Love, Exes, and Ohs (Cactus Creek #4)(54)

“Sure. Is there anything I can do? A friend of mine, Lia—you remember her, Blake loves her—has a gadget whiz for a brother who’s doing work on biofeedback rehab right now, I can ask him to talk to your—?

“That’s not what I wanted to talk about,” interrupted Darcy. “Sorry. There isn’t much time before Blake comes back and I wanted us to really talk about this.”

Xoey just nodded then, wanting Darcy to get out whatever was on her mind.

“I want you to regain custody of Blake.”

For a second, Xoey was too stunned to speak.

So Darcy kept talking. “My doctors have described what my future will look like with not just the injuries to my spine, and thus my limbs, but also the damage to my brain. I’ll be in constant care for the rest of my life, and the older I get, the worse my brain symptoms may become.”

She sighed. “I want Blake to have a childhood. He lights up when he’s with you. But lately, he’s been so worried about me, and working so hard at being brave and positive that I feel like I’m stealing some of his childhood away. He’s a great kid and he deserves a great parent that can take care of him. I can’t, not without help.”

“Darcy, you know I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“I know you would, and so would Vivian. And I know that somehow, we’d make it all work. But I don’t want to just ‘make it work,’ I want Blake to have the childhood he deserves. You can give that to him, Xo.” Darcy looked down at her arms. “The other day, after I woke up from my coma, Blake had held out a picture that he’d drawn for me and I couldn’t reach for it. His face crumbled right then and there…and I couldn’t hug him. His own mother wasn’t able to hug him and comfort him, Xo. I don’t want that kind of life for him. I don’t want him to have to worry about how to help me up if I fall one day. I don’t want him to have to help me use the bathroom and bathe if my sister can’t do it that day. I want better for him.”

Xoey felt the same barrage of pain she’d had when she first gave up Blake, but she was feeling it this time for her friend. No mother should have to go through that if there was an alternative. “Darcy, giving up a child… That was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. I don’t want you to rush into this decision. Let me at least introduce you to my friend’s gadget brother. He’s been working with my friend’s fiancé to help soldiers who suffered paralysis from injuries. I’ll call him to see if he can help—”

“Is this you saying no, Xoey?” interrupted Darcy. “Because I’m not changing my mind.”

Darcy always did cut to the chase.

“Of course I’m not saying no.”

“Then why the hesitation? Are you concerned about Blake affecting your relationship with Isaac?”

She did a double take. “Never.”

Darcy gazed at her. “He’s Blake’s biological father, isn’t he?”

“Vivian told you?”

“No. She just told me that you were able to find Blake’s biological father, but she didn’t tell me who it was.” Her eyes softened at the corners. “Blake has his smile. I put two and two together.”

“Darcy, I was going to tell you as soon as I was done processing it. I’m not even sure how to tell Blake, how to explain to him that I didn’t know his dad’s identity until now, even after having dated him for months, and having had him as a best friend for a year.”

She thought back to what he’d said last night. “One thing I know for sure though, if everything hadn’t played out the way that it had, and he had known I was pregnant, he would’ve moved mountains to make it work. He would’ve been a good dad to Blake.”

“Maybe he still can be,” offered Darcy, gently. “You once gave Blake up for adoption because you knew I could provide a life for Blake that you couldn’t. Well now, the reverse holds true.”

Darcy looked at her for a moment before asking, “Do you remember when you first decided to let me adopt Blake?”

Like it was yesterday. “Yes.”

“Why did you choose me? Me specifically.”

“Because I met you and just…knew. I knew you were meant to be Blake’s mom.”

She smiled. “And that’s why I’m doing it too. Not because of biology but because you simply are his mom, in the same way you once thought I was. I want a mom for him who can provide him a life that I no longer can. And I choose you to be that mom. So will you do it? For Blake?”

Heart bursting from her chest, Xoey whispered, “Yes. Yes, I’ll be Blake’s mom.”

Darcy’s eyes took on an immeasurably relieved light.

…Before dimming slightly a minute later.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you…” She hesitated, but then gave Xoey a hopeful look. “Do you think we could still have the arrangement we’ve been having, but in reverse? Could we still spent the holidays together? Could I see Blake once a month?”

Xoey shook her head. “No.”

Darcy looked stricken, and speechless.

“I think at least once a week, sleepovers at least once a month, every single holiday and birthday. Graduation, prom. Special events. Every rehab gain you make in your recovery. Barbeques with his cousins. And whatever else may come up. We’ll be a team, you and I. We’ll be his moms together.”