One and Only

Chapter 5

Avaa POV

The minutes felt like hours waiting for Khalil's appointment to finish up. Julia offered to stay for moral support and to keep me company, but she had her own patients to get back to and I didn't want to keep her from them and my own 12 o'clock had called to cancel, so I had nothing else to keep my mind off of what was happening. So she left, my mind wandered a lot. I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to talk about.

Did he want me to get the abortion? What would I do if he did? Or does he want to be involved in this kids life? Could we be a family? No that's crazy talk- I don't even know this man.

All kinds of things like that kept running through my head, but a knock at the door bought me back to reality.

"Avaa?" I heard Khalil say through the door. I got up from my chair to answer the door, and there he was. I walked to the chair that I usually sit in to talk with my patients and he sat on the couch across from me.

"Sooo" I let my sentence trail off. I mean what the hell was I suppose to say?

"Is it mine?" he said first. I got slightly offended, but I lost my attitude remembering that he doesn't know me from a can of paint, nor I, him. So he has the right to ask me that. Keeping my attitude in check, I simply responded,

"Yes, Khalil its yours. If you aren't sure, we can get a DNA test once its born if I keep it."

"Ok well first off, if you say this kid is mine that abortion shit is off the table. I don't care if other people do it, but that is my kid in there and I want the opportunity to be a father to it. I don't want an out, I want to be there for my kid and you. Second, I don't want to be another one of those people that are strangers but bring a kid into the world anyway. So, I'd like to take you out and date you because I want this kid to grow up in a loving two parent home. I'm not saying marry me right now, but at least consider being in a relationship with me." He stopped talking as if he was thinking if he had anything else to say to me, but apparently he didn't. Quite honestly, his response had shocked me. I wasn't expecting him to even want this baby, let alone want to attempt being a family.

"Your turn." he said trying to get me to say something.

"Um well I'm glad you want this kid and want to be in its life. If you're willing to try this parenting thing then so am I. But please be serious about that, I don't need or want to have this kid and then you decide fatherhood isn't for you."

His eyes darkened like they did earlier. Must've struck another nerve. Oops.

"I'm a man of my word Avaa, if I say I'm going to do something, I do everything in my power to keep to that."

He looked me in my eyes just as he did the first night we met, like he could see my soul and every flaw in me and said, "I'm so serious about this, I want to know you and this baby. I promise to do everything in my power to make the best of everything we have and can build together in the future. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were different, let me show you I can be the man you and this kid deserve in life."

Tears filled my eyes again. Fuckin hormones.

"Ok Khalil. I don't know you yet, but the look in your eyes in telling me you mean it and I'm willing to do this for our kid." At this point tears were running down my face.

"Oh don't cry. I hate it when girls cry."

"Its these stupid hormones, its been happening all day."

Khalil wiped my tears with the pad of his thumbs and asked me on our first date. He wanted to take me somewhere lowkey where we could talk and get to know each other. I suggested The Cheesecake Factory downtown on Walnut St. and he agreed. We traded numbers and he called to make a reservation for tonight at 8. Luckily, my last appointment should end around 5 pm.