Inflame

Her widen as they take in Kale’s hair, which is still pretty short but definitely not shaved down to the skin. “No way! I can’t imagine you without hair. You’d look pretty silly.”

He grins at her, and I see him visibly relax as they start a back and forth banter. Xavier catches my eye and gestures to the hallway, and I nod. He leans over the bed and gives Lily a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m going to head down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Want anything?”

Lily shakes her head and dismisses him as she goes back to chatting with Kale.

I follow Xavier out into the hall, and we walk in silence as we make our way to the cafeteria. I sit at a nearby table as he gets in line. When he sets a hot tea in front of me, I give him an appreciative smile. Scooting back the chair, he sits across from me.

“When I got the call from Kale about Lily, I felt my whole world crash around me. Just knowing she’d been hit and was lying in the hospital unconscious was enough to set me over the edge, and I probably broke at least ten traffic laws as I was racing to get here. It wasn’t until the doctor told me she was going to be okay that I was able to relax. And then once I saw her with my own eyes, smiling and laughing like nothing had happened, all my fear went away.”

Leaning across the table, I place my hand on his arm. “I can’t imagine what that was like, Xavier. I’m just so glad she’s okay.”

He nods, taking a sip of his hot coffee, and leans back in his chair. “Me too. Here’s the thing. I’ve known Kale for over ten years, ever since we bonded in boot camp. I don’t know what all he’s told you about everything that happened back then…” He pauses, and I shake my head.

“He’s never really talked about it. All I know is he’s Lily’s godfather, and he loves her like she’s his own. Honestly, it’s part of what drew me to him in the first place,” I admit.

He smiles and shakes his head. “Kale keeps a lot of things to himself,” he says, surprising me. The Kale I know seems like an open book, but then again, I know I have things in my past he doesn’t know about. I keep my mouth shut as he continues. “When Lily was just a couple of months old, Angela, her mom, decided Army life and motherhood weren’t for her. Long story short, here I was, a twenty-one-year-old kid with a newborn baby girl and an Army obligation. Kale didn’t hesitate to move in with me to help take care of her. He didn’t bat at an eye at the thought of changing diapers, midnight feedings, or making bottles. He jumped right on in like he was a part of the family. And that’s what he became.”

“I had no idea,” I whisper, and I honestly didn’t. I knew her mom wasn’t in the picture, but I didn’t have a clue that Kale had played such a huge part in her upbringing.

“Like I said, Kale keeps certain things close to his chest. It’s not my place to talk about it, but Kale was going through his own shit at the time, and as much as Lily and I needed him, he needed us, too. So whenever Kale claims that he loves Lily like she’s his own, he means it with his whole heart, and he’s earned that right. I’m telling you all this because I know him, and I know what he’s going to do. I saw it on his face the minute he walked into that hospital room and saw her all bandaged up. He’s going to blame himself, and no matter how many times I tell him I don’t blame him, he won’t listen. No matter how many times you try to reassure him, he still won’t listen. Hell, Lily could tell him herself that it was her fault, not his, but it won’t register for him.”

I nod, knowing he’s probably right.

He places his elbows on the table and gazes at me. “So just do me a favor. Be patient with him. He might be a moody, broody mess for a while, but that’s just how he’ll get over it as he works it out himself. My guess is he’s going to get a little overbearing, probably a lot overprotective over the next couple of months, and you’re probably going to have to just bear with him. I know how much he loves Lily, and she’s not even his own flesh and blood. That little guy?” he says, pausing as he gestures to my stomach. “Kale’s been waitin’ on him for a long damn time, and he’s going to love that kid with every fiber of his being. Hell, he probably already does, and this little scare with Lily is going to have his mind ru

There are so many things in Xavier’s little speech that have questions ru

When he tried to ask about it at Thanksgiving, I brushed him off and was able to change the subject. I don’t really think it’s a huge deal, but part of me didn’t want to admit to him that I hadn’t been wanted as a kid. And at the time, it was the reason for my hesitation at becoming serious with him, and I also didn’t want him to think I was comparing him to my dad just like Mom had done. The night of the ultrasound replays in my mind, and I eye Xavier, remembering that he was out with Kale that night.

“That night you guys went out, the night we had our first ultrasound… When I got home, Kale was a drunken mess, and he was practically passed out. He kept telling me never to leave him, and I have no idea where it came from. I’ve seen Kale intoxicated before, but never like that. He seemed…almost scared, like he really, truly believed I was going to leave him. What happened that night?”

Xavier lets out a deep breath and sits back in his chair as he fingers the cardboard sleeve on his coffee cup. “He was on edge that night, Lucy, and shaken from the reality of it all. It actually started to sink in that he’s going to be a dad, and as happy as he is, I’m pretty sure he was scared as hell. But he has his reasons for that, and it’s something you need to ask him about. As much as I want to, I can’t answer those questions for you. Just know, it has nothing to do with you. He loves you. Trust me. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you—like you’re a cherished treasure he still can’t believe he found.”

Bringing my cup to my lips, I try to mask a smile. “I feel the same way, you know? When Kale and I originally met, thanks to Lily, I never would’ve imagined we’d be here, but now that we are, I can’t imagine anything different. Don’t worry about him, Xavier. I’ll try not to let him get lost in his guilt. And if he’s overbearing, I’ll deal with it. If that’s part of how he needs to cope, I’ll let him—within reason, of course. He once tried to force me to take a bath instead of a shower because he was afraid I’d fall, but what he didn’t realize is I could barely get out of the tub once I was done.”

Xavier laughs, then slides his chair back and stands up, signaling the end of the conversation. “You’re good for him, you know that?”

Smiling up at him, I answer as honestly as I can. “He’s the best for me.”

He just nods, and as we walk back to the room, I replay the conversation in my mind. I’m sure Xavier’s just trying to look out for his friend, and I start to wonder just what all they’ve been through together. What happened to Kale that made him seek out a family in Xavier and Lily? My curiosity is ru

As much as I want to know all the answers, when I walk into the hospital room and see him holding Lily’s hand, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles, I know I’m going to have to wait. Even though Lily’s okay, I can feel the guilt radiating off of him, and it’s going to be hard as hell to help him push past it. For now, that’s where my focus has to be, and I silently whisper a prayer of hope that, whenever I do finally learn all the answers to my questions, it’s not too much for me to bear.