“Alright.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

***

THE NEXT NIGHT, I COULD BARELY CONTAIN my excitement as I headed to Soraya’s for a surprise visit after work. The bandage would be coming off, and I could finally show her my tattoo.

With Chloe’s birthday party this weekend, revealing it to her tonight would be good timing. It would remind her how important she was to me.

I had worked late and made the decision to drop by unannounced with some of her favorite Mexican takeout.

Soraya buzzed me in no problem, but when she opened the door, her mood seemed off.

“Graham….I wasn’t expecting you. Come in.”

Pulling her toward me, I slid my hand down her back and gripped her ass. “Are you not happy to see me?”

“No, it’s not that.”

I placed the paper bag of food on her kitchen table. “I have a surprise for you. I couldn’t wait to come here tonight to show you.”

“What is it?”

Taking off my jacket, I said, “Let’s eat first. I brought your favorite enchiladas from No Way Jose’s.”

Soraya was quiet all throughout dinner. Something was definitely off. I wondered if she was just nervous about going to the Hamptons this weekend.

I took her plate. “Want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

Dodging my question, she said, “Not really. Tell me what the surprise is first.”

It felt odd presenting the tattoo to her when she was in such a morose mood. It wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured this moment, but I wasn’t going to be able to hide it much longer since I had every intention of fucking her out of that bad mood later. She was going to see my chest one way or the other.

“Okay…this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and had it done. I hope you like it.”

Soraya bit her lip in anticipation as I slowly unbuttoned my shirt. My heart was pounding. What if she thought it was creepy? Shit. It was too fucking late. She watched as I tore the tape off.

“It’s still a little red,” I said, oddly nervous.

She covered her mouth. “Oh, my God. Graham…it’s…”

“Do you like it?”

Her eyes glistened. “It’s amazing.” She looked down at her foot. “It’s exactly the same as mine.”

“Of course. Tig did it to match.”

She traced the area around my tat as she examined the tattoo placed strategically over my heart. It was Soraya’s name written out in script. Underneath the letters was a smaller version of the same feather design she had on her foot.

“I thought the feather was the perfect accent to your name. Our story might have been different if I hadn’t been able to use it to identify you back when we first met. I’m very thankful for that feather.” She was still silently looking at it in awe when I said, “You know, it’s no coincidence that the other tattoo I had was nowhere near my heart. You’re the only woman who’s ever fully owned it.”

Tell her you love her.

Why is it so damn hard to just let it out?

Because you’re afraid she won’t return it.

Her hand was still tracing the tat. I covered her fingers with mine to stop the motion and to get her attention. “Soraya…I Io—”

“Graham, I’m late.”

Late?

“What?”

“I’m late.”

“You’re late? What do you mean? Late for what?”

“My period. I’m late. I’m scared.”

I blinked several times. “You think you might be pregnant?”

“I’m on the pill. It’s unlikely, but I’m never late. So, I’m worried. I just looked at the calendar and realized it today.”

Well, now her bizarre mood made total sense.

“Could there be other reasons to explain it?”

“I read that stress can cause a delay sometimes. So, I’m hoping that’s what it is. This is the last thing you need right now.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Yes. Of course, I am! You’re just coming to grips with having one child. This would be too much.” She buried her face in her hands. “Too fucking much.”

I moved her hands down from her face and pulled her into me. “Soraya, I agree the timing wouldn’t be ideal, but make no mistake about it, the idea of you carrying my baby brings me nothing but happiness. I don’t think you’re ready…no…but if it happened, I would look at it as a blessing.”