I looked to Emma, waiting for her to gang up on me too.
She raised her hands in protest. “I’m not saying anything. I’m not even in this mothering club yet; I’m just soaking in all the wisdom before it’s my turn.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed, turning to watch Aidan out the window and wishing, at least part of me, that we were home. “I guess I look at single moms like you were, Ivy, and wonder why I couldn’t hack it as easily.”
“It wasn’t easy for me either,” she says. “For sure, one reason it’s easier this time around is the fact that Jake is with me. But don’t compare your inner struggles with what you see from others’ outward appearance. It’s enough to acknowledge that it’s hard for us all.”
“You’re right,” I mumbled.
“Okay, now that we have that discussion over with, what is the status of daycare for Miss Mia,” Ivy asked. “I did reach out to Teri, our daycare provider, but she doesn’t have any openings until a year from now for an infant.”
“I asked Anna,” Maggie said.
“What?” I glanced from Maggie to Emma. “I don’t want your mom thinking I’m pressuring her to start running a daycare.”
Emma laughed. “You should know by now that my mom can’t be pressured into much.”
True. I’d gotten to know Anna at the library. She’d joined many of our book clubs over the years, and the woman knew her own mind. Still, I felt a twinge of embarrassment like I was somehow at fault for not having daycare figured out for my baby.
Maggie nodded to Emma before looking back at me. “At any rate, Anna said that wasn’t something she could handle right now but recommended I call Kris at our daycare because Anna heard through the Lou Williams’ grapevine that the Harper family was moving to Tennessee to be closer to their family.”
My heart skipped a beat. There was only one Harper family I knew of in town. They came into the library for story time on Saturdays, and they had one of the infant slots at the preschool/ daycare on the farm where Maggie’s daughter El went.
I turned big eyes to Mags. “You didn’t hear it on your own?”
“Kris hasn’t said anything, so I’m checking into it. Anna just said something when we dropped El off to come here.”
It felt too dangerous to hope, but Lou was plugged into all the gossip in town, so that was promising. Was there a way to find daycare in town without having to give up my career or drive an hour a day to a bigger city or some other plan that we hadn’t thought of yet? I guess I’d have to wait a little longer to find out.
“So…” Ivy scanned me from head to toe with a positively wicked grin. “Looks like you finally had Santa come down your chimney, Grace. Or maybe more accurately, come up it?”
We all paused as we processed Ivy’s comment and then promptly burst into a fit of laughter.
Emma shook her head. “Maggie has been such a bad influence on you, Ivy.” To which Ivy and Maggie high-fived across me.
As much as a quiet night home with my family sounded appealing, some time with these girls was just what I needed. I felt more likemethan I had in some time.
Chapter12
Flying Free
Aidan
The cold temps had given the air a crisp feeling that I associated with winter in Illinois. I mean, I had grown up only a few hours away. To be fair, maybe this wasn’t unique to Illinois or even the Midwest, but in my mind, this was how a December night should be.
The flame from the fire was throwing off heat as it devoured the logs in the Solo Stove. While the air was chilly, with my flannel over my Henley, I wasn’t too cold but exactly right. The fire danced and I stared, lost in thought.
“You good, man?” Levi came up to me, passing over a beer.
As I took it, I gave the label a second glance. It wasn’t one of the ones we’d brought but a West Coast IPA from the Homestead called Fire & Rain that they often brewed around the holidays. Worked for me.
I looked back to the fire, wondering where to start. “I’m good. Just wrapping my brain around a few things.”
Max’s voice brought me back to the yard. “How can we help?”
A look up told me the male contingent of this party was joining us at the firepit. Max, Jake, Drew, and Logan came to stand next to Levi, Sully, and me.
“You all get kicked out?” I asked with a glance back to the house. A second look showed someone dancing. Looking closer, it was Maggie—no shock there—and possibly Ivy?
