Page 35 of True Blue

“So… my mom’s always been extra protective of me,” he says, and I feel my body go still. “She’s just… never really thinks anyone is good enough. It’s not her decision who I date. Nana always said to follow my heart,” he grins broadly. “And it’s firmly pointing to you.”

I burrow into his arms and kiss his chest. “Okay.”

“She just wants the best for me, and it’s you, Indie. There’s literally no better.”

“Don’t put me on a pedestal, Teddy,” I say, though I’m smiling at his words. “We’ve been dating all of five minutes.”

“And remember what I said, Indie,” Teddy counters. “Anything I don’t know yet, I think it’ll just make me like you more.”

“I hope so,” I whisper.

“I know so,” he nods, his tone firm and final.

“There’s…” I trail off, unsure how to approach this.

After what we just shared, the passionate sex, the connection, the fragile trust I feel building in me for Teddy. I’ve trusted him with my body, with my space, and now I’m trusting him with my heart, no matter how terrified I am to do so.

“What?”

“I know we haven’t been dating very long, but I’m very practical about things, and I would rather talk about these things now before I fall even more in love with you—” I pause briefly at Teddy’s shit-eating grin at the reminder of my feelings. I gently poke his side, and he lets out a rumbling laugh, kissing my hair. “But I don’t want to freak you out about… future talk.”

“I won’t get freaked out.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Even talking about marriage?”

“That’s the natural progression of things.”

“Even my career potentially taking me to another state?”

Teddy shrugs. “I’d like to see the world.”

“Even… kids?”

Teddy’s eyes brighten. “You want kids, Indie?”

“One day,” I admit, my voice quiet. “When I’m an attending and established and married and… not saddled with medical school debt.”

“How many?” Teddy asks, sounding eager.

“Definitely one. Two, at the most.”

His smile turns a little dreamy as he murmurs. “A little you, a little me.”

The image is so vivid in my mind.

A mini Teddy, with big green eyes, his big smile, rolling around with his daddy as they wrestle in the living room.

And a little me, with my hair and eyes, jumping in the fun, tag-teaming with her brother to pin their daddy.

Turning to me, calling for mommy to help them.

Or maybe a little girl with Teddy’s green eyes and dark hair, and a little boy with my blonde hair and blue eyes.

It doesn’t really matter what they look like, because they’ll be half-Teddy and half-me. And they would be adored from the second they exist, and will always know it.

They’ll never grow up like me. They’ll know that their mommy and daddy love them. And as I meet Teddy’s tender gaze, they’ll know that their mommy and daddy love each other too.

“But that also leads to other conversations.”