“I suppose…” He winked.
“Because you better. I’m really looking forward to my date with my super sweet and handsome boyfriend.” I lured myself closer to Bobby, resting my hands on his waist, and leaning in for a kiss. He pulled me in to him and warmed my lips with a tantalizing kiss. I hadn’t been kissed by Bobby like this in a while. Rose always demanded my attention; I was exhausted; the holidays left me even more scatterbrained…but this kiss. Wow. This kiss was…
“You okay?” he whispered, carefully drawing out of the tongue-twisted kiss that left me feeling listless.
“Oh, more than okay,” I said, smiling ear-to-ear.
I heard Lara walk into the living room and brought myself down from heaven.
Definitely more than okay.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said, stealing one more kiss from me. “See ya, Lara. Have a happy New Year. And you girls don’t have too much fun without me.”
***
“To a fabulous and fan-damn-tastic new year, my ladies!” Jackie said, knocking back her martini. “And to a past year that, despite all the hurdles and drama and, well, shit, was a really kickass year.”
“Ditto that one,” Claire said, taking a sip of her cocktail.
“May next year be as equally amazing! And, you know, minus the crap.” Sophie unofficially toasted. “And now our group of girls is seven.”
“Rose is pretty awesome,” Lara said, lightly tickling Rose’s small belly. Rose kicked at her soft touch, making the cutest gurgling and bubbly noises.
“I can’t believe she’s going to be a month old in a few days,” Claire said. “It seems like yesterday we were having the girls’ night when you told us you were preggers.”
“Yeah, and now look at her!” Jackie exclaimed. “Rose is the most perfect baby. She’s beautiful and easygoing. She’s definitely one of the girls already. Aren’t you, little bubby?”
Rose made more bubbles.
“Hey, it’s almost midnight!” Emily said, topping everyone’s glass off with more champagne, mine with sparkling water.
“Em, why are you leaving us so soon?” I whined. Emily was already due to head back to Ghana the day after New Years. We’d all gotten accustomed to her being back in town and hanging out with us as much as possible; she’d been a huge help with Rose, coming to the apartment nearly every day.
“They need me over there,” Emily said.
“We need you here, too,” Claire said.
“I know, but you all have each other. And I’ll be back soon enough. They really need my help there. I can’t turn my back on them.”
“No chance of us talking you into staying here?” Lara asked.
“Yeah. No chance?” I said in my baby voice, waving Rose’s hands at Emily. “Pwease, Auntie. Stay.”
“Oh, girls. I’ll be back soon enough. I always am. You know that.”
“Midnight! We’re almost there!” Sophie said, pointing a wagging finger at the TV. The ball in New York’s Time Square had begun to drop, the countdown on. Ten, nine…
I started to think about New York, about who was there this busy night. I looked down at Rose, who was occasionally pulsing her legs and kicking her feet, as if in her own fit of holiday celebration. Then I thought, only fleetingly, about Brandon. In New York. New career. New life. Seattle becoming a distant memory. Everyone in Seattle forgotten.
“Six, five…” the girls chorused.
And I gave myself until the count of three to put all thoughts of Brandon behind me. A new year. A new start. A new life.
“Two! One! Happy New Year!”
We clinked glasses, the TV screen lit up with fireworks and sparklers. Baby Rose was looking up at me with her bright eyes. The muffled melody of “Auld Lang Syne” began to sound among the cheers and hollers from New York and Seattle, coursing around the walls of my new home—our home. The home that Lara and I made for Rose, and where six best friends and a baby rang in the new year, girl style.
Epilogue
“You got the candles, right?” I ask Lara as she sets the groceries on the kitchen counter. “Little pink ones?”
“Yup, little pink ones with white stripes.”
“And Sophie’s got the cake?”
“Cupcakes,” Lara says, trying to catch her breath. She’d made it home less than thirty minutes before the crowd was supposed to arrive for Rose’s party.
“Excellent!” I say. “Rose’s one-month birthday is going to be so much fun. A great excuse for us all to get together. And I’m excited Chad and Conner and Bobby are coming, too! And Kaitlyn! It’ll be so much fun.” I add a smattering of lip gloss and rub at my cheeks to bring about a hint of color. “And Rose just needs her party dress on and we’ll be good to go.”
Lara puts the ice cream into the freezer, then follows me into my room where Rose has been taking her second nap of the day.
“Can we wake her?” Lara whispers. She peers over my shoulder as I open the bedroom door.
“If she’s down for a good party like us, she’ll be wide awake and ready to go,” I say. I can’t help but smile brightly as Lara and I step into the room and I see my baby girl, wide-awake and gnawing on her tiny fist.
My daughter Rose is already one month old, and growing strong and healthy. She’s beautiful and is going to grow up with some amazing female influences. Lara already said she’d make sure Rose knew the importance of establishing a firm presence in the office—make it known that at work she was all-business. Rose could be anyone and do anything she wanted in life, and no competitive rivalry or hotheaded boss could tell her otherwise. For the powerful career woman skills, Lara wanted to take charge.
Sophie said she’d teach Rose how to make the most succulent desserts and the flakiest croissants this side of the Atlantic, while Claire promised she would teach her all about proper puppy care and how to knit or DIY just about anything.
