Page 86 of Please Open Me
“My nightmare? Hard no.”
Mason nodded, extending a finger to Rosie. The baby wrapped her whole hand around it, sighing against her mother’s skin.
And I thanked God my dream had been just that.
A dream.
“Do you want to talk about what you want for your birthday?” Mason asked.
Fuck, that was in a month, wasn’t it?
I drew in a breath, thinking.
“I mean… nothing, really.”
When I worked for S.H.A.D.E., money wasn’t an issue. If I wanted something, I bought it. I’d never been much for gifts.
“I don’t really do birthdays,” I added.
When we started dating, Mason sent me a thousand-dollar LEGO set for my twenty-third. When I opened the box, I cried for three hours—not because of the gift itself, but because I’d mentioned it once in passing. Something I wanted but would never buy myself.
I never thought I’d be important enough for someone to remember something that small, let alone act on it. Let alone care.
And right now, I didn’t feel like I deserved anything at all.
“Besides, I didn’t get you anything for your birthday,” I said.
“My dad died, and I asked not to celebrate,” Mason deadpanned.
Goddammit.
“Plus,” she added, “you were sending me gifts the whole time we were long-distance.”
“No, those were care packages. You know, so your dad wouldn’t starve you to death.” I pointed to Rosie. “You’re welcome.”
Mason snorted and adjusted the baby, now starfished across the mattress in a full milk-induced coma. One leg was bent over my thigh. Her tiny fist rested near her mouth, like she was ready to fight someone in her sleep.
“I still like snacks, so they were great gifts,” Mason said, flashing me a crooked grin—the kind that showed the gap in her front teeth and lit up her entire face.
She was happy now. And that knowledge always hit me like a sucker punch.
“Okay, fine,” I said. “So I want something money can’t buy.”
Hopefully, that would end it there.
“So… Another baby?”
I choked.
“Absolutely-fucking-not.”
Mason froze for just a second. The light behind her eyes dimmed. Her smile didn’t fade, exactly, but something beneath it cracked.
“What, doyouwant another baby?” I asked, immediately regretting the words.
Mason looked down at Rosie, but her face was unreadable.
“I mean… when we started dating, you said you wanted three under three.”
