Hugo, still chewing, doesn't say anything. But I'm nodding along, thinking of how true those words are. How this might be an opportunity for me to heal from what happened to Maggie. To do my best to mend an old wound so I can be a whole person for my baby. A single mother, doing the job of two. Not quite what I pictured for myself, but here we are.
"I think that's a lovely idea, Sonya. And if you're willing to have me, I would love to help facilitate that." I glance at Hugo, doing my best not to smirk. "Not sure I can help with Hugo's problem, though."
Sonya adopts an expression of innocence. "Oh, I think you might be able to."
Oh.
Is she...playing matchmaker?
I open my mouth, ready to tell her there's a tiny human growing inside me, but Sonya glances at her watch. She jumps from her seat, saying, "I completely forgot I'm meeting friends for a movie tonight. Thank goodness for this new watch where I can get my text messages on my wrist. I probably wouldn't have looked at my phone for hours."
I slide from my seat, too, ready to be on my way, but her arm shoots out. "Please stay for the sunset from the back patio. It was Simon's favorite view." Her eyes light up. "In fact, can you stay in town a little longer? The Olive Festival starts in a few days. Maybe the best way for you to tell Simon's story is to get to know him throughthe town." Her eyebrows raise, hope shining bright in her eyes.
"Yes," I say, no hesitation. Can I extend my stay at the Olive Inn? No clue. Is Jolene game to water my plants? No idea. I don't know if it's ok for me to reschedule my sixteen-week appointment at the OB-GYN, and I most certainly did not pack enough extra underwear for this long of a stay, butYES!
I try not to appear too elated. No happy dancing for me. Just a covert squeeze of my fisted hands in my dress pockets.
Sonya smiles. She doesn't necessarily look happy, but maybe it's a combination of various emotions in varying levels of intensity. She glances between me and Hugo for a long moment before announcing, "Well, I'm off. Enjoy the sunset."
Sonya disappears around the corner with a final fluttering of her fingers, and a moment later, the front door closes.
"Umm." I look at Hugo.
He's grimacing. Palming the back of his neck, he says, "Sorry about that. My mom can be a lot."
"Don't worry about it." I shrug. "She's worried about you." It must be nice, having a mom who cares like Sonya.
"I'm not sure why." He scrunches his face like her concern confounds him. "I'm fine."
"The words of every person who is not, in fact, fine."
Hugo leans his forearms on the counter, hands grasped. He nudges the tray of cookies toward me. "Take another cookie. You are eating for two, right?"
Talk about an abrupt subject change.Did I hit a nerve?
Gently, I run a hand over my belly. "You already know the answer to that." I take another cookie, because they're delicious, and I'm hungry. I'm always hungry.
Hugo is quiet, but his eyes are on me. I know he has questions, but he's too polite to ask them.
Besides, we both know my pregnancy is none of his business, and is not relevant to why I'm here.
Hugo straightens, pointing beyond my head with his beer bottle. "I do believe there's a sunset waiting for us outside."
Chapter 9
Hugo
I repeat it to myself,a mantra.
You don't know her situation.
I say it twice more. A chastisement.
Mallory passes in front of me, sailing through the door I'm holding open for her. She says thank you with her eyes as she goes, and I dip my chin at her gratitude.
She finds her way to the railing, gripping it tightly with both hands. She looks out, her chest swelling with a quiet, deep breath.
I step close to her. Fingers wrapped around my beer bottle, the other hand resting on the wooden rail. My pinkie finger, so near to her dainty one. A subtle stretch of my finger and I'd touch her. Makes me think of the moment she hooked her delicate finger around me, promising me she'd do right by our departed loved ones.
