by Layla Hagen
“That I’m a few days late.”
Tess grimaced. “Damn, I think the stress is really catching up to you. Don’t come in on the weekend.”
“We’ll be swamped.” Even though our sales associates were handling most weekends, we had a sale this Saturday and Sunday and needed all hands on deck. “I’ll call upon the Winchester forces.”
“What if they already have plans?”
“By sheer probability, someone will have time. You have to rest and relax.”
“You sound like Rob.”
“I knew I liked that man. When’s he coming back?”
“Not sure. He said he has to stay a few more days, maybe even a week.”
“Damn, so I can’t count on him to ambush you into relaxing....” It sounded as if she was about to say “but....” She remained silent instead, but her eyes were a little narrowed as she finished her ice cream. I knew that expression. She was getting... ideas.
I didn’t have time to investigate though, because the front door opened and three customers walked in.
The next morning, I did get an inkling of what she’d been up to when I opened the door to a guy delivering food at lunch.
“Hi,” I said, feeling a little flustered and a lot tired. I’d slept in right until five minutes ago.
“Hi, ma’am. I have a special delivery.”
Even through my sleepy haze, my heart fluttered. Special indeed, because I knew I hadn’t ordered anything.
“Thank you so much.” I tipped him generously, then took the basket with goodies inside the house. Ah, I didn’t even need to see the logo of Dumont’s on the napkins to know who’d sent this over.
Clapping my hands, I rose from my heels to my toes before rocking back on my heels.
Hmmm... what to do first? Dig into all of these goodies or call Rob and thank him? It was too soon after waking up for such difficult decisions, so I decided to do both at the same time.
Grabbing my phone and a plate, I put cheese and bread on the latter before sinking into my comfy swing.
I dialed Rob first.
“Hello, charming boyfriend,” I greeted.
“Hi. Was just about to text the delivery guy and check on him.”
“No need. I can confirm that all the goodies are right in front of my nose. Did you talk to my sister?”
“Hey, you’re the one who said using Tess as a source of information is fair play.”
“True that.” Grinning, I shoved a bit of cheese in my mouth, dangling my legs in the air. “Mmmm... this is delicious.”
“Skye, fuck.”
Ah, what an atomic combination of words. Stifling a giggle, I moaned again, eating yet another piece of cheese.
“You want to kill me?” His voice was hoarse. My lady parts tingled with heat.
“Nah, just trying to sell you on jumping on a plane.”
“I’m of a mind to ditch the rest of my plans anyway.”
“Yeah, do that. Come over to the dark side.”
He laughed. “Can’t, unfortunately.”
“Hmm... must improve my phone-moaning skills.”
“Please don’t.”
Pouting, I said, “Tell me about the rest of your day.”
“Three interviews at the office, and another two during lunch and dinner, then I’ll drop dead in my bed.”
“See, if you were in my bed, that would be so much more fun,” I teased.
“I know.”
We spoke a while longer, right until he had to go into his first meeting, and then I devoured a granola bar and a delicious yogurt with chia seeds and strawberry jam.
I felt more than a little guilty about staying home, but Tess was right. I needed to rest before I went from tired to sick.
Skye: I feel guilty for not being there.
In response Tess sent me a photo. Josie was there, along with Ryker, Hunter, and Cole.
Holy shit!
Tess: We’re crazy busy. Josie’s with me in the front, the boys are packing up the online orders. Cole insists he’s the reason we’re swamped. First we teased him that he’s actually trying to charm his way out of packing boxes buuuut... customers tend to stay 30 percent longer in the store when he’s in the front (and buy more).
Skye: Maybe we should include him in the marketing strategy. “Come on in and our brother might charm you into going on a date with him.”
I snickered, yearning to have fun with all of them, but truthfully, I felt exhausted despite sleeping in and drinking coffee, so I went back to bed.
Sunday was just as relaxing. I slept in, and it was marvelous.
On Monday morning, I was still feeling as if I could sleep the whole day but forced myself to go into the city. I wasn’t showing any signs of even a cold, so I couldn’t justify staying home.
As per my usual routine, I first stopped into Joe’s coffee shop. I was so hungry that aside from my to-go order, I also bought a vanilla custard puff. My mouth watered as Joe put it on a plate in front of me. Next to me, a preschooler was looking at me with envy. She received a healthy sandwich. I pushed my unhealthy, extra-sugary treat out of her sight.
Way to go, Skye. Being a bad influence starting at eight o’clock in the morning wasn’t my usual MO, but today I felt rebellious.
After the first bite, I grimaced. Something about the cream was off. It wasn’t sour or anything, it just tasted different. I didn’t like it.
“Everything okay, Skye?” Joe asked.
“I usually love vanilla puffs,” I muttered. “My taste buds are all over the place lately.”
The lady next to me chuckled. “When I was pregnant with my first one, I couldn’t even look at tomatoes, and I love tomatoes.”
I froze, looking between Joe and the customer. “I’m not pregnant,” I said. My stomach bottomed out at the same time as a knot formed in my throat.
