Zoe froze for a beat, spatula hovering over the pan. Then she set it down with care.
“You’re right,” she said softly. “There is something. I haven’t told you because…I’m scared.”
Jackson leaned forward. “Scared? Zoe, I don’t ever want you to be afraid to tell me anything.”
“I know.” Her eyes shimmered when she looked at him. “It’s just—I don’t want this to be a dealbreaker.”
His heart pounded. He had no idea what she could say that would drive him away.
Zoe drew a breath. “A year and a half ago, I went to the doctor. Routine blood work, nothing unusual. That’s when I learned it might be hard for me to get pregnant. If I want to have children, I should start sooner rather than later.”
Jackson swallowed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “But my FSH levels are low. It means my egg reserve isn’t what it should be for my age. There’s a chance I could go into early menopause. My egg quality will only keep diminishing. It’s not an exact science, but my doctor encouraged me to think about starting a family sooner, if that’s something I wanted.”
The coffee pot signaled it was done off with a loud beep.
“That’s why Ben and I broke up,” Zoe went on. “I thought we’d get married, have kids, but he decided he never wanted them. Ever. We still cared about each other, but neither of us was willing to compromise on something so big.”
Zoe turned then, sliding the pan off the burner. The bacon sizzled down, leaving only the faint hum of the refrigerator. Her hands twisted together.
“I don’t want kids tomorrow. Or next month. Maybe not even next year. But I do want them someday. And I need to know that the person I’m with is open to that dream. Otherwise…” She trailed off, her voice catching.
The kitchen was quiet except for the faint tick of the cooling stove.
Jackson sat back, stunned. His chest felt too tight to hold the relief swelling inside him. For a long moment, he said nothing, because if he opened his mouth too soon, the flood of emotions might drown him.
Finally, he breathed out. “You think I wouldn’t want that with you?”
Her eyes searched his. “I don’t know. You’ve never said.”
He shook his head, a wry, broken laugh escaping him. “Because I didn’t think I could have that much happiness, that I’d be healed well enough to even think about it. But you…” His voice faltered.
“But what?” she whispered.
“You make me want things again, Zoe. Big things. Hopeful things. Yeah, I’m scared. But I want them…with you.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. He rose, crossed to her, and drew her into his arms as she melted against him.
FORTY-NINE
ZOE
Saturday, April 12th
“I can’t believe it’s finally the Spring Fling.” Zoe tilted her face up toward the sky as she spoke, the sunlight warm against her skin. It might only have been April 12th, but the air carried summer’s promise.
The morning had started cool, seeing as it was barely fifty degrees out, but now, by noon, it was closer to eighty. Sweatshirts had been abandoned, jeans rolled at the ankle; tank tops and sundresses brightened the square in every direction.
The town square was alive with flowers overflowing from their hanging baskets on the lampposts, and the air buzzed with the scent of kettle corn, lemonade, and fresh flowers. The fountain at the center of the square glittered beneath strands of pastel ribbons, while children darted between booths clutching bags of cotton candy and balloons that bobbed above their heads.
The Spring Fling had always been the town’s biggest celebration of the season. It was part craft fair, part farmer’s market, part small-town reunion. Every shopkeeper had a tableout front, every porch was strung with blossoms, and every conversation started with “Can you believe this weather?”
Mrs. Bishop balanced a crate of blooms on her hip, pausing to give Zoe a knowing smile. “You’re trying to stay busy the whole day, aren’t you?”
Zoe laughed softly, brushing extra dirt off her hands. The flower stand overflowed with tulips, daffodils, and ranunculus spilling from galvanized buckets, their scent drifting sweetly through the air. She’d added a few early peonies and wild daisies from the meadow, bright touches of pink and gold. The Moonlight Kisses were growing spectacularly in the greenhouse, but they weren’t ready to release to the masses yet. Soon, Zoe thought, she’d be able to share the magic with everyone.
“Whatever keeps my mind off until the announcement,” Zoe admitted, her voice dropping to something more fragile. “The crowning is so important for my mom.”
