This is going to be a good story. She thinks I will let the secret escape my lips, but I know she will be begging at some point.
“Alrighty. It seems we are done and you two can go.” Dr. White offers Rosie paper towel to clean her belly. “You can make an appointment at the desk for your next follow-up.”
Rosie and I both say thanks, and we are left for a moment alone.
Instantly, my ex-wife waves her finger at me with a scornful smile. “You are so bad.”
“And that’s the way you like me.”
She shakes her head and hops off the exam table. “Come on. We got through another day together, let’s just call that a win.”
Every day lately is feeling like a victory.
14
ROSIE
Bella squeals at me while we chat over coffee for her and tea for me at Foxy Rox. I love fall, and the October colors outside with crunchy leaves are everything the Blisswoods enjoy during pumpkin season.
“I’m going to grill Carter. You don’t want to know, but I do,” she reminds me.
It’s been a week since we had my appointment, and so far, Carter hasn’t let it slip if it’s a boy or girl inside me. I can’t even read him to get a hint. I still don’t want to know, but I’m also happy he has something for himself. I have the whole pregnancy while he watches on.
My sister is like a little penguin with her arms flapping. “I guess you’re going to do grays and light green or yellows in the baby room.”
I laugh nervously to myself while my hand rests on my belly. “Throwing me the reminder that I’m setting up a nursery in Carter’s house, eh?”
“Well, you two are kind of together again, right?”
I nod and grab a piece of the giant chocolate chip cookie on my plate. “We’re going slow. Jumping right in and saying we’ll drive off into the sunset is maybe a stretch. After all, I hurt him.”
That’s the whole issue. I can’t seem to get past the block in my head that I shouldn’t have forgiveness or if I screw up that he’ll easily let me go again. I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve been trying to give myself compassion on that front. I should admit to him clearly what I have now come to realize, and it’s that this baby is helping me clear my thoughts even more.
“I think you two will be fine. The way you look at one another is… special.” She seems fond of my happiness. One day, she’ll have it, too. I’ll be the one on the other end of the table offering advice that I should probably be listening to myself right now.
“Anyhow, we’re going to start to look at things for the baby. Apparently, furniture might have quite a delivery time. Plus, if I have to hear the moms beg me for a gift list one more time, I might lose it. I’m positive if this kid can hear that he or she has already learned to stop listening when it involves their grandmothers.”
Bella chuckles and pulls her hair into a ponytail. “As much as it really would be great at Olive Owl, at Hailey and Oliver’s is fine too.” Her sentence abruptly ends, and she offers a welcoming smile to someone over my shoulder.
I glance to my side as my second cousin, Gracie, arrives with an ear-to-ear smile and dressed in a stylish skirt and coat.
“Hey, ladies, fancy seeing you here.” Bella scoots over, and Gracie has a seat on the booth bench.
“You would see me more if you actually slept at your apartment here,” I tease her. She has a great loft above one of the stores on Main Street. We meet for the occasional coffee, but she’s busy.
She shrugs. “Sorry. My mom has kept me occupied at the boutique, and I’m working on some designs.” Her family has a lingerie boutique and label over in Lake Spark. Her dad was a professional football coach and is also the dad of my aunt’s husband.
“Do you have any samples in your car? Family perks and all,” Bella tries her luck.
Gracie flashes her brows at me. “Not today, but we do have a great maternity line back at the store.”
I pause for a second to consider if it might be needed, considering I’m sleeping with my ex again. “Thanks,” I answer simply.
“So what are you ladies talking about?” she wonders.
Bella snorts a laugh. “Rosie doesn’t want to have her baby shower at Olive Owl.”
Gracie’s mouth opens as her entire face tightens from her amused shock. “Your dad won’t like that at all. But kudos for being brave enough to deny the Blisswoods a family event.”
