“Yeah, it needed a fresh coat to brighten things up. The darker, more masculine colours made the space feel smaller.”
I toed off my winter boots, leaving them on the shoe rack by the door.
“You really didn’t have to do that, Sage. It’s more than enough that you’re letting me rent this space,” I was fighting back tears again and I hadn’t even seen the rest of the place. Nix and Parker set down the boxes they’d carried up by the door. From the looks of it, they’d managed to bring up all my worldly possessions in one go. “Thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it, we’re happy to have you here,” Parker said. “I’m going head back inside and take over Bryson duty.”
“I’ll let you girls catch up,” Nix grinned, pressing a tender kiss to Sage’s cheek. “I know you’ve got a lot to talk about.” He waggled his eyebrows at her while following his brother out the door, pulling it shut behind him.
Sage’s cheeks heated at Nix’s words, and she shook her head. “Come on, let’s give you the grand tour!” she said, tugging me deeper into the apartment.
The apartment had a beautiful, airy, open floorplan. The kitchen was to the left, with cabinetry along the far wall and a double kitchen sink under the large window that overlooked Parker and Tabitha’s house. There wasn’t enough space for a table, but the long, narrow counter with bar stools provided a place to sit, and it broke up the space between the kitchen and living room.
A short hallway on the other side of the room led to the single bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom was spacious, with a huge tub I couldn’t wait to soak in. The bedroom was bigger than my last one, with more than enough space to put a crib in.
Everything was painted a bright neutral colour, not quite white but not beige or Millennial grey, either. I could picture myself thriving here.
“It’s…” I sniffled again, wiping the moisture from my cheeks. “This is all too much, Sage.”
“No, it’s perfect,” Sage said sincerely. “You’re going to be so happy here, I can feel it. This was the right move.”
I knew at that moment she was right. Call it one of my inklings, but I suddenly knew everything was going to work out.
“I still can’t believe it, any of it. I’m going to be a mom…that’s so wild,” I said in disbelief, the tears still flowing.
“You’re going to be an amazing mom,” Sage said.
“Hopefully,” I murmured, thinking of my own mother as I ran my hand along the end of the made-up queen-size bed. I longed to flop onto it and sleep for a few days. I could smell the freshly laundered scent and it was making me feel even more tired. “Wait, is this mattress tainted?” I blurted, my intrusive thoughts getting the best of me.
“Define tainted?” Sage asked. Seeing my expression, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s less than two years old, and it’s super comfortable. It’s never been without a mattress topper, but I threw the old one out and steam cleaned the heck out of it before putting a new mattress protector on. I’m pretty sure it’s cleaner than your last mattress.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. It’d be weird sleeping where you and Nix spent so much time boning.”
“Don’t be foolish, we did that on the couch,” Sage assured me. “Which has also been steam cleaned,” she added with a giggle.
“Thank you. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I told her, overwhelmed with gratitude.
“What are besties for?” Sage asked, grinning. “I’m so happy you’re finally here! And just in time for Christmas!”
“Right, Christmas.” It was one of my least favourite holidays, probably because aside from an e-transfer and a phone call, I didn’t really hear from my parents.
“Christmas in Hartwood Creek is going to be different; you’ll see. Oh, that reminds me! Auntie Em wanted me to make sure you know that you’re invited to Christmas dinner. She expects you to be there for no later than four o’clock.”
I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. “Okay, I’ll check my schedule and try to make it happen.” I was kidding—my schedule was wide open, or at least it would be until I found a job.
“Mom! Mom, where are you?!” A familiar voice shouted from the door.
Sage and I went back to the main living area, finding Daphne and the twins carrying Tupperware containers full of baked goods. Tabitha was with them, and she was holding a casserole dish.
“Welcome to your new home!” she smiled, setting the casserole dish down on the bar counter. Tabitha had long dark hair and chunky bangs. Her bright cornflower-blue eyes were framed with thick dark lashes. “We made you dinner!”
“And dessert!” Daphne added, rushing toward me with her Tupperware container. Daphne was the spitting image of Sage, with her wispy blond hair and wide green eyes. She threw her arm around my waist, hugging me tight. I hugged her back, feeling more at home than I’d ever felt before. “We baked cookies galore!”
“Thank you so much, what a warm welcome,” I was barely hanging on by a thread, and if everyone kept being so nice and sweet to me, it would only be a matter of time before I burst into tears again. I took the proffered Tupperware containers from Daphne and the twins. The twins looked just like their mother, with their dark hair and blue eyes, although they had the Hutchinson charm and smiled just like their father.
“I think Nellie is feeling pretty tired, so we’re going to let her get settled now, okay girls?”
I could kiss Tabitha, and not just because the chicken parmesan casserole she’d brought in was making my mouth water and my stomach grumble.