“Oh, it’s the only thing that occurred to me. Taste bud change happens a lot during pregnancy.” She shrugged, heading back out on the street.
“I’ll bring you another one, Skye. Maybe something’s not right with this one.”
“No, that’s okay. Just a sign that I should start my morning with healthy snacks.” Grabbing the rest of my order, I left the bakery.
I couldn’t get that lady’s words out of my head as Tess and I set our breakfast on the counter as usual. My heart was still in my throat. It was impossible to swallow anything. This wasn’t possible. I took the pill religiously at the same hour every evening, as the instructions said.
Just to double-check, I got out the container. There were exactly as many pills as there should have been. I hadn’t missed any... but I still hadn’t gotten my period.
“Skye?” Tess asked. “You okay?”
“I’m still late,” I said, biting my lower lip. “And I’m worried that....”
I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
Tess straightened up, running a hand through her hair. “Think you might be pregnant?”
Ah, of course Tess would ask me straight up, no punches pulled.
“I can’t be though.” My voice was strangled. “Just looked at the pill container. All gone. I didn’t miss any.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Skye
Tess bit her lip. “It can still happen, I think. If you take it at different hours.”
“I didn’t. I have a reminder on my phone.”
“Some medicine can also influence its effectiveness.”
“Like cold medicine?”
Tess nodded. I sat on the couch, trying to remember if I’d taken anything for a cold recently, but I couldn’t. My hands were a little jittery. I grabbed the counter to steady them.
Tess was about to sit next to me, but a customer walked in right then.
I jumped right to my feet, thankful for the distraction.
“Hi! What can we do for you?”
“I loved a bra you had two collections ago. It had something like a stone between the cups.”
“The one
where the bra straps resembled feathers?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
“We don’t have it anymore, but we have a similar style. I’ll bring it out to you.”
I was only distracted while I was talking to the customer. As soon as I was on my own in the back, searching for merchandise, my thoughts were a blur. And my feelings were all over the place. I couldn’t make sense of them. My hands were jittery. Hope and fear were so deeply interlaced that I had no idea where one ended and the other began.
I returned a few minutes later. The customer was waiting in the changing room.
“I have three options for you.” I held all of them for her to see.
“Oh, they are beautiful. And just my size.”
I winked. “Guessed it right away.”
“Whatever you do, don’t let me buy all three.”
“Can’t make any promises.”
Twenty minutes later, she left happily with all of them.
As the afternoon rolled around, things became even busier. Tess bought us tacos for a late lunch, which we ate standing.
As soon as we turned the sign to Closed, I dropped on the couch in the back. I had no energy left for packing bags for the online orders. Toeing off my shoes, I lay down.
I closed my eyes, pressing the heels of my palms over my eyelids. The couch caved in as Tess sat at my feet.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Tired.”
She massaged my feet and my calves, and it was pure heaven.
“You’re my favorite sister,” I said.
“I’m your only sister.”
“Only in the strictest sense. Josie is family too.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?”
Tess pinched my toe. Shrieking, I pulled my knees to my chest, opening one eye.
“I’ll downgrade you from favorite if you keep doing that,” I warned.
“Just found out I’m not your only sister. A downgrade can’t hurt as much.” She brought one hand to her forehead theatrically.
Giggling, I laid my feet back in her lap.
“It’s a sign of trust. Don’t make me regret it,” I warned.
“You’re the one changing rules of sisterhood and threatening to downgrade me,” she pointed out.
“True.”
I placed one hand on my belly.
“I want to know,” I whispered. “But I think the nearest pharmacy just closed.”
Tess nodded. “I, er, bought two pregnancy tests when I got us lunch.”
My heart rate accelerated. My palms became sweaty. I hadn’t expected this.
I sat up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know if you’d want them, but I bought them just in case.”
I sat there, not making any motion, trying to steady my breathing.
Tess pressed her lips together. “Or we can find an open pharmacy and walk over there... give you some time to get used to the idea.”
I grinned. She knew me so well.
“It’s fine, I’m not a coward.”
“It’s not about that. It’s a huge thing. It’s okay to be scared.”
I smiled, but it was a little wobbly. My whole body seemed to vibrate on the rhythm of my pulse.
Wordlessly, my sister took two small packages out of her bag. “They’re different brands,” she said.
I grabbed both, heading straight to the bathroom. I was tremendously happy that I was doing this with my sister and not alone.
I did the tests one after the other, drew up my panties, flushed the toilet, and washed my hands before opening the door.
Tess stood against the wall, hands crossed in front of her. Her eyes widened, glancing at the two sticks I held up. They still had no results, but I couldn’t take the anxiety of waiting on my own.
“How many minutes?” Tess said.
“I don’t know. Haven’t checked the instructions.”
“That’s the most un-Skye thing you’ve ever said.” My sister laughed, putting her hands on my shoulders. “It’s going to be fine either way, sis,” Tess said. “I know it will.”
Everything hinged on the next few minutes.
We sat in one of the changing rooms, huddled together. I was holding my breath. If it weren’t for Tess’s periodic elbows to my arm, I would have forgotten to breathe altogether.
