“I know you are, Mandy, but it’s okay to ask for help. To lean on those who care about you.”
I nod and swallow past the lump in the back of my throat. “She’s out.”
“Should I put her to bed?” he offers.
“Oh, I can do it.” I unfold my legs from beneath me and stand from the couch.
“I’ll do it. The less we jostle her, the better. Lead the way, Momma.” He grins, and I can’t help but smile back at him, before turning on my heel and leading him upstairs to Mia’s room.
Standing back, I watch as Will kisses the top of her head before he turns to me. I do the same before he gently lays her down in her crib. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he whispers.
Will steps back, and I take my turn, kissing my girl goodnight, even though she’s already sound asleep. His eyes find mine, and without a word, he places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the room.
Together, we make our way downstairs, and Will heads for the pizza box.
“I can get that. You’ve done so much for us tonight.”
“It’s no trouble. Where do you want it?”
“Oh, I’ll take it out to the garage.” I reach for the box, but he steps back out of reach.
“I’ll take it. Do you have anything else that needs to go out?”
“N-No.”
“I’ll be right back.” He moves toward the door that leads into the garage. I hear him remove the trash can lid, then return before the door clicks shut. “Thank you for the company. It was nice.”
“It was. Thank you for dinner, and for rescuing us.” I take a step toward him. “It meant a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have anywhere you need to go tomorrow?”
“Oh, uh, not that I can think of.”
“What about Monday?”
“I work on Monday. I’m a nine-to-five girl, but my hours are flexible, which is great for a single mom.”
He nods. “How far away is Mia’s day care?”
“It’s a block away from work.”
Another nod as he raises his hand to run it over his beard. “Good. I’ll be here Monday around seven-thirty. We’ll drop off Mia, and then I’ll take you to work.”
“I can call an Uber.”
“Yeah, you could, but why would you when you have me? You girls don’t need to be driving around with a stranger. Besides, I still have the base of her car seat in my truck.”
“I have an extra. It came with two.”
“Mandy.” He sighs and takes a step closer. When he lifts his hand, I hold my breath as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “Let me help you.”
“I’m afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“That leaning on someone will make me weak. I have to be strong for her. I’m all she has.”
“That’s not true. She has Bellamy, Reid, Coral, Candice, Cliff, me, and a good portion of my offensive line and their families. You’re not alone, Mandy. Lean on us. Lean on me.”