Emily promised she’d teach Rose all about geography, the various cultures of the world, and how to capture it all on camera. Jackie, God bless her, charged herself with the role of teaching Rose the art of landing a man “at any time, any place, any way. Guaranteed.” I figure once Rose reaches the dating age we’ll discuss Aunt Jackie’s methods further—alterations may need to be applied.
And Bobby…well, he wanted to continue our relationship and be a part of Rose’s life too. To be a strong male presence and care for her. He even said one night that he felt like Rose was, somehow, his. Of course when I told the girls this during a Thursday Netflix night they all asked if we were going to get married, to which I quickly responded, “Things are fine just the way they are. No wedding any time soon.” Not to say I wouldn’t like to be Mrs. Bobby Holman some day. Trust me, I think about it now and then. But I’m not really ready for that yet. As Lara always says, “The chips will fall as they may,” so we’ll see. Another story, another painting, another time.
Rose looks up at me and a smile spreads across her chubby-cheeked face. She pumps her slobbery fist about and I scoop her up into my arms.
“How’s my little girl?” I coo. I start to rock her, tickling her belly.
“This one here?” Lara asks. She’s holding up the small pink and white dress that was resting on the diaper changing station.
“That’s the one,” I answer in a baby voice, directed more to Rose than to Lara. “Isn’t that right? Your pretty pink dress, huh?”
Lara helps me dress Rose, and as we’re finishing fastening her buttons, the doorbell rings.
“Party time!” Lara says. She gives Rose a light kiss on the forehead then jets to answer the door.
“Come on, little one,” I say. I cradle Rose, who seems more content resting comfortably in my arms than moving about, curiously trying to take in her surroundings. She seems very at peace. As is her mom.
“Where’s that birthday girl?” I hear Sophie’s voice approach from down the hall. “There’s the girl of honor!” Claire cries out.
I walk over to them and let t
hem give her the usual kisses and tickles that are owed every time Rose is greeted. I’d heard that when you have a baby, she can command the room. They weren’t kidding. Rose was always the center of attention.
“Hey, guys,” I say calmly yet warmly, as Sophie, Claire, and I meander into the living room. Bobby, Conner, and Chad are already relaxing on the sofa, then Jackie bursts through the front door carrying a shopping bag, Kaitlyn following behind a second later.
“Baby!” Jackie screeches. She jogs up to me and after she gives Rose a kiss on her cheek, hands me her bag. “Didn’t have time to wrap it, sorry,” she says exhaustively. “Some cute outfits I found at Nordstrom’s. From Uncle Andrew and me.” She gives Rose another peck on the cheek, then scampers into the kitchen to help Lara with the party prep.
“Thanks for coming, sis,” I tell Kaitlyn.
“Wouldn’t miss this adorable bundle’s party for anything,” Kaitlyn says. She gently touches Rose’s head.
“Hey, honey,” Bobby says, getting up from his seat.
We share a kiss and he says hello to Rose, who is still peacefully resting in the cradle of my arms.
“This is awesome,” I hear Sophie declare from the alcove. She’s looking at my recently finished painting, which I’d forgotten to put away.
“Oh, thanks,” I say. “Took forever, but it’s finally done. Finished it just this morning. I feel good about it.”
“It is awesome, Robin,” Bobby says, taking a look for himself.
“You going to name this one? Or just shelve it like you have a bunch of them?” Lara asks from the kitchen. “I saw it. It’s really great. Definitely deserves a name, don’t you think?”
Bobby rubs at the back of his neck, deep in thought. “Should even have this one framed and displayed.”
“It’s basically a representation of my life—of life when Rose came along,” I say.
Lara asks, “So do you have a name for it?”
“Yeah. What’s the name?” Bobby asks.
“Finding Rose,” I say, smiling, satisfied with the title that had finally arrived.
Bobby smiles, too, and says, “Then we best find Finding Rose a special place in the nursery.”
“Perfect idea,” Sophie adds in.
I look around and reflect on how fortunate I am. Funny how things seem to work out. Somehow, in some miraculous way, everything sort of fits together. The chips sort of fall and life goes on and everything comes together somehow. And, perhaps, fantasies and happily-ever-afters actually become realities.
“I think it should go right above Rose’s crib,” Bobby suggests.
“My thoughts, exactly,” I say.
Bobby takes another long look at the painting, then leans over to give me a short but sweet kiss. His kiss, his love, my closest friends, my sister, and my baby girl…my family. They’re everything I need, and everything I could ask for in this beautiful and unexpected life where I’ve found Rose, where I’ve found true friendship, and where I quite possibly have found true love.
The End
About the Author
Savannah Page, a native Southern Californian and University of Tulsa graduate, lives in Berlin with her husband. She enjoys reading, fresh flowers, and, like Robin, adventures at IKEA. When Girlfriends Step Up is the sequel to When Girlfriends Break Hearts, and a fifth novel in the collection is in the works, expected summer 2013. Savannah is also the author of Bumped to Berlin, her premier book about life as an American expatriate in Berlin.
Readers can visit her Website & Blog at: www.savannahpage.com
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When Girlfriends Step Up Page 28
