“I’m full of all these snacks. Tell me how it turned out.”
I yelled for Dylan and went off to search for my baby and distribute goodbye hugs and kisses to my family.
Chapter 6
Lily
The sun had just begun to set behind the tallest fir tree in Gram’s front yard when we finally made it home for our first night as a family of three. Jane was already home in Portland, finally back at work after her leave of absence. This was the first night since Will died that it would be just me and the kids.
I had always loved Gram’s house. It was a cute little cottage painted a creamy white with dark green shutters and trim. It was right in the middle of town on a street lined with other old houses. Picket fences surrounded yards with lush green grass, abundant flowers, and tall trees that created an arch over the street. As kids, we used to pretend the house was haunted because it would creak and settle all night long making noises that we were sure had to be ghosts and zombies. So many memories lived in this old house. It was strange to think her bedroom would now be mine.
Shaking off my sudden nostalgia, I stopped my Expedition and climbed out to get the sleeping kids. I dreaded waking Dylan; if I had let Rose come home with me, we could each take a kid and let them both sleep.
“Hey, sweet boy, can you wake up so we can go inside?” Irubbed his cheek softly and smiled at him to take the sting out of having to wake him up.
“Mommy, where are we?” His sleepy eyes examined our new home in confusion.
“Grandma Rosemary’s house. It’s ours for now, remember?”
He didn’t answer as he jumped down and ran to the wraparound porch to wait for me. Luckily, Calla didn’t wake as I took her carrier out of its base in the back seat.
“Lucky girl. I hope I’ll sleep this well tonight,” I whispered.
I unlocked the front door. The house was still decorated in grandma chic—homemade quilts and doilies, Hummel figurines, and family pictures. I made a mental note to pack up the breakables; Dylan could get rowdy. Gram’s tiny bookshelf in the corner was still filled to overflowing with the books my mother had written, along with her other favorites. I hoped my kids would feel as comforted as I did by the familiar surroundings.
I carefully walked up the narrow wooden staircase and down the hall to transfer Calla to her crib in my mom’s childhood room. I had guessed right. It was newly decorated with a mermaid theme, all greens and aqua blues with hints of pink and coral. Calla stirred for a minute as I slipped her into her pink blanket sleeper in the crib, but luckily, she went right back to sleep. Sometimes it seemed as if she knew what was going on and tried to help in her own way. I turned on the nightlight, snagged the baby monitor off the dresser, then walked down the hall to find Dylan.
I found him standing in his new bedroom looking around. Mom had decorated it in shades of dark blue with cute pops of red here and there as an accent. Jude and Levi had unpacked Dylan’s toys and set them up on the shelves and dresser top and filled the bookcase up with his books. They acted like they were so tough, but deep down they were big softies. I started totear up as I thought of all the things my family had done to make the transition to our new life as smooth and easy as possible. “Let’s get you tucked in,” I whispered, then picked him up to get some cuddles in before I took him to bed.
“This used to be Aunt Delphine’s bedroom when she was a little girl.” I found his pajamas in the top dresser drawer. Wow... Levi and Jude had even unpacked his clothes. “Get changed, little bug, then I’ll tuck you in.”
Once he was snug as a bug, he asked to talk to Luke. “Mommy, can I say goodnight to Daddy Luke? I think he lives by himself in that huge house. Someone should tell him goodnight.”
“Sure, I guess so.” I found his name in my contacts and passed my phone to Dylan. My heart kicked up to a nervous beat once I heard it ring.
“Hi Dad, it’s Dylan. I wanted to tell you goodnight.” My heart lurched when he called Luke “Dad,” and I tried hard not pay attention to Dylan’s side of the conversation. My brain could only handle so many feelings in one day.
How was this real?
Dylan finally said his goodbyes, hung up, and put the phone down on the night table. “He said to tell you goodnight for him. He wants you to have sweet dreams, and I should remind you that there are no zombies in the basement. Did you think there were zombies down there?” Dylan laughed at me.
I smiled. “I used to. Luke used to laugh at me too, you little stinker.” I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him into my arms for another hug. “Good night, my sweet boy. I love you.” I snuggled him closer and kissed the top of his head.
“I love you too, Mommy. He said there were no ghosts in the backyard either.” He burst out laughing as I turned off the light and headed down the hall to get ready for bed.
I crossed the threshold to Gram’s old room to find my suitcases and boxes piled up in the corner. I guess Leviand Jude had reached their helpful limit with Dylan’s room. I laughed to myself as I dug through the boxes until I found my pajamas and toiletries and headed into the bathroom. Mom had left a basket on the white marble-topped counter filled with bubble bath and other girlie fun things, along with a card to welcome me home.
I couldn’t help but feel like a brat for the way I had acted earlier. I craved independence, but I should have been nicer about it. I placed my phone and the baby monitor on the edge of the counter near the old claw-footed tub and started the tap, adding a huge amount of the sweet-smelling bubble bath. I had always loved this tub. I twisted my ponytail up into a bun, stepped in, and let myself drift down into the warm, bubbly haven of relaxation. The stress of the day washed away as the water got higher.
My phone pinged with an incoming text. I shut the water off with my foot and reached for my phone.
Luke:There’s so much I need to say to you. Can we talk soon?
My heart raced and my stomach swirled. I felt ridiculous because it was just a text message and still my body reacted like a hormonal teenager in the throes of a crush. Which, in all honesty, had been how I’d used to react to Luke every time I was near him. But I hadn’t seen him in years, and there was this huge hurtful history between us that had yet to be addressed. I had come in here to relax, and one ping of my phone had ruined that.
I should suck it up and be a grown-up about this. The water swished around me as I sat up and grabbed a towel to dry my hands so I could text back.
Lily:I’ll be working at Violet’s shop tomorrow. We can talk there. Will that work?
