Charlotte gave her sister a tight nod. “We’ve already discussed that.”
And she had no interest in hashing out the details with her sister.
Savannah was never going to understand her reasons, but a small part of Charlotte clung to the hope that she would come around.
Otherwise, how were they supposed to have a relationship that wasn’t centered around lectures and accusations?
Were they ever going to be in a good place?
“And a lot of people won’t tell you this, but studies show that a woman is more prone to depression during and after pregnancy. Other studies show that women are often inflicted with confusing feelings of loss and uncertainty after they’ve given birth. Also—”
Charlotte rose to her feet and held a hand up. “I’m sure you’ve researched the topic to death, and I know you mean well, but I don’t want to hear it anymore. My mind is made up, and I’m not going to change it.”
There were no more obstacles in her way, especially now that Addison and Mason were on board.
And Charlotte didn’t want Savannah ruining this for her, no matter how well-intentioned she was.
Savannah opened and closed her mouth several times. Finally, she pushed herself to her feet, hands fluttering at her sides. “Char, please. You should take some more time to think about it. What if you regret it?”
Charlotte took a few bills out of her wallet and placed them under the cup. “Then it’ll be my decision to regret, and I’ll have to live with that.”
Savannah sputtered, and her face turned bright red.
Without waiting for a response, Charlotte spun on her heel and left. Her hands were curled into fists during the walk to the fertility clinic, and there was a low pounding in the back of her skull. When she got there, a surge of relief coursed through her when she realized Libby wasn’t at the desk.
As much as she liked her new friend, she didn’t want one more person to look at her like she needed her head examined. Like she was losing her mind.
She wasn’t.
For the first time in a long time, she was sure and clear, and the path before her felt right, and she didn’t want anyone to get in the way of that.
After taking a few cleansing breaths and enjoying the cool AC air on the back of her neck, Charlotte stepped forward and waited for the dark-haired receptionist to finish the call. Her heart missed a beat when the receptionist hung up and gave her an expectant look.
Charlotte unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth. “Hi, I’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Reese, please.”
A short while later, Charlotte walked out of the clinic with beads of sweat on her forehead and the back of her neck. She resisted the urge to glance over her shoulders as she walked away. When she found herself in front of Wilson Manor, some of the knots in Charlotte’s stomach loosened. With a sigh, she pushed the front gate open with a creak and walked up the gravel driveway.
At the end of the driveway, on the steps of the front porch, her great-uncle, Frankie, stood with one hand lifted to his eyes. Once she got closer, she saw the pit stains under his arms and the wisps of thinning hair plastered to his forehead. He stood up straighter and did a double take when he saw her.
Then, his mouth spread into a broad grin as he pulled her in for a hug. “Well, look at what the cat dragged in. How are you, kiddo?”
Charlotte pulled back to look at him and smiled. “I’m fine. How are you, Uncle Frankie? How are plans going for your new retirement party?”
Uncle Frankie’s expression fell. “Your aunt, Paula, is threatening to stop the parties until I actually retire. It’ll take some time, but she’ll come around.”
Charlotte chuckled. “Or you could actually retire.”
Uncle Frankie snorted. “I doubt that’s going to happen. Come on, let’s go inside where it’s nice and cool.”
In the spacious and well-lit living room, her great-grandpa, Frank, sat in his armchair by the fire, reading the paper. Her great-grandma, Jen, was in the kitchen with an apron covered in flour, the smell of cinnamon and sugar filling the air. Charlotte paused to greet them before peeling her shirt away from her skin.
“Oh, by the way, I saw you go into the fertility clinic earlier.” Uncle Frankie looked up from his drink and stared directly at her. “When were you going to tell us the good news?”
Charlotte’s stomach clenched. “Oh, I…it wasn’t for me. I was just going with a friend who wanted some company.”
A heartbeat later, the topic changed, and Charlotte’s shoulders relaxed. She joined her grandmother in the kitchen and tried to push her great-uncle’s words out of her mind. Not only was she nowhere near ready to tell the rest of her extended family, but she also had no idea if she was ever going to.
Because she doubted they would understand, and she wanted to keep her happy little secret a while longer.
