Lili sat perched on the stool eating cereal and watching Noah. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and she was staring at his arm as he cut up fruit and fixed a large glass of chocolate soy milk on the tray.
“What’s that?” She asked, pointing to his arm.
Noah followed her gaze and turned his arm toward her, laughing at the wide eyes.
“She’s beautiful,” Lili breathed softly. “Who painted her on you?”
“Someone a long time ago,” he told her, helping her to the floor before they carried the tray to the bedroom.
“Breakfast in pajamas is nice,” Lili decided, carefully climbing onto the big bed and sitting at the bottom. Hannah lay face down in the center, blankets pooled at her waist and tank top slightly crooked.
“I think Sunday breakfasts will always be in pajamas,” Noah declared, setting the tray down and sliding to sit on his side of the bed, one finger out and tracing a line around one of her ears.
Hannah groaned and lifted her head, peering through bangs at the clock.
“It’s still dark outside…and it’s Sunday…aren’t you supposed to be chasing something in the streets?” She sighed, his deep laughter sending a funny little thrill through her.
“We brought you breakfast in bed,” Lili announced, taking one of the apples and biting down.
Hannah leaned up on her elbows, pushing her hair back. She met the amber eyes with a smile. “You’re spoiling me.”
“Yep. I fully intend to…I even brought the paper…”
“You know…” she said an hour later, all the food on the tray gone. “You’re very clever.”
“I have delusions along those lines now and then,” he admitted with a laugh, glancing over at the child playing on the floor with some toys she’d brought into their room. “You’re staring.” He glanced down at his bare chest to see if he’d spilled something.
“I’m trying to figure out how I got so lucky,” she said honestly, sitting in the center of the bed cross-legged, fingers idly turning the pages of one of the store ads.
“Huh…go figure…here I’ve been wondering that same thing,” Noah lifted the stack of papers and dropped them to the floor, including the one she was reading through. He tugged on her palms until she was lying stretched along him. “You have no idea how very good this feels…” He laughed when she wiggled. “Not that, although I won’t deny having you in my arms is an amazing feeling…”
“This…as in just a quiet Sunday morning with breakfast and you and me and Lili,” Hannah interpreted with a small nod. “I know…it’s good…it’s…”
“Right,” he said simply.
“We never discussed practical things, Noah,” Hannah said quietly, her head shaking at the honest confusion on his face. She moved carefully, lifting herself off him and sitting at his side, her hands up and framing his face for her kiss.
“Like…who takes out the trash?” He supplied hopefully.
“Alright…that’s part of it…how about money and…” She saw an immediate reaction in his eyes.
“I invited you and Lili to be part of my life. You’re my responsibility,” he told her simply.
“Noah, that’s…very…” she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
“Practical?”
“I was going with old-fashioned,” she said carefully.
“I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy, Hannah. I believe in taking care of my family, and you and Lili are my family,” he said honestly, frowning at the sudden watering eyes. “Hannah…are you going to cry…what’s wrong?”
She brushed his hands aside and rubbed her eyes quickly. Hannah watched him reach to the side and lift Lili to the bed.
“Can we play outside?” But she moved to lay next to Noah, his arm wrapping around the little body protectively. “This side is yours, mama,” she told her, patting Noah’s side gently.
“A girl for each arm…what more could a guy need in life?” He winked, opening his arm and smiling when Hannah curled against him. “I think we can go outside for a while…dress warm and we’ll go find eggs,” he laughed when she moved fast, sliding off the bed and running down the hall. “Hey! Take your toys with you!” He called out, the adults watching the little body return and quickly gather her dolls in their case.
“I think you’d better get dressed while I go supervise,” Hannah told him with a laugh, stopping when his palm touched her cheek.
“You have homework to do…” he kissed her lightly before leaving the bed and heading to the closet.
****
Hannah was still thinking about the whole circle thing as she wandered toward Frannie’s office the next afternoon. She sat with Frannie in her office, her head shaking.
“I don’t know what to do,” Hannah said simply. “In theory, it all sounds so easy. But…classes, and work and Lili and now Noah and…cooking and cleaning and shopping and…”
“I think you should slow down, Hannah,” Frannie suggested quietly. “Think for a minute. First, you must talk to Noah and make a decision.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for another baby, Frannie,” she said softly. “I love my work. I want to learn more and more…if I talk to Noah, he might…” she shook her head.
