Clutchingmy phone to my chest, I let myself savor this one sweet moment. The father of my child is over the moon to tell his family now that we’re having a baby.
That I’m moving to Wintervale.
Maybe everything will turn out all right.
4
BEAU
The driveway to my parents’ house is already packed with vehicles, except Wren and Merrick’s, and I only know that because Mom sent me to drop off dinner for them already. My sister’s car accident rocked us all to the core. We’d never been so close to losing anyone as we had been that night. Merrick had stayed at her bedside, the businessman from New York having fallen hard and fast for Wren when he came to Wintervale.
And despite having tohelphis father leave our little slice of heaven, Merrick had become family. I’ll be shocked if they aren’t married by the end of the year.
Still, none of that helped with what I had to do next. Wren is still the only person I’ve talked to about Indie, and having her here for support would have been nice.
Like I conjured her, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
WREN: You can do this
BEAU: You’re supposed to be resting
WREN: I don’t need another man in my life telling me to relax, Beau Sterling
BEAU: I said resting
WREN: It’s the same thing
BEAU: It’ll be fine, right?
I hit send beforeI can think twice, my vulnerability bleeding into the words.
WREN: Absolutely. Just maybe have a napkin ready for Mom when she starts crying, or sacrifice Jesse, whatever comes first
Chuckling,I pocket my phone and push open the door to my childhood home, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as I step inside. It’s beautiful—my mother replaced most of the furniture after we all moved out but it’s stillhomeand even though I’ve been on my own a long time, being here feels like everything is going to work out all right. Unsurprisingly, it’s loud, my mother yelling over the show my father is watching as she bangs around the kitchen.
Home.
Whatever nerves I’d had are gone now that I’m here, my heart full even before I tell them because I know they’ll be happy.
“Jesse, all I’m saying is that there’s no reason you can’t find a nice man here in Wintervale.” Giving him an innocent look, she adds, “Get a couple of dogs if you don’t want kids—I’m not picky.”
“Mom, I told you I’m not interested?—”
“You owe me,” I murmur to my brother, cutting off whatever he was about to say as he narrows his eyes at me. “Mom, you remember Indie, right? From the wedding?”
“Of course! She was so lovely.”
“Glad you think so because she’s gonna make you a grandma.” The line sounded a little less abrupt in my head, as the room falls shockingly silent for a beat before all hell breaks loose.
“She what?! Are you— Winston! Winston!” my mother yells, my father’s eyebrows somewhere in his hairline as he hustles into the kitchen and wraps me in a hug.
“Definitely owe you.” Jesse chuckles behind me.
“Is she here?” my father asks, holding me at arm’s length before my mother ducks under his arm between us and hugs me tight, her tears wetting my shirt.
Wren was right. I should have grabbed a napkin.
“You’re having a baby?” she asks, her hands cupping my face, her eyes glassy but bright.
