Page 105 of Blind Date
“Yale!” Tears formed in my eyes. “You said you wanted to go to NYU. Yale is so far.”
“Babe, Yale is literally an hour and a half from here,” I said. “It’s not far at all.”
“Shut up, Wes.” She wiped her eyes.
Zoey and I looked at each other. We both knew what this was about.
Later that evening,while Sam was getting ready for bed, I sat up, with my back against the headboard, feeding Charlotte her bottle before laying her down for the whole three hours she’d sleep until her next feeding.
“I can’t believe she wants to go to Yale,” Sam said, squirting some lotion on her hands and rubbing her legs.
“Why? It’s a great school. What’s really going on here, Sam?”
“Nothing. I’m just disappointed she doesn’t want to be a teacher.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Fine.” She turned and looked at me. “It’s always been just the two of us, especially after my parents moved to Florida. Speaking of them, they’re flying here in a couple of weeks for a visit.”
“Okay. It’ll be good to see them again. Go on.”
“It’s always been just the two of us. Us against the world. And now, she wants to leave me.”
“Babe, she’s only leaving to get a good education. She’ll be back. In fact, I have no doubt she’ll be home every weekend.”
“It’s not the same. Am I being selfish? Be honest.”
“Yes. Incredibly selfish.”
“You’re an asshole, Wes.”
“Babe, you just told me to be honest. You can’t stop your child from wanting to better herself. She’s an adult.”
“An almost adult,” she corrected me.
“She’s a very responsible, almost adult. You know that.” I lifted Charlotte over my shoulder and rubbed her back. She let out the loudest burp I’d ever heard come from her, and then she fell asleep. I carefully lay her in her bassinet. “Come here.” I held my arms out to Sam. She snuggled against me.
“I’m gonna lose her to new friends and some guy who will end up breaking her heart.”
“No, you’re not. The relationship you and Zoey have goes far beyond mother and daughter. She’s going to miss you so much, and that’s why she’ll be home every weekend.”
“You think?” she lifted her head.
“I know it.” I kissed the top of her head.
“I’m just being hormonal right now,” she said.
“Yes. Yes, you are.” My arms around her tightened. “You have one full year left with her. Now, give me those beautiful lips.” I smiled.
Zoey and Gretastepped inside Kleinfeld’s and held the door open while I pushed the stroller through.
“You waited too long,” Zoey said. “There’s no way you’ll get a dress in time.”
“The wedding is in five months. I have plenty of time. Besides, I wanted to lose my baby weight before I tried dresses.”
“Oh, please.” Great waved her hand. “You lost every ounce of baby weight the second Charlotte came out of you. Look at you. You’d never know you just had a kid. Bitch.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
