“My calls keep going to voicemail. Why do we have so many petals?”
“Mom ordered extra.” Popping the lid of the last box open, Penny sighed. “I don’t think these ones will fit.”
Katie pushed the bags that were already in the refrigerator across and squished in another couple of bags. “There’s enough air in the bags to stop the petals from bruising.” With a satisfying thud, she closed the door and turned to Barbara. “Why did you need to see Diana?”
“The candy canes she ordered have arrived, the lady who’s doing our makeup wants to ask her a question, and Mom’s in a tizzy. She thinks Diana’s going to be a runaway bride.”
After spending most of her life worrying about her daughters, their mom still couldn’t relax when there was a big family occasion. “We’ve almost finished in the church,” Katie said in the most positive way she could. “I’ll call Megan to see if Diana’s still at Sweet Treats. Where’s Mom?”
“At her house. She’s already baked two batches of chocolate chip brownies and four different flavors of cookies.”
Their mom always baked when she was stressed. “At least she’s not driving around Sapphire Bay looking for Diana.”
“She made Dad do that.” Barbara looked at her watch. “Daniella is expecting to see the entire bridal party in twenty-five minutes at The Fairy Forest.”
Penny frowned. “Diana has a copy of the pre-wedding schedule. We should go to The Fairy Forest and wait for her there. If she doesn’t turn up, then we panic.”
Katie wrapped her arm around Barbara’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Diana is never late for anything.” At least, she hoped so.
* * *
Printingthe final trial report should have given Peter a deep sense of satisfaction, but it didn’t. The neural gel prosthetics had given each amputee significantly better physical, mental, and emotional outcomes than their previous prosthetics. But none of that would make a difference if he couldn’t fund phase two of the project.
The expectations of the trial participants and the intense interest since the leaked information had hit mainstream media was overwhelming. A lot of people were depending on him, including the fifty-two people he employed.
A soft knock on his office door distracted him from the thoughts whirling inside his head.
Willow stood in the doorway, holding Tiffany. “I’ve just made a batch of muffins. Would you like one?”
“That sounds great. I’ll come to the kitchen with you.”
“Are you sure? If you’re still working, I can bring one here.”
Peter looked at his laptop and frowned. “It’s finished.”
“You weren’t happy with the results?”
“I’m more than happy. It’s all the work that comes next that’s worrying me.” Tiffany made a gurgling sound and he smiled. “It’s probably less stressful than raising a child.”
“A good friend told me to take one day at a time. Their advice worked better than cramming my head with the latest parenting advice.”
He followed Willow down the stairs. The sound of Christmas carols grew louder as they approached the open-plan living area. This was the first year he’d been away from home for Christmas, and he wasn’t looking forward to spending the time away from his parents.
Instead of focusing on what he was missing, he tried to stay positive.
“Are you enjoying being at home with Tiffany?”
“It’s a big change. Half the time I have no idea what I’m doing and the other half I’m making educated guesses. From what I’ve worked out, as long as Tiffany has a clean bottom, a full tummy, and lots of sleep, we’re okay.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead. “When she’s a little older I’ll reopen my music studio but, until then, I’m happy to spend my days here.”
Peter stepped into the kitchen. The rich scent of chocolate muffins made him think of his mom. From the time they were babies, she’d stayed at home with him and his brother and sister. It wasn’t until he was an adult that he realized how much she’d given up to look after them.
“You’re a great mom, Willow.”
Gently, she lay Tiffany in the crib Zac had set up and tucked a blanket around her daughter. “Thank you.” She took two mugs out of the cupboard. “Hot chocolate, coffee, or sparkling water?”
“Hot chocolate would be great. I’ll make it.”
She handed him the mugs and found a plate for the muffins. “In that case, I’ll have a hot chocolate, too. You’re really good with Tiffany. Do you want to have children?”
