31. Such An Idiot

31

SUCH AN IDIOT

A month later, Phoenix came home from work. He was exhausted in a great way.

Things were falling into place. His brother would be starting on the first of June. He’d offered for Memphis to stay with him, but his brother said he’d rather have his own place.

He couldn’t argue with that. The last thing a twenty-four-year-old wanted was to be staying in a spare room next to a five-year-old. Crystal still had the space above the garage and there wasn’t a reason to move her out now.

They didn’t stay together every night. Most times when they were in the same bed together, she got up and left his room or he got up and went back to his before she rose for work.

There was no reason for it other than their stuff was somewhere else.

Elsie had no problem with his relationship so there was nothing stopping them from moving into the same room other than it felt like a rush. Just because they lived under the same roof didn’t mean they had to share a room.

“You’re home early,” Crystal said when she turned for him to kiss her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said and went back to finishing dinner.

“Uncle Nix,” Elsie yelled. “I want to show you what I did in school today.”

“Let me see,” he said. Only one more week of school and then Elsie would be out for the summer. Crystal would be busier than before, having to entertain the little girl all day long.

They’d already talked about Elsie having friends over or going to friends’ houses, even some summer camps that were half day.

Money definitely wasn’t an issue. He almost felt guilt over his bigger paycheck, then reminded himself that was crazy. This was his creation. Without it and what he discovered and had patents on, none of this would be happening.

Elsie left the room and brought back a picture she’d drawn of the three of them. “That’s wonderful,” he said.

“It’s for your office,” she said. “It’s small enough for you to get a frame for it.”

“I think I’m going to have to get one,” he said. “I’m going to put it in the lab instead.”

He was going to be spending more time in there soon anyway.

“Yes,” Elsie said, doing a little dance.

“What move is that?” he asked

Crystal rolled her eyes. “Something she learned in school. She said her friend Maddy taught her.”

He wasn’t sure he liked the way Elsie’s hips were twirling around, but he wanted to think it was like a hula-hoop and not belly dancing.

“I’m going to take a quick shower if there is time.”

“There is,” Crystal said and went back to checking whatever was in the oven.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “You look off.”

“I’m fine,” she said.

But he didn’t believe it.

He was trying not to get too worked up. Everything seemed to be too good to be true. Even in most of his family’s lives.

West was married. Braylon was engaged and even Laken got engaged after West’s wedding last month.

He’d spoken to West twice since the wedding, but most of his communication lately had been through Laken and even Nelson. Nelson and Memphis had a lot in common and West thought maybe Nelson could spend some time here too.

He knew Nelson was overseeing Jamie’s company but was not needed as much as when they were getting it set up and running months ago. And since Nelson did a bulk of the work before production could start and even hired key staff, Phoenix wasn’t going to question anything.

When he was done with his shower, he came back into the kitchen to see the food on the island and Elsie ready to dig in. She had an appetite but most likely burned it all off because she never sat still.

He caught Crystal yawning and wondered if maybe she was tired and needed a break.

She hadn’t gotten a day off since she’d been hired. Even if she wasn’t working on the weekends, she was still around and hanging out with him.

Yeah, he was taking advantage of things and would address that later when Elsie was in bed.

They finished dinner and he stood up to say, “I think Elsie and I are going to clean up. Crystal does way too much. She should be done working by now.”

He got into the habit of letting her do it all and that was wrong on his part.

The original agreement was she’d feed Elsie if he was late, but it quickly turned into her having dinner every night during the week and then when they started to date, even on the weekends.

“It’s fine,” she said.

“No,” he said. “It’s not. Go relax. You look tired. I’ve got this.”

“Elsie needs a bath.”

“She can miss a night,” he said. “Or I can have her do it and not wash her hair.”

“Whatever you decide,” she said.

It wasn’t like her to give in that quickly and he started to panic that he was going to get hit with bad news.

Once Elsie was in bed and sleeping, he went upstairs to see Crystal on the couch looking at her phone and frowning.

“Let me start. You’re tired and overworked. I realized you haven’t had a day off because even on the weekends you’re spending it with us and doing things. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think I planned that and I should have noticed. I’ll do more on the weekends and pitch in. You shouldn’t be doing it all.”

She stood up and started to cry and he raced toward her and pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “I’m pregnant.”

She was bawling her eyes out on his chest. It wasn’t the news he was expecting and least of all the reaction to it.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant. I took a test a few days ago and thought for sure it was wrong but then went to the doctor today.”

“You thought you might be pregnant and haven’t said a word to me? How far along are you?”

“Eight weeks,” she said, crying harder. “I didn’t realize I never got my period in April. It was due around the wedding and I was so nervous and there was so much going on and then I forgot. I’m such an idiot. How do I forget about something like that?”

“Shhh,” he said. “It’s fine.”

“No,” she said. “It’s not. You wear a condom. I don’t get it.”

“Nothing is guaranteed,” he said.

“I messed everything up,” she said. “I always do this. Just when things are going well, something like this happens.”

“Stop,” he said. “There isn’t anything to get upset over. It’s not planned, but I’m not upset. Or do you not want a child?”

That thought had never crossed his mind. Not with as great of a job as she did with Elsie.

