Everything was masculine and minimalistic, almost completely devoid of a woman’s touch—or personality, for that matter. The only photographs in frames had been gifted to me by my mother, and the only art hanging were paintings of the resort and lake my grandmother had done.
It was beautiful and rustic, and I was proud of it, but right now it was somewhere for me to sleep and eat when I wasn’t at work or out. Compared to my cousin’s house, and to my older brother’s place, it felt sterile, like an updated version of one of our cottages.
I didn’t even have a pet. I’d always loved dogs, but I hadn’t wanted the responsibility of another living creature. It’d mean I couldn’t come and go as I pleased, not that I’d been doing much coming and going since October.
But I was too tired to think about why things had changed. The physical labour of clearing snow had me peeling off my outer layers and heading straight back to bed. I crashed before my head hit the pillow, falling into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
Nellie
* * *
Ten days had passed since Tabitha and Parker’s New Year’s party, since I’d all but run out on Noah after he genuinely wished that all my dreams would come true. I’d worked Thursday and Friday with had the weekend off, which I’d spent catching up on laundry, resting, and reading. Then I was back to work on Monday, and it had been a strange week.
I was on my own a lot in the office, seeing the other employees for only brief periods throughout the day, at lunch or when the housekeepers brought in loads of laundry.
I saw Noah plenty, but he seemed to be keeping his distance from me, too. His smiles were more reserved. I didn’t need much help when it came to managing the front office or staying on top of laundry. Any questions I did have, Noah answered with a polite indifference.
I hated it.
I preferred the way he was before, the flirty smiles, the long glances. But it was my fault. I’d drawn the line in the sand by ignoring his flirtatious comments and jokes, by never showing him that I felt something more. I’d made it clear I wasn’t interested in even talking to him outside of work, not with how I’d taken off mid-conversation at New Year’s.
It appeared Noah agreed that crossing that line wasn’t in either of our best interests.
I tried to tell myself that was fine—that was the way it should be, the way it needed to be. It didn’t stop the ache in my chest when he was around, but so distant. Still, I put a smile on my face and carried on, throwing myself into doing the best job that I could, especially since I’d need them to accommodate my appointments.
Today, I’d cut out early to make it to Springwood for a 3 p.m. appointment with my new obstetrician. Dr. Kramer was a high-risk OB and wanted to see me every week to ensure that everything was going smoothly. So far, it was looking good, but she warned me that it didn’t mean I wouldn’t encounter issues down the road. I was still at risk for miscarriage, and I’d be at risk for preterm birth, too.
She’d confirmed that my due date was July nineteenth. I’d be having a summer baby—right smack dab in the middle of peak-season at the resort.
I left the appointment feeling panicked. Noah had told me my regular schedule would be Monday to Friday. I don’t know how he would feel about me needing to take an afternoon off every week. I could get a doctor’s note, but it’d clue him in on why I needed to go to those appointments. Which meant I needed to tell him sooner rather than later, and that terrified me.
Not to mention, I’d be out for peak-season, and I knew that wouldn’t align with what the resort needed from its full-time receptionist.
When I pulled into my designated parking spot at Tabitha and Parker’s after my appointment, Tabitha was getting the kids out of the van from school pickup. She had Daphne with her, who immediately ran over to give me a hug.
“Hi, Auntie Nell!” she exclaimed, nuzzling into me.
“Hey buddy, how was your day?” I asked, feeling lighter than I had since my appointment.
One of the best parts about moving to Hartwood Creek and being near my bestie again was moments like this; getting to see Daphne as much as I had before, if not more. Tabitha watched her every day after school while Sage worked at the hardware store.
“It was good! We had a spelling test and I aced it!” Daphne replied, giving me a wide grin that showcased her missing tooth.
“That’s awesome! Way to go,” I ruffled her hair and looked up to see Tabitha walking towards us, carrying Bryson in her arms. He looked grumpy as all get out, all bundled up in a blanket with his hat on over his ears.
“Feel like coming in for a tea?” Tabitha asked, smiling at me warmly.
“Oh yes! Come inside, we can put on a fashion show for you!” Daphne pleaded, grabbing my hand and tugging.
I didn’t have anything pressing to do, and sitting alone in my apartment with my thoughts sounded like a bad time anyway. Tabitha was sweet, and she went out of her way to talk to me each time she saw me.
“Sounds like fun,” I said, following Tabitha while Daphne continued holding my hand. The twins had already run ahead and had unlocked the front door, leaving Tabitha’s keys in the lock and the door wide open.
They’d taken off their winter boots and snow gear in a whirl of chaos, leaving their coats and snowpants in a pile by the stairs.
“We’re working on that,” Tabitha chuckled, retrieving her keys, and waiting for me and Daphne to step inside, closing the door behind us.
Daphne removed her coat and boots, hanging her coat up and setting her boots on the rack, then she started pulling her snowpants off.
