It feels like we’re pulling our weight equally, both of us pulling each other closer while we walk arm in arm out onto the sidewalk.

I spot Daniel’s car parked conspicuously, right in the middle of the loading zone in front of the building.

“Wait, you can’t park there,” I squawk with amusement.

“That’s what I thought, but then I tried it and found out how easy it is.”

I lean away from Daniel to see if I can spot a ticket on his car’s windshield, or a boot on one of the wheels. Daniel snaps me out of it by unlocking the doors remotely. The headlights flash, and the horn honks, giving me enough of a start to straighten back up.

Daniel laughs a free, easy laugh, and I get a little infectious laughter from him.

It starts out as infectious laughter, anyway, but soon we’re both laughing hard at nothing but our own happiness—and excitement.

Daniel’s done laughing by the time we reach the car, but he still has the goofiest, least self-conscious grin I’ve ever seen on him when he opens the passenger side door for me. I nod politely, which inspires Daniel to laugh again, just for a second.

Sliding into the seat and hearing Daniel shut the door, I feel a little of my cheerfulness drain. I don’t know why I suddenly have the idea that we’re not on the same page, at least not at this very moment.

And I’m surprised how upset that vague notion is making me feel. I begin breathing a little harder while I watch him walk in front of the windshield around to the driver’s side.

“Daniel,” I begin as soon as he opens the door. “May I ask you a question, please?”

“Sure.” Daniel keeps his eyes on me while he lowers himself into the seat and closes the door. “You sound so formal...and don’t forget your seatbelt.”

I can’t say why I love the fact that he mentions the seatbelt so much, but I already feel better. We both fasten our belts, and Daniel’s already started the car and pulled smoothly into the traffic before I remember my question.

“Oh, what I wanted to ask, was...”

Daniel slows to a stop at a red light, and looks at me attentively.

“...what’s the reason you think we’re having dinner tonight?”

The light turns green, and the taxi behind us starts honking immediately, but Daniel keeps his attentive face right on me.

Although―now he has that big, unapologetic grin again.

“Because we’re celebrating.”

“Celebrating what?”

“Celebrating our future. Together.”

“Together? As parents?”

“Of course!”

Daniel finally drives through the light, and I feel almost weightless with elation, like the seatbelt’s the only thing holding me in place.

I do know that, but I just needed to hear it again from Daniel.

The whole damn car feels feather-light, as if we’re not even moving, even though I can see that we’re coasting downtown along Varick Street.

I start flushing with excitement—not necessarily that kind of excitement, not this time, but overall excitement with things to come.

I shake my head slowly, unable to believe it.

Daniel turns quickly and effortlessly onto Worth. He looks at me, shaking my head, and I fully expect him to laugh some more.

“It’s hard to describe, but I feel it, too,” he says sincerely. “That’s just one reason I know we’re on the right path.”

If the seatbelt weren’t fastened and if Daniel’s moonroof was open, I would float off into the stratosphere for sure.

The car glides on air to the curb, where a valet is already waiting for us.

“How are doing tonight, sir?” I hear the valet ask while I start opening the door.

Somehow, Daniel transports himself to just outside the passenger door, and he finishes the job of opening the door as I step out onto the street.

I hear animated but hushed talking behind me. People are spotting Daniel, wondering who he’s out with. I ignore it, letting it blend into the background.

If Daniel’s affected by the nearby gossip hounds, he’s not showing it. His eyes stay right on me, and they stay there as we walk into Atera and sit down at our table, and even as Daniel orders the Krug Cuvee Brut.

“We’re celebrating,” Daniel announces to the waiter as his gaze remains focused on me across the table.

The waiter leaves silently to get our champagne. For the first time since we got to the restaurant, Daniel breaks his stare as he glances at my hand resting on the table. He touches the top of my hand lightly with just his fingertips.

“Do you think people are still watching us?” I ask.

“I couldn’t care less.”

“Do you care what they’ll write on Facebook tonight? On the forums?”

“Hey, gossipers, make sure to get this down...” Daniel isn’t yelling, but he’s being loud enough that anyone who’s listening will hear. “This is official, we’re together. Write about that on your goddamn message boards!”

“Official, huh?” I feel myself blushing slightly.

