Sage paused her rifling through the hangers. “Are you having a baby shower?”
I snapped my attention to her, not having realized I’d zoned out. Curiosity was etched on her features, like she didn’t understand why I seemed sad.
I quickly went back to looking at a few shirts folded on the table in front of me. I had no idea what to say.No, I don’t have anyone to invite because my family is all dead and the closest relative I know of lives hours away and has a daughter of his own.“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Oh my gosh.” The clap of Lettie’s hands had me jumping. “You two can have a baby shower together! Brandy, Oakley, and I can plan it.”
“It could be farm-themed,” Oakley offered.
The clothes seemed to be forgotten as Oakley and Brandy came to join us.
“I don’t want to take away from Sage—” I started.
“Do not even think about finishing that sentence,” Oakley interrupted, bright green eyes pinning me in place.
“I’m due in April,” Sage informed me. “When are you due?”
“February.” Being two months apart from her somehow eased some of my worries, like I wouldn’t be in the newborn trenches alone. I had no idea what I was doing despite the countless books I’d been reading, and knowing Sage already had experience being a mom comforted me.
“Let’s plan it for January then,” Lettie decided.
While the girls got to talking about their ideas for the farm-themed shower, I headed over to a corner with various styles of bralettes. Wires were becoming more and more uncomfortable every day, so I figured switching and getting a bigger size might help ease some of the pain in my breasts.
I set my sights on a more deep-cut one, looking through the drawers to see what colors they had in stock.
“It’s a lot, huh?” Sage’s voice had me looking up from where I was crouched.
“There are so many colors to choose from,” I said with a light chuckle.
“There are.” Sage’s lips flattened into a small smile. “But I meant the baby.”
I paused, taken off guard by her seeming to want to talk on a deeper level. While traveling, so many conversations I had were superficial. I was never in one place long enough to form lasting relationships.
“It is,” I admitted, using the edge of the table to help me straighten.
“I was a single mom before I met Callan,” she told me.
My heart squeezed at the thought of how hard that must’ve been.
“Avery and I had to make it on our own after moving somewhere new.” Her gaze fell like she was remembering all of it before locking eyes with me. “But no one is more strong than a mom trying to make a better life for her child.”
I nodded, any words I might’ve been about to say escaping me. It was hard to think I’d be doing so much of this alone, let alone speak about it.
“Do you know who the dad is?” she asked, her tone soft, like she didn’t want to scare me away, but also wanted to make it known she was here if I wanted to talk.
My fingers messed with the strap of the bra in my hand. “I do.”
She dipped her chin in acknowledgement before shifting topics. “Do you have any names picked out?”
All I felt was relief that she didn’t press further. So many people only started a conversation to gain information from it. So little actually wanted to only talk.
“I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet.” Hell, I’d barely thought about the baby’s wardrobe. I was so focused on finding doctors for appointments, and then my dad’s funeral came up, that everything was slipping through my fingers at a pace I couldn’t keep up with.
“Do you?” I asked.
“We’ve floated some around, but Callan wants to look our baby in the eyes before he settles. He says that’ll help him decide,” she explained, a look of nostalgia crossing her features, like maybe she once fought as hard for happiness as I was right now.
“Does that work?”
