“The food looks delicious, Grandma,” Sophia told her, pausing to scooch closer to the edge. Grandma Jen sat down next to her, skirt fanning out on either side of her. “You didn’t have to go through all of this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. I like having you all here.” Grandma Jen tilted her head to the side and fixed her gaze on Sophia, her dark eyes growing softer. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart? It felt like you wanted to talk about something earlier before everyone else arrived.”
Sophia sighed. “Nothing in particular.”
Aunt Ashley appeared, her arm linked through Aunt Heather’s, the two of them sporting identical tans and bright smiles. Together, they paused to pull out a few of the lawn chairs before sitting down. Then they set their plastic plates down, and Sophia found herself at the center of their attention.
Even when she was little, there had never been a doubt in her mind that her family loved her. They’d never once made her feel like she wasn’t a Wilson.
Even without her mother tying them to her, the Wilsons hadn’t cared nor been fazed by her and Ian’s existence. If anything, they’d gone out of their way to include them and Stu in everything, leaving Sophia with a lot of warm and happy childhood memories.
Yet, a part of her had always wondered how it would’ve been to have her mom around. Would they have been less involved inher life since there wouldn’t have been a need? Or would they have been just as involved regardless?
She knew the Wilsons were a tight-knit group who liked to be involved in each other’s lives, but she sometimes wondered if it was too much.
This was one of those times.
Whenever she was the center of her attention, tight knots formed in the center of her stomach, and she had the distinct urge to run and hide, like she used to do when she was little, and everything was too overwhelming.
She hadn’t changed much since then—only learned how to hide it better.
“You know, when I first told Ed that I wanted to retire, he laughed in my face. He was convinced I wouldn’t be able to handle having a quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital,” Aunt Heather told her, pausing to swat at an errant lock of silver hair. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure I could handle it, either. I’d gotten a little too used to the comfort and familiarity of the hospital. The first few weeks of retirement were really hard.”
Sophia placed her plate in her lap and glanced up at her. “So, what happened?”
“I learned to adapt,” Aunt Heather replied with a meaningful glance. “It’s not always easy, but nothing ever stays the same. And change can be a good thing.”
Aunt Ashley popped a piece of bread into her mouth. “Absolutely. I couldn’t have imagined myself going from being a stay-at-home to volunteering in town and taking part in bake sales and stuff. It was terrifying, and I thought I was going to fall flat on my face.”
Sophia glanced between the two of them and said nothing.
“What they’re trying to say, not so subtly, I might add, is that it’s okay to be afraid of change, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’ttry.” Grandma Jen draped an arm over Sophia’s shoulders and squeezed. “I know that life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would, but it doesn’t mean it can’t still be good.”
“You guys are talking about the bakery, aren’t you?”
“We’re talking in general,” Aunt Ashley told her with a smile. “Honey, you’ve got so much potential, and you still have so much left to give. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“And it’s okay to be afraid to try again,” Aunt Heather added with a quick look in her sister’s direction. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?”
Grandma Jen sat up straighter. “It’s better to try and fail than not try at all.”
Sophia looked down at her plate and made a low noise in the back of her throat. “I guess you guys are right.”
“Even if you don’t think so, we’ll bring it up during the Labor Day gathering, too,” Aunt Heather teased, throwing a quick wink in Sophia’s direction. “You’ll soon be sick of us mentioning it.”
Sophia chuckled. “Actually, I appreciate all of the pushing.”
Because she needed it.
And throwing her hat in the ring didn’t mean Nora was going to change her mind about Valerie. It did, at least, mean a step in the right direction for Sophia, who’d been dragging her feet, afraid to commit to anything for the past two years.
For the first time in a long time, the thought of doing something different didn’t scare her.
If anything, Sophia welcomed it.
Chapter Ten
“Let me call you back later, okay? I’m carrying a lot of stuff.”
