I huff out a groan, hiking Bea’s car seat up my arm again, all the while never letting go of Penny’s hand as we walk up the sidewalk toward The Nook, an adorable little coffee and dessert shop, one of the only coffee shops in Sky Ridge. Of course, the sidewalk parking is packed though, so we had to park half a block away.
I remind myself that the coffee is worth it, as is the absolutely ginormous orange cranberry muffin I’m going to let myself indulge in during Penny’s weekly playdate with her little bestie Hollie.
Vi’s a nurse at Bakersfield Hospital in the burn unit, but we try to make sure to meet up once a week so the girls can play. And if I’m totally honest, I need the adult time so badly I could cry. I love my kids, but sometimes a girl just needs to have an adult conversation, you know? Something that doesn’t involve fart noises, the words ‘look what I can do’ on repeat, or baby spit up.
Ugh. I’d kill for a girl’s night free of kids. I almost laugh at the absurdity of the thought, though. Maybe I’ll ask Violette if sheand Hollie want to come over soon, even if it’s just to let all the kids play while we have a glass of wine… It wouldn’t be the mostrelaxinggirls’ night ever, but it would mean adult conversation. I know I can always ask Scottie to come over, but she works long hours as an EMT, so getting us all together is tricky sometimes.
Dalton pulls the door to The Nook open, holding it for me. I huff out a breathy, “Thank you, bud,” and direct Penny in front of me, hiking Bea’s car seat up my arm again. There’s a short line in front of us waiting to place orders, and I smile.Speaking of Scottie…
We stop behind a woman with ginger hair that’s pulled up into a sleek ponytail. She’s shorter than me by several inches, her body thin in that athletic build type of way that mine will never be.
Navy blue tactical pants cover her legs, and a white, short sleeved polo shirt in that lightweight, sweat-wicking material is stretched over her shoulders and back; the standard uniform of an EMT. She’s scrolling away on her phone while we all wait, oblivious to our presence and the noise around us.
“Auntie!” Penny shrieks in excitement as she recognizes who is in front of us, launching herself away from me and into the back of Scottie’s legs. Startled, she spins, taking my toddler with her.
“Hey, you!” she laughs, glancing down and behind her at Penny, who has her arms wrapped around her thighs in a bear hug. “How’s my girl? Hey, Dalton.” She holds out her fist, and he bumps it, grinning widely.
“Hey, Aunt Scottie,” he says, leaning in for a hug. He’s tall for his age and stands nearly to her chin already. She hugs him around the shoulders.
“Ugh, you’re so tall,” she grumbles, eyeing him with a glower, and he grins again.
“I’m pretty sure we’re in another growth spurt,” I mutter,though I wink at him. “I swear he’s outgrown half of his clothes already this summer.”
I shake my head and shift Bea’s car seat on my arm again, the handle cutting off the circulation below my elbow. I considered unpacking the stroller, but it had seemed like too much of a hassle for such a quick errand. I’m regretting that now. I blow out a breath and focus my gaze on the handwritten chalkboard over the counter, scanning the daily specials.
“Can we get cake pops?” Dalton asks, looking up at me. I side-eye him.
“Cake pops for breakfast?” I deadpan. He grins and shrugs his narrow shoulders. Penny yanks on Scottie’s hand, jumping up and down excitedly. I roll my eyes. “Ugh. Fine. Only because today is our freebie day and now that Penny heard you, she’ll be a terror if we don’t get them.”
“Cake pops are under the Mom Freebie clause. If they facilitate a no-meltdown-day, it’s a win,” Scottie mutters out of the corner of her mouth, winking at me.
I laugh out loud, grinning while I nod. “Cake pops for breakfast it is then,” I laugh, shaking my head. Dalton does a little victory fist pump and Penny dances in place.
The barista calls out to Scottie quietly to get her attention. Scottie holds up one finger and then spins toward the counter. She steps forward as the person in front of her slides out of the way. My eyes go back to the menu board, trying to decide what I want as she orders, and then pays. My eyes drop when she spins to face us, two chocolate frosted cake pops dusted in colorful sprinkles clutched in her fingers.
“I got your usual, too, by the way,” she says, smiling at me. She grins at me as I protest, but then hands one cake pop first to Penny, then to Dalton.
I squeeze Penny’s hand and eye Dalton with my best mom-glare, focusing on what’s in front of me. “Guys, we have manners, what do we say?—”
“Tank you so much!” Penny exclaims, her brown eyes round as saucers as she gazes at the cake pop in her hand.
Dalton grins. “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome. Try not to be heathens for your mom today, okay?” she says, laughing. She winks at me again.
I’m so lucky to have ahopefullysoon to be sister-in-law as amazing as Scottie. I never liked my brother’s ex, Molly. Good riddance to the awful woman that had broken my brother’s heart. She and her douchey husband Dave deserve each other.
Scottie ducks again and coos to Bea, who babbles animatedly up at her. “You’re just too precious.” Glancing up at me as she straightens again, she murmurs gently, “You did so good, Teddy.”
“Thank you,” I murmur awkwardly. That’s the second time in a week someone has said that to me, and it reminds me of the way Xander’s eyes had done that deep, heated thing as he’d stared up at me. I shiver. I blame it on the AC blasting directly above us.
She grins once more and then steps aside to wait for her order at the other end of the counter. We step forward as one hot mess grouping so I can order two waters with lids and straws, and the orange cranberry muffin I’ve been dreaming about for the last two days.
Scottie still has Penny by the hand—she knows the way this child can Houdini her way out of anywhere—and I’m grateful she’s here as I struggle to grab my wallet out of the bottom of the diaper bag slung over my shoulder. I’m paying as Scottie’s drink is ready along with the iced coffee with caramel sweet cream she’d ordered for me. She stands with us while we wait.
I jostle the paper wrapped and bagged muffin the barista hands me, stuffing it into the wide-open pocket of the diaper bag as we shuffle down the counter to wait for the rest of our order.
“Are you headed out to a play date with Vi and Hollie?” Scottie asks as I sidle my way over to her. Penny’s hand is stillclutched in hers, and she’s swinging their arms back and forth while Penny finishes the cake pop. “That is today, right?”
