"Gavin? What's wrong?" Noah stops me.
"Nothing." I keep walking, but I can hear him following me. He’s not going to drop this.Great. Just what I need."I said I'm fine," I tell him once I'm back in my room.
"And I'm not an idiot. I'm not leaving. You don't have to talk. We can sit in silence or watch TV, but I'm not letting you sit here alone."
Noah makes it hard to be mad at him. Especially after all he's done for me.
"I can't watch TV." I sigh, sinking into the couch.
He sits in a nearby chair. "You know what I meant."
Gem jumps up on the couch and rests her head on my lap.I remove her vest, letting her know she can relax. She's earned it.
"Who pissed you off?" Noah asks as I focus on Gem.
"Myself."
"Ahhh, the worst person of all to be mad at."
Don't I know it.
Noah doesn't push for anything more, so we sit in silence.
Finally, I need to fill it. "How's your wife? She's due soon, isn't she?"
"She good. Due any day now."
I can hear the smile in his voice. Knowing his wife and Lauren are friends, I'm sure he's heard about me being Graham's father."I missed all that, you know. Lauren being pregnant. Seeing my son being born and holding him. Hell, I hate I even missed the three a.m. feedings and diaper changes."
"For a man who was told there was a good chance I'd never have kids, trust me, I understand where you’re coming from."
"I don't want to miss anything else. I have to prove to them I'm not leaving again."
"I understand," Noah says, and I know he does.
"That's why I can't do the surgery. I can't be gone for four weeks. I can't leave them."
"Have you thought maybe they’d go with you?"
"How can they? Their whole life is here."
That right there is the root of my problem.