“Hmm?” Addison propped Charlotte’s feet up on the seat and paused to fluff up her pillows. “What’s up?”
“You do know the doctor said I should take it easy, not that I’m to be treated like an invalid, right?”
Addison stopped fluffing the pillows and gave her a smile. “I know that, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with helping out.”
Except Addison had already done a lot for her.
Since being discharged from the hospital, Addison and Mason had taken turns checking in on her and bringing her things throughout the day. As appreciative as Charlotte was, she also wanted her life to go back to normal.
Yeah, that’s not going to happen. This is your new normal, so I’d suggest you get used to it.
Addison and Mason weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
And with Savannah now on board and trying to compensate for her behavior, Charlotte had one more person looking out for her.
Her smile didn’t leave her face as Addison lowered herself onto the couch next to Charlotte. Then, she leaned sideways and brought her head to rest against Charlotte’s shoulders.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing, but I don’t want you to spread yourself thin,” Charlotte murmured, pausing to drape an arm over Addison’s shoulders. “I know what my limits are now, and I know what to avoid.”
Addison snorted. “Yeah, but I know you. You don’t like feeling limited. That’s why we made the schedule.”
Charlotte leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “The schedule?”
Addison stood up and brought Charlotte’s laptop in from the kitchen. “Mason and I created a schedule so we could swap and take turns bringing you food, helping you out around the apartment with chores, etc.”
Charlotte choked back a laugh. “You needed a schedule for that?”
Addison nodded and carried the laptop over to set it on the coffee table. She used the mouse to maximize the screen and highlighted a few parts. “Yeah, see, this part here is where we put in notes and comments for the other person, so we’re keeping track of how you like things done.”
Charlotte blinked. “I’m not that picky, am I?”
Addison laughed. “Not at all, but this is still helpful. Especially now that your mom and Savannah are going to be added to the schedule.”
Charlotte sat up straighter and frowned. “What?”
Addison moved on to another row. “Yeah, they got in touch with me the other day and asked to be added to the schedule.”
It was too much, all of it.
The last thing she wanted was to make everyone feel like they had to build their lives around her. And it didn’t seem fair that they all had to adjust to her schedule when she was the one whohad pushed herself in the first place. A part of Charlotte was relieved and grateful for all of the help being offered, but the other part of her still held on to the guilt and fear that had been taking root inside her stomach since that day at the auditorium.
No matter how hard she tried to avoid it, she kept reliving the ambulance ride and how it felt to lie in that hospital bed, waiting to hear the baby’s heartbeat. All she knew was she never wanted to be in that position again, and she was going to do everything within her power to ensure she wasn’t.
Even if it meant having to loosen the reins and handing over control once in a while.
For the sake of the baby, Charlotte was going to find a way to make her peace with that.
Sighing, Charlotte sank back against the couch and let Addison show her the rest of the schedule and how it was shared with everyone via email. When Addison’s phone rang, she snatched it off the coffee table and stood up. Then, she went over to the door, undid the latch, and threw it open. Patrick appeared in the doorway in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and with a toolbox in hand.
He nodded at Charlotte on the way past. “How’s it going?”
Charlotte’s stomach dipped. “Um, fine. What are you doing here?”
“Addison asked me to take a look at a few things in your bedroom and bathroom.”
Charlotte’s mouth fell open as she swung her gaze over to Addison, who was looking everywhere but at her. “Addy?”
“I just wanted to make sure everything was safe,” Addison replied, her voice rising toward the end. “Come on, you can’t blame me for that.”
