“Children justsuck the life out of you.”
Krissa’s stomach tightened. She sipped her coffee.
“Cameron looked a mess. No makeup, baby spit up on her shirt. In fact,” she lowered her voice. “She’d forgotten to do up her nursing bra and her boobs were bouncing all over. It was so embarrassing.”
“Oh, no.” Krissa’s heart ached for Cameron. She did struggle. “She has three kids, Mom. It’s hard. I was just over helping her the other day.”
“I had three kids and I didn’t need help.”
Maybe you didn’t care as much.The a hot shame rushed through her. She looked down at her coffee.
“I gave up my life for you three girls.” That must have been what…the thousandth time Krissa’d heard that? “But since I had to stay home with you and give up my career, I made the best of it. You didn’t catch me going out of the house without makeup and hair done.”
“Wow. I don’t know how you did it, Mom. You know, though…why did youhaveto give up your career?”
“Well, I just did. Some women were working outside the home back then, but not many.”
“Lots were. Women had choices. You didn’t have to stay home.”
Mom blinked. “Why are you arguing with me about this? You were a baby, what do you know about what went on then?”
“Nothing.” Krissa sighed.
“Just don’t rush it. You’ve got your career to think about.” Mom added more cream into her coffee and stirred it.
“I’m thirty-two, Mom. That’s hardly rushing it.”
“You have lots of time. So, what’s the exciting news you have to tell me?”
Krissa nibbled her bottom lip, her heart sinking like a stone in water. “Ah. Well.” She lifted the coffee cup to her mouth, swallowed scalding liquid. “I have a big new client.”
Chapter 14
Nate’s appointment the next afternoon didn’t go quite how he’d hoped.
When he arrived back at Krissa and Derek’s place, Derek was already there, home early. For once. No wonder they couldn’t get pregnant if Derek was never home. Then shame washed over Nate. There was a medical reason and it had nothing to do with Derek’s work schedule. And…the same could have been said about Nate and his marriage. There’d been many times he’d been away traveling, taking photographs…and somehowhiswife had gotten pregnant. His gut clenched.
“So, how’d it go?” Krissa laid cutlery at one place setting at the table.
He hesitated. She wasn’t going to like what he was about to tell them. Hell, he didn’t like it either, although it probably didn’t affect him as much as it would them.
“Well. We can talk about it after we eat. What’s for dinner?” He didn’t feel the least bit hungry, but needed to refocus Krissa. She was going to have one big meltdown, he feared.
“Actually, I ordered Thai food. Hope that’s okay.”
“Mmm, Thai. Great. I’ll go wash up.”
He escaped to his room, stood in front of the mirror, ran his tongue along his teeth. He washed his face and hands. Stood there again. Then straightened his shoulders.
He hadn’t heard the doorbell, but when he arrivedin the kitchen Derek was carrying in bags of food that had been delivered emanating odors of ginger and coconut and lemongrass. His stomach heaved.
Krissa chatted as she set the food on the table and they helped themselves. She’d visited her mother, and from the sounds of it, that hadn’t gone well. Then she’d been busy doing research and starting work on the projects she’d be doing with her new client. Her voice vibrated with excitement as she talked about it and Nate was pleased for her.
Too bad he was about to burst her happy bubble.
When they’d all finished eating, they set their plates aside but stayed at the table.
“So, tell us.” Krissa leaned forward, eyes sparkling, the corners of her mouth tipped up appealingly. “What happened?”
