Spinelli's face lit up, causing Nadine to hug him impulsively. He was glad he was the father. She saw traces of anxiety, too, but overall, he was obviously thrilled that he was going to have a child.
"Thank you," he said with relief. "Now I know what I need to do."
"What's that?"
"Well, for starters, I need another place to live for me and my progeny. I've been looking online at potential apartments for the past few days, just in case."
"You're not staying with Jason?"
"No, I wouldn't feel right raising a baby under his roof."
"Because of his alleged mobster status?"
"Because he had a little girl who died. It would feel wrong for me to raise my child under his roof when his is gone."
He decided to tell her about Sam's baby rather than baby Jake; that was still not publicly known and Spinelli didn't want to cause trouble by telling Nadine before Stone Cold and The Maternal One decided their future.
He showed her some of the places he liked. She liked his choices. One of the apartments was in her building and she offered to go with him to see it. He accepted gladly.
"When do you think you'll move out of here?"
"I was thinking after the holidays. That'll give me plenty of time to prepare the baby's room, not to mention get use to living completely on my own. That's gonna be a weird experience. I lived with my Granny in Tennessee, then at the dorm, then here with Stone Cold, and for a while Samantha lived here, too."
"Sam McCaul?"
Spinelli nodded.
"She and Stone Cold were together for a while."
"Before Elizabeth?"
He looked at her cautiously.
"She said in the barn while you were with Lulu that she and Jason were in love, but that there were complications. Was Sam one of those?"
"I don't' feel I can discuss that without breaking Stone cold's confidence."
"Fair enough," she said, giving him an affectionate smile. "Everyone should have a friend like you, Spinelli."
He returned the smile, then invited her to Kelly's for something to eat.
Lulu was working at Kelly's and he told her about the test results and about his plan to leave Casa De Stone Cold.
"Does Jason know yet?"
Spinelli shook his head.
"I'm gonna tell him later today when I see him."
Georgie walked in and saw Nadine sitting with Spinelli. She wondered if she should go over and greet them. Were they on another date? Apparently not, because Spinelli saw her and motioned for her to come over with a big smile.
"Hi," she said happily. She looked at Nadine, then back at Spinelli. "Did you get the results?"
"The baby is mine," he said happily.
Then he turned to Nadine as he put a hand on Georgie's shoulder.
"It was Wise Georgie who suggested The Jackal start looking for apartments now while he waited for the results. I was going crazy waiting; I had a melt down right here in the middle of Kelly's a few days ago. The Faithful Friend possesses beauty, kindness, wisdom and keen intellect."
Georgie gave him the smile she had when he had told her she was beautiful. That smile was enough to brighten Spinelli's worst day. Seeing it on a good day only made him feel that much better.
Later, Spinelli surprised Jason with the news that he was leaving, and with his reasons why. He had to admit they all made sense. Spinelli didn't say that his child could be exposed to violence if he or she grew up here, and Jason knew he probably didn't even think it because he knew Sonny had managed to keep his children safe, for the most part. But Spinelli hadn't been in Port Charles when all three of Sonny's kids had been kidnapped and everyone had thought Michael was dead. For Spinelli's sake, as well as the baby's, Jason was glad his friend was distancing himself from him to this extent. There had been times when he had wanted to make him leave for his own safety. He had begun to talk about it when the possibility of war with Zacchara had come up, but had either been interrupted by other matters, or visitors, or Spinelli had said he wouldn't abandon him. Jason was relieved that it had taken the possibility of fatherhood, and not something violent and potentially lethal, to make Spinelli strike out on his own.
"I'm proud of you," Jason said quietly. "Not many guys your age would take responsibility for a kid they didn't plan for, especially under these circumstances."
Spinelli smiled.
"Well, it was about time the Jackal grew up, anyway," he said with a quiet nervous laugh. "I've never understood how someone could make a baby and then leave the mother alone to raise it. I mean, it was different for you and Elizabeth because she was gonna be with Lucky at the time and you thought Jake would be safer away from you, but most guys, especially those my age, treat sex like something to entertain themselves and never think of the consequences. I let myself get distracted by the pleasure, not only physically, but the emotional pleasure of knowing the Falsely Fair Jolene wanted the Jackal. I can't let my child pay for my carelessness. No child should be abandoned just because his or her parents didn't plan on being parents."
"You're right." Jason gave him a rare smile. "You're gonna be a great dad."
"I learned from you," he said seriously. "I mean, you did what you thought was best for your son. You and Elizabeth sacrificed your own desires so Jake and Cameron could have the life you wanted them to have. My being a single father won't be the best situation, but my baby will never lack for love, and neither does baby Jake."
Jason looked from Spinelli to the computer screen, where the picture of the apartment Nadine was going to show him in her building was displayed. Spinelli had wanted Stone Cold's opinion.
"I know you need to move in before the baby's born, but you don't have to leave so soon, Spinelli; I mean, that's months away."
Spinelli explained his reasons for leaving so soon and Jason couldn't disagree.
"I'm gonna miss having yah here," he said.
"I'll miss you, too."
They shared a brief hug, then Jason's cell rang. It was Detective Harper, asking him to come down to the station to go over his statement. Jason agreed, then gave Spinelli a quick smile before picking up his keys and heading for the door.