He’d have to accept us both, or neither of us. He couldn’t just have one without the other. I didn’t care if it broke my heart again, but my son was my life. I ran to have him, and I would stop at nothing to make sure it stayed that way.
Julia was on my side, and the more people I had, the better.
“Did you get everything you’ll need?” Travis asked, helping himself to the very well-stocked fridge.
“I think so,” I answered as Julia took my son out of his seat.
In the corner by the couch was a baby swing, waiting to be used, along with a few other little baby things that had been scattered across the house.
It finally felt lived in.
I think there was almost too much stuff, now.
After being in this house for over six months, the place finally felt like home. Or, well, as close as much as it could. I needed Zachariah here with me to make it complete, because he was home to me, but I could handle all this that was here.
“You okay?” Julia asked, cocking her head to the side in worry.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, clearing my head. “Just thinking.”
“I’m here if you want to talk,” Julia said as she took a seat on the couch after taking Joshua from my arms.
“I’m alright,” I sighed. “Just thinking about things that are out of my control.”
“Alright,” Julia said, letting it go for now.
“How’s Toby doing?” I missed him, too. How was he handling me gone for so long? I was, after all, the only person that he had gotten along with at the first moment he met them. I took a seat on the couch.
“He’s doing okay,” Julia said. “He’s dealing, I guess. Going to therapy, but still not happy about you leaving. He thinks that it was all Zach’s fault that you left.”
“But it wasn’t,” I said. “When you go back, please let him know that I will be home soon. And that I miss him?”
“Of course,” Julia said. “He’d be very happy to hear that. But he’d be happier if you called him and told him yourself.”
I made a mental note to talk to him when I went back home. I just hoped he could forgive me, too. He may be harder to gain back on my side than my own husband.
It wasn’t that long after that Krissy showed up, Catrina in tow. The little girl bounced with each step she took, happy to see me and Joshua.
Once her eyes landed on the baby, they widened and she froze for a second before a splitting grin met her lips.
“Can I hold him?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Krissy said. “He’s really small. When he gets a bit older, then you can. Okay?”
“Oh. Okay,” she sighed sadly.
“But you can touch his hand or foot. That’d be okay, Catrina,” I smiled.
“Can you have a baby, Mommy?” Catrina asked her mother.
“One is perfect for me,” Krissy laughed. Then, turning to me she asked “How are you doing?”
“Happy to not have to be at the hospital every day,” I said through a yawn.
“I bet so,” she laughed, taking a seat on the floor and making herself at home. She stole one of the chips off my plate that sat on the table next to me in the process.
“Do you always just help yourself to whatever?” Travis asked jokingly as he eyed my friend.
“What’s wrong with that?” she asked. “You stole her food.”
