Falling Down The Rabbit Hole—of Love
Hearing her answer of "yes" to the date, had shocked Calleigh in spite of herself. She remembered what she had said to Eric in the garage that day. But all her resistance was gone out the window. She was drawn to the adorable pair and wanted to get to know them better. As she followed them in her car to the ice cream parlor and diner which was apparently close to the house where the duo lived in the basement apartment. Thanks to co-worker Tim Speedle, aka "Speed" she didn't understand it but she knew the situation with Nevaeh's mother. But most men wouldn't step up for their children and relied on their extended family to rear the child. His mother and no doubt, the rest of his family was very close to Nevaeh but Eric was indeed her primary caregiver and the person she trusted the most in the world. Calleigh shook her head when she thought she'd love to be the little girl's mom.
You're going way too fast! She scolded herself.
Just a week following their first family date Eric asked her if she wanted to "come over" after work, Calleigh offered to bring over take-out from a popular deli. When she entered the Delkos' apartment Calleigh got a cozy feel to it despite its small size. It felt like a home, not just a space. That was something else that surprised Calleigh because most single men she knew, dads or not, didn't put this much effort into their living space. She wondered how else Eric was going to surprise her.
After just seven days, she felt she was already falling down the rabbit hole—of love—with both Eric and Nevaeh. When Nevaeh appeared to remember her, running to Calleigh with a big smile and giving her a big kiss and hug when she saw her, the blonde's heart melted. This was something she get used to.
"Hello sweet-pea," she said to the child.
Nevaeh babbled and snuggled into Calleigh's shoulder After eating their sandwiches and milkshakes the trio sat down and watched , dressed only in a white undershirt. sprawled herself across Calleigh's lap.
"You're a lucky man," Calleigh said to Eric, rubbing the little girl's back.
Eric smiled. "I am."
The baby girl falling asleep across Calleigh's lap, turned over and looked at her. She smiled.
"Yes, sweetie. I'm talkin' 'bout you," Calleigh smiled.
When she realizing Calleigh, or "Cawwy" as she pronounced her during the visit was getting ready to leave, she cried and reached out to her. It melted Calleigh's heart.
"Aww, sweetie. You're all right. I'll see you again soon."
Nevaeh's tears didn't last long.
"You like that lady, don't you? I do, too."
Nevaeh pointed toward the door that Calleigh had just closed.
"Mami?" She said. "Mami!"
Eric's face paled, his daughter's words startled him so much.
Where was his daughter getting that word? The only time she ever heard it was at his parents' home when he and sisters spoke to their mother and when his nephews spoke to his sister. Nevaeh was too young to connect Calleigh's warmth to a mother.
Wasn't she?
Calleigh heard the Nevaeh's voice from behind the door she had just closed. Her heart stopped and her breath caught in her throat. Did she hear what she thought she did? Even if she did, Nevaeh was just a baby and babies babbled. This had to be only that, right?
It hadn't taken Eric long at all to calm Nevaeh and make her happy again. By morning, the tyke seemed to have forgotten all about the previous night. Both Eric and Calleigh had the day off because the next day they had to pull a twelve hour shift. During his daughter's nap, Eric called Calleigh the following afternoon and asked her to come over. He had something to talk to her about.
When she got there, Calleigh immediately asked if this conversation was going to be about what Nevaeh said yesterday night.
"Y-you heard that?" Eric asked, feeling and sounding shocked.
"Yeah."
"Listen, Calleigh. I really do like you a lot. I do," Eric replied. "But I also know dating someone with a child is a lot to deal with. Even with or especially Neveah's mother not involved. If you don't want to continue this, this, whatever it is, that's fine. I'll be fine, I swear. And Nevaeh will be, too."
Calleigh leaned forward on the sofa and touched Eric's cheek.
"Eric, I know dating someone with a child is a lot. I can handle it. I promise. I want to get know both of you much better. And as far as Nevaeh deciding to call me "mami"—I'm fluent in Spanish, by the way, so I know what that words means, and it's an honor," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. Both acknowledged that they didn't know where the relationship was going to lead but they felt that somehow the Delkos were meant to meet Calleigh, and she was meant to meet them. And regardless of how their own relationship turned out, Calleigh would continue to play an important role in Nevaeh's life.
In the days ahead Eric heard a million times from his family members how "careful" he had to be with Nevaeh becoming attached to Calleigh. Even if Calleigh was a wonderful person.
Well, duh! Eric thought about being "careful."
But doing that didn't mean Eric had to be single forever. And anyone who was going to be with him was going to a mother figure in his child's life. Eric hadn't told anyone about what Nevaeh had said that night. He could imagine what a can of worms that would unleash because he and Calleigh had only been dating a could understand his family's feelings because of their love for his daughter but whether or not his family understood, he had to take this leap of faith.