“I just want them to get it right, for once.” Daniel’s back to his conversational tone.

“Since that’s the case...what next?”

I watch Daniel, waiting for his answer. The silence is punctuated by the sound of a champagne cork popping close to my ear.

“What’s next is that we’ll figure it out.”

The waiter fills both champagne flutes.

“I’ll be back with the first course,” he declares before disappearing again.

“You’re saying you’ll figure it out.” My mouth is getting strangely dry, and I take a sip of champagne.

“That’s what I’m saying. There are other doctors, specialists I can talk to. Money’s no object, and there’s no shortage of specialists in this city.”

I nod my head, staring at the bubbles rising to the surface of his champagne.

“You haven’t already been to every specialist on Earth?”

Daniel shrugs and takes the first sip of his drink. “I haven’t had this much motivation before.”

I let out a laugh, I’m not sure why, and I help myself to a hearty swallow of my own drink. “It’s hasn’t even been two months, but, as you say―it’s official.”

Daniel takes another small taste of champagne.

“I think we both want the same things, Rose. To be parents, to be with each other...I know that’s what I want.”

Daniel lets his eyes finish his thought as gazes at me, a gaze that says volumes. I gaze back, hoping that my own look carries the depth of what I’m feeling.

“I’ll be there for you, and I’ll support you, and we’ll get this figured out together,” I tell him, in case my look isn’t clear enough.

The service at Atera isn’t overbearing, but it’s fast. We get through every delicious course, and there’s still some sunlight showing through the window.

“It’s only seven-thirty, or not even,” Daniel says, checking his wristwatch.

“This was kind of an early dinner...”

“That doesn’t mean it has to be an early night.”

I flush with excitement again. This time it is that kind of excitement, partially—but I’m also excited just to spend more time with Daniel. I actually missed him at work today.

After all those tasting courses, and all that champagne, I end up leaning on Daniel while we leave Atera.

“Hey, how much champagne did you have?” I ask when I see the valet bring Daniel’s car up to the curb.

“Two sips—you had the rest.”

Both of us crack up, and we keep laughing all the way back to Daniel’s building.

I’m still leaning on Daniel when we’re in the elevator, but then he starts leaning slightly in my direction, and I start leaning harder on him, and we both just keep fucking laughing.

We’re both standing upright but still laughing gleefully when we walk into the penthouse.

Then our laughter stops.

It doesn’t peter out, but it just ends like someone lifted a needle off a record.

There’s a woman, standing right in the foyer, staring at us. She looks familiar, but the sight of her glaring at us is enough to scare away any memory I might have of her.

She has strawberry blonde hair and kind of a loopy expression and…shit, there’s a child standing right in front of her.

He can’t be more than six at most. The woman’s hands are on the boy’s shoulders, and he looks almost as confused as I am.

Okay, don’t freak out, just figure out what the fuck is going on first.

Where do I even begin? I try opening my mouth to ask a question, like Who are they?, but I can’t.

“Daniel.” The woman’s voice breaks the nervous silence, and the sound of her saying Daniel’s name incites a wave of nausea. “We need to talk.”

The woman walks over to Daniel with one arm over the boy’s shoulders. She’s looking at him with laser focus.

I feel paralyzed. Daniel looks at me.

“Rose…” Daniel says softly.

“Daniel, this is Darren. He’s your son.”

Amazingly, Daniel’s expression doesn’t change, and he’s still looking at me.

The nausea’s gone, and so is every other feeling.

I just feel numb.

The only thing I can feel are fresh tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Daniel, did you hear me?” The woman’s voice sounds like it’s coming through a long tunnel.

Daniel’s arm starts shaking slightly, and I realize it’s because I’m shaking. I hear myself let out a plaintive sob.

“Rose, don’t listen to her. We need to talk about this.”

Daniel’s voice is level and assured. I don’t know how to respond, but it doesn’t matter, because I don’t think I can, anyway.

“Daniel?” The woman’s voice sounds clearer this time, and with some effort, I stop shaking.

“I think you should talk to her first,” I hear myself say.

I back away from Daniel, letting his hand fall from my shoulder.

“Rose...”

I walk to the door and open it, hearing Daniel say my name several more times, pleadingly, as I leave.