“Baby apocalypse?” Addison burst out laughing. She sat forward and snagged her drink and took a healthy sip.
“I’m serious. It’s starting to feel physical. Like my uterus and ovaries are sending me push notifications that they are willing to go to work at a moment’s notice.”
“Girl, you are killing me.” Addison giggled.
“I’m not joking. I see a baby, I get emotional. I smell baby lotion and I’m almost brought to tears. I pass the baby clothing in a store, and the next thing I know, I’m holding a onesie up against my face like a weirdo.”
“That is bad.” Addison fanned her face while tears rolled down her face.
“It’s worse than bad.” Tachina slumped in her chair.
She glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. No one was listening to their crazed conversation.
“I get it. Kian is about to be five,” Addison said quietly. “You don’t want him to be an only child.”
“Exactly.” Tachina nodded. “I’m an only child, and I hated it growing up. I don’t want him to miss out on that built-in best friend. I mean, my cousins were cool when we were growing up, but I felt like the oddball or the third wheel when we were together.”
She sighed. She loved them dearly and knew it was returned. But there was a dynamic that they all had amongst them that she had missed out on.
“It makes sense.”
“And I’m not getting any younger.” Tachina inhaled and blew out a deep breath. At thirty-six years old, her biological clock was blaring quite loudly. “And dating is a wasteland. I’ve been on the apps. I’ve been on blind dates. They have all been disasters.”
“I know.” Addison nodded.
“You remember that one guy who tried to sell me life insurance? On our date? Or the one guy who asked if Kian could call him Dad on the second date?” She shuddered just remembering all of the horrible dates she’d been on. She couldn’t even remember one decent one that hadn’t almost had her considering switching teams.
“That one you should have blocked him and his whole damn family. Can Kian call him Daddy?” Addison muttered. “Kian has a damn daddy.”
“So…I want another baby,” Tachina swallowed. “And I know the exact person I’d want to do that with.”
“Wait…” Addison gasped. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Don’t tell me you?—”
“Vic.” She sat there and returned her friend’s wide-eyed stare.
The silence that fell between the two of them was palpable.
“You are going to ask Vic to impregnant youon purpose?” Addison gasped again.
“Yes.”
“You want to have another baby with the guy you usedto work with who you had a few one-night stands turned co-parent who you get along with better than any divorced couple in America?”
“Yes,” Tachina answered. This time her voice was stronger. She’d thought about it, and her answer was going to be yes no matter how Addison asked her.
“You are going to be the death of me.” Addison glanced at her glass. “Maybe Monica was right. We should have ordered the Jack.”
“It’s not a crazy idea,” Tachina said.
“It absolutely is crazy. I can’t even get this type of storyline on reality TV!”
“I trust him,” Tachina said softly. “We work well together. We never fight. We communicate. He respects me and decisions when it comes to Kian. He’s been consistent ever since we found out I was pregnant. I don’t want several baby daddies. That’s not me.” She screwed up her face at the thought of dealing with multiple guys with different kids. That was a headache she wanted to avoid.
“That is completely understandable.” Addison tipped back the rest of her tea as if it were something stronger.
“And Kian’s his only child. He might want another someday.”
“Or he might not,” Addison said carefully.