“Yes,” I agreed. “But he believed her, Jazz. Over me.”
“Well, no, he didn’t believe her over you, honey, he just believed her for a few minutes before he checked with you.”
“He shouldn’t have had to check with me!”
“Or, you two could have found out when you went to get a marriage license, making you a near bigamist.”
I groaned. “Why do none of my friends just have my back instead of being logical and shit?”
Jasmine smiled. “Sorry. He should have handled that a completely different way, I agree. He should have come to you the second Bonnie did the background check. The way he handled it was a dick move.”
“Yes.”
“He fucked up.”
“Royally,” I agreed.
“But can’t you give him a break?”
I shook my head. “Not right now. Not for this.”
“Okay. Well, go get dressed. I’ll wait.”
“I feel like he should be there. Not me. This is family.”
“Honey, we’re your family too.” She smiled. “Doc spent the morning with Doom and Lyric, so he’s had cuddle time with Sterling already. Doc wants you to know you have support.”
I swiped at the tears streaming down my face. “Well, he needs to stop being thoughtful. It’s pissing me off.”
“I don’t think he can do that when it comes to you.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded. “I do have the stroller they wanted from their registry.”
“Good. Go get dressed,” Jazz said again. “You need your people around you again.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll be quick.”
I decided on my favorite summer romper. It was yellow with embroidered blue flowers on it and I paired it with a pair of blue, denim wedges. Once I was dressed, Jasmine helped me haul the stroller to her SUV and then we headed to Doom and Lyric’s home in the historic district right beside Forsyth Park. Her home was a magnificent 1850s mansion she’d restored several years ago, and I always wondered what it had been like when it was first built. I could just imagine wonderful ladies in hoop skirts walking the streets with their men in top hats.
“Just leave the stroller in the rig,” Jasmine instructed as we pulled up. “Alamo will grab it.”
“Okay,” I said, and we headed inside. I couldn’t help but hang back a little, feeling self-conscious as we walked inside.
“Liv!” Sage squealed, pulling me in for a hug.
“You’re home?”
Sage had graduated from Oregon State University a few years ago and decided to stay. The last time I’d seen her was on the convoy out to Colorado to stay at the Howlers’ compound.
“I am,” she said. “I was getting sick of the rain and I missed home.”
“It’s so good to see you,” I said.
“You too, honey. Go see the baby. He’s adorable.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. The house was filled with our closest friends and family, but it seemed so wrong that Doc wasn’t there. I forced down my sadness and followed Jasmine into the family room where Lyric was sitting in her huge cuddle chair, her bundle of deliciousness swaddled close.
Willow held hand sanitizer out to me and squirted some onto my hands before I approached the baby.
