Page 85 of Reticent

I lock eyes with my baby boy, just in awe of him. “No. I’m okay.”

“I’ll burp him when he’s finished.” Hunter yawns, resting his head against the elevated mattress.

“You should get some sleep,” I say.

“I’m just going to rest my eyes for a minute.” He lays his head on my shoulder, closing his eyes. I yawn, tilting my head to his. He’s asleep in seconds. “Liam is my world,” he mumbles, pulling my attention from Liam. “But you … you’re my heart.”

“Hunter?”

He doesn’t respond. Not with words, anyway. He does start to snore, which makes me wonder if he even knows what he just said.

I close my eyes and pretend that what he said was intentional. “And you’re mine. I love you, Hunter Demalio.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Six Months Later

I’m almost afraid to open my eyes. Not because I doubt Fatima’s skills. Many call her one of the most talented stylists of our generation. Her crowded salons and 1.2 million YouTube subscribers would agree. She’s even turned down concert tours with famous artists who wanted her skill set. I’m afraid to open my eyes because of the bold decision I made, and there’s no turning back. This is my first time in Fatima’s coveted chair. She agreed to fit me in on a Sunday. She’s usually booked out for months since she’s only here a couple of times a week.

“Are you ready to see it?” she asks.

I’m grinning stupidly. It feels like I’m on one of those makeover shows. “I’m ready.”

I open my eyes and gasp, slapping a hand over my mouth. I love it. Seriously. There are no words.

Wearing a confident smile, Fatima stands behind me with her hands on the back of my chair. “Damn, girl. You look hot.” She rakes her long fingernails through my silky tresses, purposefully disturbing my hair.

“I love it!” I turn my head from side to side, checking out all the angles of my pixie cut. It’s short. Really short. The longest parts are about three inches. It’s a bit of a shock but a good one. I’ve had long hair all my life, so this is new. It’s bold but soft and definitely sexy. And I love that it shows off the new tattoo on the back of my neck. Hunter and I went together for matching tattoos of Liam’s birthday in roman numerals. Hunter chose the inner forearm for his.

I hand Fatima my credit card, but she waves it away. “Thanks, boo, but it’s taken care of.”

“Hunter already paid you?” I put my card away.

“Yep. Sent it through the cash app this morning. I thought you knew.”

“I did not.” I’ve come to accept Hunter's insane need to spoil me.

Fatima pulls her ringing cell phone from her smock. Her face lights up when she sees who it is. “Hey, Q.” She checks the time on her Apple Watch. “I’ll be there in twenty. Love you, too.”

“Meeting hubby for lunch?”

She shakes her head. “No. It’s time for my shot.” I try to rein in my excitement because I know there’s no guarantee that the IVF will work. “Same time next week?”

“You can fit me in next Sunday?”

“Did you think this was a one-and-done?”

“I hoped not. But I know how booked you are, and Sundays are your day off.”

“True. I’m booked out a few months. Until my schedule opens up, we’ll keep Sundays because I want your ass in my chair once a week.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I wait for Fatima to gather her things from her station, and we leave the shop together.

“Did Jordyn ever show you that listing? The one down the street from you?” she asks.

“She did. It needs a lot of work.”