“Come with me for a second?” she says quietly.
“Where?”
“Just outside. I need some air.”
We slip out the back door onto the small patio Dad built years ago. It’s chilly, but not unbearable. The sounds of the party are muffled out here, just the hum of conversation and laughter filtering through the walls.
Mom sits on one of the patio chairs and I take the one next to her.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. Just overwhelmed in the best way.” She smiles. “I love them all. But it’s a lot of people.”
“You can leave whenever you want. It’s your party.”
“I know. I will. I just needed a minute.” She looks at me, really looks at me. “With you.”
“Big day,” I say finally.
“Huge day.” She laughs. “I still can’t believe it’s happening.”
“How do you feel?”
“Relieved. Excited. A little terrified.” She looks at me. “Is that weird?”
“Not at all. Change is scary.”
“Says the woman who quit a stable job to start her own photography business.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“Because I was young and stupid and didn’t know any better.”
She laughs. “You were brave. You still are.”
I shrug. “I learned from the best.”
“Your dad?”
“You.”
She goes quiet, and I can tell she’s trying not to cry.
“Emma—”
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.
Her eyes go wide. “What?”
“I’m pregnant. Almost twelve weeks. Due in March.” The words tumble out now that I’ve started. “I found out a few weeks ago and I wanted to tell you in person and I know I should have called but I wanted to see your face when I told you and—”
She pulls me into a hug so tight I can barely breathe. When she pulls back, she’s crying and laughing at the same time. “You’re pregnant?”
“I’m pregnant.”
“I’m going to be a grandmother!”
