“Where is it?”
“Uhm, I don’t know.”
Okay, now there’s definitely something weird going on.
“What time is it?”
“Uh, afternoon?”
“Rosie.”
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on.”
“Why are you being so secretive about a baby shower? What am I missing?”
Rosie sighs and leans back in her chair.
I round the island and lean back against it, crossing my arms.
She tilts her head back. “Mum’s planning it.”
My arms fall to my sides. “Oh.” I rub my beard. “I didn’t realize you were talking to her.”
“I’m not,” Rosie says. “Well, I am. Sort of. She was outside my office the other week and we went for dinner and she offered to host it. I felt so guilty that I’ve not spoken to her in months, and Pip and Anya have been on at me to have a shower, and mum looked so excited when I said yes. I told her about the crib dad got us, so I think she wanted to do something too.”
“Hey,” I say, crossing to the table and pulling out the chair beside her. “It’s okay Rosie, you don’t have to explain anything to me. Why was she outside your office?”
She shrugs. “She said she hadn’t been able to reach me.”
“You blocked her?”
She shakes her head.
Rosie hasn’t changed her number and I even gave Terry mine, so why wouldn’t she have been able to reach us?
“Are you…excited?” I ask, taking her hands in mine.
“Yeah,” she says,veryconvincingly.
I trace my thumbs across her knuckles as I think about how to phrase the next question. “Cleo, is she…?”
“No.” Rosie shakes her head. “No, I made it very clear that she wasn’t allowed to be there. And Mum even invited the girls to come come.”
I nod. “Does your mum know them?”
“No, but she asked for Anya’s email and forwarded the invite.”
“Hmm,” I say, still rubbing my beard.
“What?” Rosie asks, eyes narrowing behind her glasses.
“Nothing,” I reassure her.
“You think I shouldn’t go.”
