First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 51

  The hallway is quiet after the last bell. The calm settling over the building is starting to feel like home. My classroom still smells faintly of dry erase markers, and the stack of graded papers on my desk means I am finally caught up. I sit back in my chair, one hand resting on the gentle swell of my stomach and I let myself exhale.

  I am doing it. Really doing it and I liked being here. I always told myself I would never go back to teaching high school after I got on at the university but life happened and here I am.

  A knock pulls me from the moment. Before I can answer, the door creaks open and Taytum steps inside, holding a brown paper bag in one hand and a smoothie in the other.

  I smile, already feeling lighter. "You're spoiling me."

  "I'm staying on brand," Taytum says, walking toward me with that easy smile. "Turkey sandwich, apple slices, and..." She holds up the smoothie like it is a trophy. "Pregnancy shake number four. Mom's recipe."

  I laugh. "God help me."

  She sits everything down, pulls both our sandwiches out, then leans against my desk with her arms crossed. "You're actually glowing today."

  "That's sweat," I mutter, reaching for the smoothie.

  Taytum snorts. "Still counts."

  We eat like we usually do. Comfortable silence. Small smiles. Her foot nudges mine under the desk once or twice. I can't stop watching her. The way she looks at me like I am already more than enough. The way she keeps showing up like it isn't even a decision.

  I sit my sandwich down. "We should probably talk about some things."

  Her brow lifts slightly. "Yeah?"

  I nod, heart beating faster. "About the baby. About... us."

  Taytum doesn't move. She just waits, letting me go at my own pace.

  I pick at the edge of my napkin. "I don't want to do this alone. I know I can because I have before but I don't want to."

  She leans forward, elbows resting on the desk. "I'm in. You already know that. I want to be here. With you. With KK. With the baby. I want all of it, even the hard stuff."

  My throat tightens. "I just worry it's too much. That I'm too much."

  "It's not," she says softly, no hesitation. "You're not either, not even close."

  Something in me eases. Like I've been holding my breath for weeks and finally let go.

  I look up at her. "You keep saying you're in, but this is big, Taytum. It's not just helping out with KK after school. It's late-night feedings and doctor's appointments and baby-proofing your entire damn life."

  "I know," she says. "And maybe I'm young, and maybe I've never done this before but I'm not naive. I know it'll be hard. I just know I want to do this with you. All of it. As your partner."

  Those three words land hard.

  As your partner.

  Not just the young woman next door. Not just KK's favorite babysitter. Not someone passing through.

  Taytum reaches across the desk, her fingers finding mine. "It is real. I'm not going anywhere and I don't expect you to have it all figured out. I just want to be next to you while you figure it out."

  I blink and nod. "Okay."

  I curl my fingers around hers. Her thumb moves slowly over my knuckles, steady and grounding.