I Don't Belong To You

Chapter 33

She wouldn't go so far as to say she's being "distant," but she's certainly been less present.

She's not a deadbeat, she's checked in each day to see how she and Mango are doing, but she really can't bring herself to face Freen.

Not yet, at least.

Eventually, they're going to have to talk about it. About how Freen hasn't told her own family that she's having a baby. About how she's embarrassed to tell her mother she's having a baby with a woman. Using said woman's own sperm.

And it's not like she blames her. Honestly, she gets it and it makes her almost unsure of what she's angry about.

Maybe it's the lack of conversation about it. Or Freen's defensiveness. Or maybe it's the fact that at the end of the day, she has no one to vent to about this. She's been so busy most days that she hasn't had the time to consider Neal's absence, but it hits particularly hard today.

After discussing it with Freen, she had determined that she wanted to try to figure things out with him but she wasn't sure what that looked like. Her reaching out? Her waiting for him to do it?

Would he? ....Would she?

"What's on your mind, kiddo?"

Her eyes narrow so quickly that David immediately puts his hands up.

"I regretted it as soon as I said it."

She rolls her eyes but decides to cut him some slack. He's definitely been growing on her over the last few months. And, unlike her mother, he didn't even try to remind her they'd had a baby already when she insisted they get CPR certified. He'd nodded and said 'of course' and she'd appreciated that more than she could put into words.

So he's officially okay in her book. And maybe that's why she feels like talking, opening up for once.

"I...Freen and I kinda...had a fight, so I'm just sort of trying to figure out what to do."

"I suggest flowers. Is she the flowers type?"

She chuckles to herself, remembering the one time she'd brought Freen flowers. "Yes, she is. But I don't think I owe her an apology this time. If you can believe it."

He smirks and comes around on the other side of the couch, taking a seat at the other end. "Now this I have to hear. What did she do?" He leans back with his arm over the back of the couch and she turns towards him, actually grateful to have someone as a sounding board.

"Well, we had an appointment Thursday and so we're sitting there and I asked her about what her family thought about the whole baby thing because, David, she literally never talks about them."

"Are they not close?"

"It honestly sounds like just her mom. Her dad passed away years ago and she's never mentioned any other family."

"That's weird. That's weird right?"

"I don't know? I mean, I guess I'd just have Rawee if she never got with you and had Ritchie so I guess...no?"

He nods in agreement.

"But still, the point is that she's 6 months pregnant and still hasn't told her mom yet. Now that's weird, right?"

He nods again. "Yeah, that's weird. Did she say why?"

She scoffs. "That's the kicker. She doesn't want to have to explain the details to her mom."

"Details?"

Her eyes flick down so his do too and it takes only another minute after she raises her eyebrows.