I flinched at the bluntness of his words, my grip tightening on the shirt in my hands. “Jason,” I said, my voice low but firm. “I get that I should’ve given you a heads-up. When you called about Bebe, I was with him. I needed him to take me to the hospital—I wasn’t in any shape to drive.”
Jason exhaled deeply, some of the tension in his face easing though not entirely. “I’m sorry,” he said after a long pause. “I shouldn’t have come at you like that. It’s just…Will. You know what that feels like for me.”
“I know,” I said softly, meeting his eyes. “And I get it. But you had Brooke with you at the hospital, and I didn’t say a word. It was not a situation any of us planned.”
Jason sighed, dragging his hand through his hair as he leaned against the dresser. “Fair enough,” he repeated, his tone softer. “I guess this whole situation is… a lot.”
“It is,” I agreed, folding the last of James’s shirts and zipping the duffel bag closed. “But we’re figuring it out. One step at a time.”
Jason nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
“Brooke seems to care a lot about you,” I added after a moment, feeling the need to bridge the gap between us.
“She does,” Jason admitted, his voice quieter now. “I’ll admit, she’s been patient with all of this. It’s been a long week,” he added with a faint laugh, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
For a moment, there was no tension between us, just two people navigating a complicated new normal.
“I should get them to the airport,” Jason said, straightening and grabbing the duffel bag.
“Here,” I said, handing him James’s uniforms on hangers.
“Thanks,” Jason said, giving me a small nod.
We headed downstairs, where Meredith was entertaining the crowd like a pro. I caught a rare half-smile from Richard as he sipped his coffee, and Deb was unusually quiet, her attention focused entirely on Bebe.
After they left, the house fell blissfully peaceful. Bebe, Meredith, and I decided to watch “The Parent Trap.” The cozy familiarity of the movie was exactly what we all needed. Bebe’s giggles at the pranks warmed my heart, even as she held her stomach cautiously.
Jasper stopped by briefly to drop off the food he’d prepared for us. He didn’t stay long, but Meredith followed him outside for a few moments. When she came back in, I couldn’t tell what she thought of Jasper.
“Are you into him,” I teased, leaning against the kitchen counter as she unpacked the containers.
“I do love the accent,” she admitted with a grin. “I mean, I wonder what he can do with that tongue.”
“Meredith!” I gasped, laughing as I threw a dish towel at her.
“What? I’m just saying!” she shrugged. “I don’t know if I feel a spark, though. He might just be for fun.
“Just for fun, huh?” I gave her a look. “I’m surprised you are even using the wordspark.I didn’t think you did spark. Does this have anything to do with a certain other man you encountered this week” I quipped playfully. “Evan perhaps?”
She made a surprised face, and I could have sworn her cheeks blushed a little.
“I just realized, you’re going to be here for the opening, aren’t you? I completely forgot that’s this week.”
“Do you think Jason can stay with Bebe and James on Thursday so we can both go?” She asked.
“Yes, I’m sure he will,” I said, though the thought of juggling so much with Bebe still recovering made me a little anxious.
“Relax, Nat,” Meredith said, sensing my hesitation. “I’ll be here. We’ll make it work.”
“You always come through for me,” I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being.
Meredith suddenly broke into song, crooning“L is for the way you look at me”in a sing-song voice, her eyes fixed on me with a knowing smile.
“Meredith,” I said, trying not to laugh as she swayed dramatically around the kitchen.
“Oh, come on, Nat. You know you want to join me.”
I shook my head, but when she started singing louder, I gave in. Our voices tumbled together in a messy duet until we both dissolved into uncontrollable laughter.
