Page 128 of Family Bonds- Gabriela & Luca

“Not a big deal,” Adriana said. “You’ll be asked if you’re fully committed. Even if the child has special needs.”

He wouldn’t be insulted. “I’d think if anyone could handle that it’d be me.”

Her hand moved across the table toward his. “I mean no disrespect, but this is a teen pregnancy and for six months she wasn’t taking care of herself.”

The underlying words of if Taylor was now didn’t need to be spoken either.

“I understand. Once we get things in place, I’ll have more contact with her and her aunt, if it’s allowed. I’ll make sure she’s doing what she is supposed to, but that doesn’t mean I’m backing out.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

“But it will come up?”

“You would be surprised how many people change their minds when the child isn’t perfect,” Adriana said dryly.

“No, I wouldn’t. I see it all the time when parents don’t understand why their own children aren’t.”

Hours later, he was at the gym working off his frustration.

Or maybe it was just anxiety.

He stayed longer than normal, burned more calories, sweated more than he had in a long time, then left to shower and run errands.

When he was watching TV that night, his phone rang. He reached over and saw it was Gabriela.

“In the hospital?” he asked.

“On my way over there now. Got held up in the office and thought I’d call you before I started to see patients. How did it go?”

“About as I expected it to.”

He stretched his neck some, but it didn’t relieve the tightness.

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It wasn’t bad. Actually, Adriana said it went really well. It helps I’ve got a girlfriend.”

“I hear the humor in your voice. Be honest, it helpswhoyour girlfriend is.”

“Right on the first try.”

She laughed and the sound wiped away all the stress of the day.

He never realized how much he needed that joyful noise in his life.

Someone to find humor in the toughest of situations but keep him grounded at the same time.

“Don’t be that way,” she said, tongue in cheek. “I like knowing I’m good for more than warming up your bed.”

He snorted. “You’re good for a lot more than that and you know it. Does it really bother you though? I know that is one reason you struggled in finding a partner before. I hope you don’t think I’m using that to my advantage?”

“Oh good Lord, Luca. I’m busting your butt. I know you’re not. The fact that Adriana found out today means that you didn’t say it before. Not even when you called just trying to be paired up with someone. I thought you would have said who recommended you.”

He almost did, but decided he needed to do this on his own.

He couldn’t rely on someone else, not even knowing what the future held for any of them.

“Nope. I didn’t want that to make a difference.”