Rylee closed her hand over Mrs. Walker’s, holding it tightly. Her eyes filled with tears she had to sniff back.
Mrs. Walker tightened her hold too and pushed her chair in closer.
“Rylee, baby, what’s up? Talk to me.”
Rylee exhaled, lips trembling slightly. “I’m pregnant.”
Mrs. Walker gasped, her jaw dropping, the corners of her mouth curling into a stunned smile.
“Oh myGod!” Mrs. Walker gripped Rylee’s other hand, squeezing both tight. “You’re gonna be a mama again?!”
Rylee’s head tilted to one side. Her brows furrowed. She blinked.
“You’re not upset?” she asked, eyes darting across Mrs. Walker’s.
Mrs. Walker blinked hard and pressed her hand to her chest with a sharp inhale.
“Upset? Why on earth would I be upset, Rylee?!Thisis amazing.”
And just like that, the waterworks started up again. Rylee didn’t know what was making her cry more—the fact that she was pregnant when she hadn’t planned to be… the fact that Mrs. Walker was genuinely happy for her… or the fact that, in every sense of the word, this pregnancy was forcing her to move on from Lennox.
And she wasn’t sure she was ready to.
Her doctor had confirmed the time window of conception. Since she and Xander used condoms most of the time—but didn’t on the day he showed up to comfort her on theanniversary of Lennox’s death—she knew that had to be when it happened.
And that made her cry even harder.
“Oh, Rylee.” Mrs. Walker twisted in her seat to reach for the tissue dispenser on the island behind her. “If you don’t stop all this crying, girl!”
Rylee laughed, taking the tissue from Mrs. Walker’s hand to dab at her eyes.
“Why are you so upset?” Mrs. Walker asked, still holding tight to her hand. “Why would you thinkI’dbe upset?”
“Because I’m pregnant and it’s not…”
Rylee let the words trail off as she dropped her chin to her chest.
“And it’s not Lennox’s?” Mrs. Walker finished for her.
Rylee swallowed hard and nodded.
“Oh, Rylee,” Mrs. Walker whispered, lifting her hand and kissing it twice. “Baby, you’ve already given me two beautiful grandchildren. And now you’re giving me another one I can’t wait to love just as much and as hard as these two.”
Rylee lifted her eyes to Mrs. Walker and saw her smiling.
She could always see Lennox in Mrs. Walker’s eyes, just like she saw Lennox in LJ. It was one of the many reasons she always came to this house. To see Lennox’s parents… and to see Lennox in them. He resembled them both.
“Lennox would’ve been thrilled,” Mrs. Walker said with a nod. “Even more thanme.”
Rylee sniffed. “I don’t know. Iwantto believe that, but… I just don’t know.”
Mrs. Walker gently ran her thumb along the back of Rylee’s hand.
“Rylee, Lennox was your friend before anything else. That never changes. And any friend worth their name wants to see the people they love happy, not sad. That’s true in life and in death.”
Rylee kept her gaze locked on Mrs. Walker’s. She wanted to believe her. She knew what Mrs. Walker was saying was right, but… her heart just couldn’t catch up to that truth.
“I’m struggling,” Rylee whispered. “I’m struggling to accept everything. Things just… they seem to just be happening, you know?”
