Titus sucks his lips into his mouth and thinks.
“He’ll be pissed at me. And I will have ruined our perfect little weird family.”
I lift one shoulder. “It’s not that weird.”
“I didn’t say weird in a bad way,” he says with a smirk.
An awkward couple of seconds follows. “How much time do we have left until I can go night-night?” Titus asks.
I chuckle and check my watch. “Two hours.”
“You’re more of a stickler for the letter of the law than the spirit of the law, aren’t you?” Titus asks with a smirk.
I lean back on my elbows on the mattress and peer up at him. “When it comes to a health scare, I’ll follow doctor’s orders to the utmost.”
Tenderness falls over Titus’s expression as he looks down at me. “You’re going to be an awesome parent one day.”
I laugh because I don’t know what to do with that statement. And because the secret hypothetical child I might have one day—the one I’ve thought about when I think about my future—has my eyes, hair, athletic ability, and Titus’s chin, sense of humor, and boyish grin. Oh, boy. And now that we’ve admitted our feelings for each other? I have a harder time pushing the imagined child’s face out of my mind.
“Thank you,” I say, my cheeks hot.
“I don’t want to spend the next two hours playing card games, Cass. I don’t think I have the brainpower for it.”
I nod. “We can just talk. Or I can talk, nudge you awake, and keep filling you with water so you’ll have to go to the bathroom constantly.”
“So cruel,” he says with a chuckle. But when I hold his water tumbler toward him, he takes it with a smile and downs several gulps.
“Are you my water monitor?”
I shake my head. “I’m not your mother.”
Titus gives a small smile and looks down into his lap. And then I realize what I’ve said.
“Oh, Titus. I’m sorry.”
Once again, his hand covers mine and he shakes his head. “You said nothing wrong. Your mom was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a real one. I wish my dad had dated. It’s selfish of me, but having another parent around would have been nice. I mean, I love my dad. But he works so hard.”
“So do you,” I insist.
I think of all the things my dad has had over the years fixed at Titus’s shop. And all the things that our handyman sent their way. That was all because Dad liked Titus and liked the work they did.
“Maybe,” he says.
This vulnerability is another layer of Titus I’ve never seen before. He trusts me, and that puts a warm feeling in my belly.
“It’s not completely selfish, you know. You might have benefited from having a stepmom. But also, your dad deserves that kind of happiness, too. And it’s never too late for him.”
Sweeping a lock of hair out of my sleepy eyes, he says, “Always wishing and hoping for the best. Another thing I love about you, Cass.”
And…I’m going to skate on past the fact that he almost said he loves me.
Before I can police my stupid mouth, I say, “You know, I think this is the longest you and I have hung out together, just you and me.”
He hums sleepily next to me and lies down on the mattress. I snuggle in next to him, knowing this is a bad idea. We’re likely to fall asleep, and my body is deeply aware of how close we are to fully cuddling. “Yeah…but Herc was also here.”
“For a bit. But mostly, it’s just been us. I like having you all to myself without my brother around,” I reply.“Herc’s the best,” he mumbles.
“Yep,” I murmur in agreement.