. Then she went to college, and…” Hue watched his friend become more and more uncomfortable with each word he said.
“Okay, I will leave it,” Math said, putting his hands over his ears.
“Thanks.”
“So, are you going to marry her?” Math acted all big brotherly suddenly.
Hue sat back in his chair. “Are you going to marry Tess?”
“Yes, once she says yes.”
“I would like to, but I don’t know if she does.”
“You could ask. I get turned down all the time. It hurts worst the first time, but after that, it gets easier.”
“I have to wait until we get the baby out of the hospital and start living a normal life again,” Hue told him.
“The more you let Mandy think about things, the more she will twist it all up. Just remember that.”
Leaning back in his chair, he looked at his friend, his wise friend. That summed up Amanda perfectly. She was an overthinker. Maybe Math was right, and he should ask her to marry him before he even leaves today. Let her know how he sees her, that he loves her and wants her forever.
When they were done with a long lunch, they went back to the hospital, but Math had to run an errand while his girlfriend was still busy, so Hue went to see his son alone. He didn’t get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with his three-week-old.
Scrubbing up, he realized thinking about his son, worrying about his son, didn’t get old. The one good thing about the worry was that Amanda had all the answers, and he didn’t have to worry unless she did. So, he was happy to let him go without much explanation.
The baby was sleeping when he arrived. Letting him sleep, he looked at the boy, who was naked except for the diaper. His boy hadn’t worn clothes yet. He was not as red as he was when he was born, and he was starting to see Amanda in him. Her hair was coming in on his head, and her little button nose was on his face.
“He’s doing really well,” Dr. David Bennett said from the other side of the crib thing the baby was in. It hadn’t taken long for them to become friends.
“That’s what Mandy says.”
“Amanda would know. How are things going other than that?”
“Good, I think,” Hue hedged, because he wasn’t 100% sure.
David didn’t look up from the baby he was checking. “I understand you’re with Amanda. In the beginning, I was questioning it. Neither of you would admit it.”
“What does that mean?”