“I don’t know if this will help or not, Hannah…but having Noah in your life is part of the whole balance thing that’s missing in a single parents’ existence. Think about this weekend. Noah took Lili out to play while you got things accomplished. With or without Noah, you still had cooking and cleaning and shopping,” Frannie leaned back in her chair. “You’re four weeks pregnant. It would be a very simple procedure if you choose not to have a baby now.”
“I know…” Hannah stood up and went to the door. “I’ll make a choice on Friday. I have to think. Thanks for listening, Frannie.”
Noah shook the chilled can and slid it in front of Hannah as she read through her calendar at the counter on Wednesday morning. She absently lifted it and drank, a frown tilting her lips.
“I put in the address changes for my mail,” she commented, glancing at Lili as she finished her cereal. “Don’t forget…Lili and I are going to the mall at noon, so I’m not sure what time we’ll make it home.”
“I’ll be here a little after four,” Noah said with a shrug. “Barring complications…and I’m bringing pizza home,” he promised the little girl with a bright grin as his thanks. “We got a plan.”
“Mama?” Lili crooked her finger, whispering in her ear.
Hannah crooked her finger at Noah, passing on the whisper.
“She wants to know if you’ll come to show and tell this morning at ten,” Hannah asked softly.
“Tell her to ask me herself,” Noah returned, keeping a serious face. He watched the exchange continue until Lili put her spoon down and looked him in the eyes.
“Will you come to show and tell, please, Noah?”
“I would be delighted, Miss Lili,” he kissed her nose and grabbed up his keys before kissing Hannah. “Later. Drive careful out there.”
“You, too!” She called, quickly cleaning up the kitchen and getting Lili into her jacket. She wandered if she should have warned him about the show and tell Lili had planned, but decided to simply watch him at ten AM.
Eve sat in the room with the three year olds as they presented their first show and tell class. Lili sat on the side, looking over her shoulder now and then anxiously, her little face a taut frown until she saw the door open. Noah glanced around as he entered, inhaling slowly since he’d run most of the way to get there on time. He caught sight of Lili and was immediately trapped in the bright stars in her eyes, a broad grin on her face. He wasn’t the only adult there and was surprised when Hannah came in a few minutes later.
Hannah aimed the little video recorder and waited. Lili stood up when it was her turn and went to Noah, taking his hand and leading him to the front of the small room.
Other kids had also brought their parents and told why.
“This is Noah,” Lili told her class mates with a bright smile. She tugged on his hand until he dropped to his heels.
Noah frowned when Lili tugged on the white smock. He looked at her quizzically.
“What do you want me to do, Lili?” He glanced up at Eve and then at Hannah, the first shot of trepidation going through him when he saw her biting her lip.
“Take this off,” Lili said simply, pulling the smock off when he moved his arms back. “Now…turn this way…”
Noah felt his mouth open, his shoulders not moving.
“I want to show them,” Lili said with a frown, moving around him and trying to push his shoulder to face the kids and various parents.
“Lili, I don’t…” Noah looked into the wide blue eyes and groaned, his shoulder giving way to the child pushing, his sigh long. He watched her struggle with the sleeve, pushing it totally out of the way and stretching the fabric with her little hands.
“He’s a doctor and this is his healing angel. Isn’t she beautiful?” Lili whispered, her hand up to urge her friends closer. “He was in the Army and helped soldiers live. That’s his job.”
None of the kids saw the flush of heat in Noah’s cheeks as they admired the tattoo. The kids all returned to their seats and Hannah felt her heart jump when Lili tiptoed and kissed his cheek.
“You’re the best daddy ever,” she told him with a hug.
Noah felt his world explode, his arm out and holding her close for a few seconds. He knows he heard Eve congratulating the kids and he heard parents gathering kids for the early start to the Thanksgiving weekend. Until he saw the video, he didn’t know he was wearing such a big grin on his face.
He watched Lili go off with some friends and play, his attention on the woman watching him.
“You knew what she was going to do,” he said, walking with Hannah to the hallway.
“She asked me if it was okay,” Hannah admitted. “I didn’t know about the last part. She never asked me…if it’s okay…are you alright with that? If not, Noah, I can talk to her…”
“Huh…yeah…it’s okay,” he answered, feeling warm all the way to the floor. “I’ll see you later. I’ve got appointments to see…” He kissed her and took off at a light run along the corridor.
Hannah was still puzzling through the look deep in his eyes as they shopped. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of being a father at all. Being responsible did not mean being against, she thought.
Frannie was right. She had to talk to him before making a decision.