“Ah!” I exclaimed when two lines appeared on the first screen. “What does this mean? Two lines.”
“Pregnant,” Tess said. Her voice was wobbly. I clutched her hand, squeezing her fingers. She squeezed right back, taking the second test from my free hand because I was too shaky. Two lines popped up on that one too, and I felt as if I’d been hit by an ocean wave. The floodgates of emotions flew open.
My skin turned clammy and then was so cold that I began to shiver. I pressed one hand to my chest, which seemed to be expanding by the second. Tess was saying something, but I only heard part of it.
“Say that again.”
“Congratulations. I’m so psyched.”
She was grinning and hugging me, and in my sister’s arms, I discovered that among the overwhelming wave of emotions, I was psyched too. I hugged her back tightly, so grateful for her, immediately resolving that I wouldn’t have just one kid. Having a sibling was the best thing.
Wow. Where did that thought come from?
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“Happy? Terrified? Is it possible to feel both?”
“Absolutely. I know what you need. Something delicious. That always makes everything better. Umm... so vanilla puffs are not on the list anymore. Mac and cheese? Wait, that’s soft cheese, right? Is that good for the baby? Do you have to give it up? Then I promise I’ll give it up with you.”
“You love mac and cheese.”
“I live for it. But for my niece or nephew, I can totally make a sacrifice.”
“Tess, I think we’re okay with some comfort food.”
“Thank God. I’ll just head to Henry’s and pick up whatever looks good.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I smiled as my sister sauntered out of the store. I’d never seen Tess like this. I paced around the store, keeping my hands at the sides of my body, almost afraid of touching my belly. What if I felt something? A tiny kick?
I rationally knew that he or she was far too tiny for anything of that sort. I was scared of that yet craving it at the same time with an intensity I’d never craved anything in my life. How was that even possible?
What would Rob say? Oh God, oh God, what would he say? We’d never discussed our future. One of the reasons we got along so well, why we had so much fun, was that neither of us was putting pressure on the other in any way. I was content with the way things were, and I was certain that so was he. How would this baby change things? Us?
Dread crept up my belly, ensnaring me. Would he decide this wasn’t what he signed up for? I didn’t want him to feel pressured in any way, yet at the same time, this changed everything.
Tess returned with three bags of goodies.
“Sis, that’s all for us?” I checked.
“I couldn’t decide.”
“Clearly.”
“And I didn’t know which ones you’d like, so I wanted to cover all bases.”
That was when I realized that my sister was just as terrified as I was. Happy... but also terrified.
We turned off the lights in the front and camped on the couch between the changing rooms. We shoved two ottomans together to form a makeshift coffee table.
Opening the packages, we discovered that vanilla puffs weren’t the only things my baby was rejecting. I wasn’t a fan of burgers either, but I did adore apple pie.
“Look at you, liking fruity fillings,” Tess said appreciatively.
“Maybe I’ll finally pick up some healthy eating habits.”
“When are you going to tell Rob?” she asked.
“When he’s back. Don’t want to do it over the phone, you know?”
/> My stomach turned into a tight knot just thinking about it.
“That makes sense.”
“I’m afraid,” I admitted in a whisper.
Tess shook her head. “No, no. None of that. Let’s see. The man calls me to make sure he gets the surprises right. All signs point to him being a catch and an all-around decent human being.”
“Yes, but we’ve been going at our own pace, you know? We don’t even make plans for vacations together or anything.”
“That’s because neither of you has even planned a vacation yet,” she pointed out.
“Tess... you know what I mean.”
She gave me a small smile. “I do, but I think that you’re both mature enough to deal with the... unexpected.”
I hoped so. God, I hoped so. I got heartburn just thinking about the alternative.
Tess stood up straighter, smiling coyly. Uh-oh. She was up to something.
“What?” I asked.
“Can we talk names?”
I threw my head back, laughing. Leave it to my sister to push any ugly thoughts to the back of my mind.
“Please, what did you have in mind?”
“I have this list—”
“Wait, what?”
Tess blushed. Actually blushed.
“You know, when I come across a cool name, I put it on a list. You-you don’t do that?” Uncertainty flickered in her eyes.
“Umm... no. But lucky you’ve been doing that. You’ll save my kid from being named Frodo or some other nerdy character.”
Tess beamed. “Okay, so I have a top three for boys and top three for girls.”
“Wouldn’t you rather keep those for your own kids?”
“Eh, who knows if I’ll have any? At the rate my dating life is going, I’ll be a cat lady.”
She shrugged, but I could tell she was just trying to be nonchalant. I hugged the living daylights out of her.
“I can’t wait to be an aunt.”
“I can see that.” Seeing my sister all dreamy filled me with a kind of fuzzy warmth that was completely unfamiliar for me.
“Okay, so I have Beatrix, Francine, Charlotte for girls, and Lionel, Richard, and Jake for boys.”
“You have excellent taste,” I informed her.
“I know, right?”
“Let’s hope Rob agrees with me. Tess... how will I juggle the business and everything?”
