Mallory, always ready to play nurse off the clock, looped her hand through CeCe’s and drug her sister-in-law to the sofa. “I’m fine,” she whined as Mallory placed a pillow at her back and positioned her feet onto the coffee table. “I want my Maybelle time.”
“That girl isn’t going anywhere,” Mallory promised as she fell onto her own cushion. “How are you feeling?” She studied CeCe another moment, and asked, “For real.”
CeCe rested her hands on her belly, rubbing circles over the bulge. Through an enormous grin, she recited her symptoms. “Exhausted, bloated, hangry, gassy, and very excited.”
“All reasonable feelings and symptoms.” Mallory winked. “How much longer?” Her head fell back on the couch as CeCe counted.
“One month, one week, and three days. I’ve lost track of how many hours ...” she said with a huff. “Although, to be fair, I’ve lost track of a lot lately.” Wiggling her toes, she laughed. “I can’t remember the last time I saw my feet. Although I can still tie my own shoes.”
Mallory nodded sagely. “Welcome to pregnancy brain. In addition to having to pee all the time, you’re also going to forget eighty percent of what you need to remember.” Jostling her own legs, she huffed. “And the jury is out on when you’ll see your feet again.”
“You’d think I would be better prepared,” CeCe said. “It’s certainly taken long enough to get here.” She trailed squiggles over her baby bump with her finger, her eyes glistening, bottom lip trembling.
It hadn’t been an easy road to baby for Evan and CeCe. Due to some unforeseen health ailments, it took them over six years to conceive the twins. Unfortunately, they had two miscarriages along the way. Mallory had grieved alongside her brother and sister-in-law, all the while battling with guilt that Maybelle had come along relatively easily.
In contrast, Beckett and Mallory’s road to baby was delayed on purpose. After taking far too long to find each other again, the pair enjoyed their newlywed phase in peace on the apple farm. As the years rolled by, Mallory had craved more of a challenge at work, so she’d gone back to school to become a nurse practitioner. During the sleepless nights of studying for exams, Beckett had taken the time to hire more crew for the farm and turned it into the destination it was today.
The Lawsons and Foxes had certainly been busy, but now was time to celebrate and relax together.
“These twins are strong and healthy. Evan showed me the results of your checkup last week. You’re all going to be fine.” She squeezed CeCe’s arm and offered her most reassuring nurse smile.
“Breakfast is ready!” Evan yelled from the kitchen. “How many pancakes do you ladies need?”
Beckett carried a sleeping Maybelle in her carrier. “I’ll bring in some coffee, Mal. CeCe, what do you need?”
“A latte and a shot of bourbon,” she lamented. “But I guess orange juice is fine, too.”
“Coming right up.” Beckett jogged to the kitchen and came back out with Evan and a tray of food. “Ladies,” he said as he handed each of them a plate of pancakes.
CeCe eyed Evan as she took her first bite, which was swimming in butter and syrup like she liked. After swallowing she nodded. “These aren’t bad.”
Mallory covered her mouth and moaned. “Holy crap, Ev. These are sinful. What did you do?”
Evan sent his sister a withering look before replying, “It’s just Bisquik.”
CeCe shot him a lewd gesture before devouring her pancakes in sixty seconds. Ever the dutiful husband, Evan swapped his wife’s empty plate for his full one. “Thank you,” she muttered in between mouthfuls.
Maybelle slept through breakfast, much to her parent’s delight. “Wow,” Beckett whispered as they cleared the dishes. “I don’t think we’ve shared a meal without interruption in five months.”
“Shhh, you’ll jinx it.” Mallory hissed, poking her husband in the ribs.
When everyone was back in the kitchen, CeCe pulled herself onto a stool and rested her elbows on the counter. “While we’re all here, and before the Christmas insanity begins, I wanted to talk about Beck’s Bakery.”
Beck’s Bakery was the new shop built on Beckett and Mallory’s property. They lived on his late grandfather’s apple farm, and had gone into business with CeCe and Evan for the bakery, building it at the entrance to the orchards for the high season.
Mallory shot her husband a look before answering. “We’ve been talking about that, actually. How do you feel about pushing the opening back until the following year?”
CeCe blinked. “But we’re all set to open this summer, right before the fall festivities start.”
Evan rested a hand on his wife’s shoulder and squeezed. “Babe, maybe Mal’s right. We could give it a year while we get settled in with the twins.”
CeCe was incredulous. “I can do it,” she pressed, “I can do it all. Just because I’m a mother doesn’t mean I won’t be a pastry chef, too.”
Mallory covered CeCe’s hand with her own and squeezed. “I have no doubt, but you’re going to have two babies. I can barely handle my workload at the hospital with Maybelle.”
Beckett raised his hand and added, “And I work a lot less than Lawless.” A few years ago, Beckett had left his job in finance to take over the operations of the family farm. There was only a small flock of sheep and the apple orchards, but it was a full-time job keeping it running.
During the high season two years ago, visitors praised the pastries they bought at the gift shop. CeCe and Evan had a side hustle going out of the diner on weekends where they’d bake pies and cookies for Beckett’s farm, but after they kept selling out, they decided to open a pop-up shop on the property. That was all before they got pregnant with the twins, and reality was starting to settle in.