“I do,” she said. “But not like this. We haven’t been dating that long and now I’m going to have your baby.”

“I wish you’d told me what was going on when you realized you were late,” he said.

She was crying even harder. “I’m sorry. I just forgot and then I realized I was due now and all of a sudden I started to think back that I didn’t remember when I got it in April. I hadn’t marked it on my calendar. I ran and got a test and then called the doctor to make sure.”

“All I care about is that you’re healthy and the baby is too. The rest can be figured out. It’s not a horrible thing. Not to me.” He pulled her to the couch.

“I don’t want this to be horrible, but it’s like one more thing in my life that I failed on.”

“You didn’t fail at anything,” he said. “We love each other. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not upset. Shocked, sure, but you’ve had a few more days to absorb this than me.”

Which explained why she seemed off for a few days and he just chalked it up as she had things on her mind. Or maybe it was his fault for not seeing that there was more going on because he had so much on his mind.

“I should have told you, but I wanted to be positive. I don’t want to add stress to your life.”

“You’re not,” he said. “When are you due?”

“Christmas day,” she said. “Can you believe it? I mean at least it’s longer than a year I’ve worked for you. By a month but not much more.”

“Don’t think of those things,” he said.

“What are your parents going to think? I bet they’ll think I did it on purpose.”

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks and he hated she was taking the blame for something that was blameless. He didn’t want to say accidents happened, but this wasn’t planned.

“My mother is going to be thrilled. They love you. They aren’t going to think that.”

His siblings liked Crystal a lot. He had expected his sisters to give her a hard time when they met, and they actually didn’t, which surprised him.

“I hope not,” she said. “My parents don’t even know I’m dating you and now I’ve got to tell them I’m pregnant. I’m just not ready for that. I haven’t even told Taylor yet.”

“Don’t rush then,” he said. “No one needs to know in your family. You’ve got mine. I think you should move down to my room. There is no reason for you to stay up here anymore.”

“So you don’t want me to be the nanny?” she asked, her face appalled.

“No. I mean yes. Nothing is changing there. But we love each other. We are in a relationship. You’re carrying my child. If you lived in another place I’d ask you to move in with me. You only need to move downstairs, but if it’s too much, then take your time. But I’d like you there before the baby comes.”

“I will,” she said. “I need time. I know that sounds horrible.”

“It doesn’t,” he said. “Trust me, I know what it’s like to have a lot of change happen in your life in a short period of time.”

In all aspects of his life.

“And I just added another one to it.”

“A good one,” he said. “And looking back, the past year, all the changes have been somewhat good. Yes, I wish Maryn were still here. I’ll never stop wishing that, but I’ve got Elsie and she’s always felt like a daughter to me anyway.”

Elsie still hadn’t called him Dad, but he wondered if maybe she would once the baby came.

Something to think of on another day.

“I want you to know I’m not going to ask you for a lot,” she said.

“Stop right now,” he said. “You’re going to piss me off. I mean it. I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. You should know that by now.”

“I know. I’m just more emotional than I normally am. Maybe it’s the hormones.”

“Maryn was like that. It was hard to keep up. I went through it with her and can with you. I’ve even been to birthing classes. I’ve got this covered.”

She started to laugh. “I’m not sure why that is funny to me, but I guess I’m glad to hear it. I’m sorry, Phoenix. I really am. I didn’t plan on any of this, but it seems to be the story of my life.”

“It’s time we rewrite that story. Do you mind if I call my mother and tell her?”

“No,” she said. “I’m going to wait to tell my family, but if you want to tell yours, you can.”

“Do you want to be with me?” he asked.

“You can do it alone. Let me know what she says. I think I’m going to take a bath if you’ll let me use your tub.”

“Go on,” he said. “Relax and try to turn it all off for now.”

He went downstairs to his office to give her privacy and called his mother.

“Hi, Phoenix. What’s going on?”

“I wanted to tell you that Crystal is pregnant. I just found out.”

“That’s wonderful,” his mother said.

He smiled. “I knew you’d feel that way. She’s a wreck.”

“Why?” his mother asked.

“We haven’t known each other long. She works for me. She’s worried everyone is going to think she did it on purpose. If anything, it’s my fault. I’m the one that protects us and obviously something went wrong.”

“It is no one’s fault when there is a baby involved. One or multiples?”

Shit, he hadn’t even thought of that. “I’m going to assume one. She’s due on Christmas and is eight weeks along. We are just telling family right now.”

“You sound excited over it,” his mother said.

“I am. I didn’t think I would be. I need to step up my game around the house too and she’s upset over that and told me not to. That it’s her job.”

“I’m not going to tell you how to navigate your dynamics. That is up to you. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”

“I’ll try to at least,” he said.

“Can I talk to Crystal?”

“She’s taking a bath right now. Why don’t you give it a few days? We’ll need to let Elsie know too.”

“Is this a secret still?”

“I’ll let you know when it’s safe to tell someone other than Dad.”

“I can keep it quiet for now. Congrats and have a good night.”

He walked to his room and saw Crystal in there filling his tub. “Well?” she asked.

“She’s just as thrilled as I am. It’s all good.”

“If you say so,” she said, moving into his arms. He hugged her tight and smiled before he kissed her forehead.

“I say so.”