“Seriously? Ever?”
Koda’s ears turn bright red. “It’s not that big a deal,” he mutters.
“Are you insane? It’s a huge deal!” Dana laughs and clearly enjoys her brother’s embarrassment. “He wouldn’t even let me trim his split ends when we were kids.”
“You tried to give me a mohawk when I was twelve,” Koda points out.
“That was one time! And it would have looked amazing.” Dana grins at me. “The point is, he’s very particular about his hair. The fact that he trusted you with it says everything about how he feels about you.”
I look at Koda with new eyes and remember that first time I cut his hair in his cabin. How nervous I’d been, how he’d sat so still and patient while I worked. I thought he was just being nice, but knowing now that he’d never let anyone else touch his hair makes the memory even more precious.
The conversation flows easily after that. Dana asks about my plans for the future, how I met Koda. She shares embarrassingstories about his childhood that make me laugh until my sides hurt and make him threaten to leave her out of his will.
Watching them together is a revelation. Seeing this playful, lighter side of Koda that he keeps hidden from the rest of the world.
When Dana announces that dinner is ready, she leads us into a dining room that’s somehow both elegant and cozy, with warm lighting and a table set for three. The meal is delicious. Some kind of herb-crusted chicken that doesn’t trigger any nausea, roasted vegetables, and bread that melts in my mouth.
“This is incredible,” I say around a bite of perfectly seasoned potatoes. “Did you cook all this?”
“Goodness, no.” Dana laughs. “I have a meal service. I can barely make toast without setting off the smoke alarm. But I made sure everything was pregnancy-friendly.”
I appreciate the consideration more than I can say. Dana has this way of making accommodations feel natural rather than like special treatment.
“So tell me about Worthington Sports,” I say, genuinely curious. “Koda mentioned you’re the CEO now. That must be exciting.”
Dana’s eyes light up.
“It is. Challenging, but exciting. We’re in the middle of expanding our outdoor sports line, which has been my pet project since I started.”
“Is that why you moved to Wyoming? To be closer to the action?”
“Partly.” Dana takes a sip of her wine. “But honestly, after fifteen years in Boston, I was ready for a change. The corporate scene there is cutthroat in a way that started to wear on me. Here, I can still run the company but actually have a life outside of work.”
“Do you miss it?” I ask. “Boston, I mean.”
“Sometimes. I miss the museums, the restaurants, the energy of the city.” She smiles. “But then I wake up to mountain views every morning and remember why I left. Wyoming has a way of getting under your skin.”
“It really does,” I agree and think about my own journey here. How this place has changed me in ways I never expected.
“And having Koda nearby is a bonus,” Dana adds and reaches over to squeeze her brother’s hand. “We spent too many years with a whole country between us. It’s nice to be able to do this. To just have dinner on a random weeknight.”
The warmth in her voice makes my throat tight.
This is what family should be. People who choose to be in your life, who make time for each other, who celebrate the small moments.
“Speaking of family,” I say and reach into my purse, “we have something to show you.”
I pull out the ultrasound photo, the black and white image I’ve been carrying around like a talisman since yesterday. My hands are trembling slightly as I pass it across the table to Dana.
Her face transforms as she looks at it. Wonder and joy light up her features.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathes and studies the image. “I can actually see the baby. Look at that little profile!”
“Sixteen weeks,” I say proudly. “Everything looks perfect according to the doctor.”
“This is incredible.” Dana traces the outline of the baby with her finger. “My first nephew or niece. Do you know what you’re having yet?”
Koda and I exchange glances and I nod encouragingly. His grin is so wide it practically splits his face as he stands up and starts unbuttoning his flannel shirt.
