“Hey, ladies,” he says, stepping aside to let us in. “Glad to see you all. Especially you, Sutton. It’s been a minute.”
“That it has,” I nod.
“Baby life wearing you out?” I ask.
He pauses for a moment, rubs his eyes, and then laughs heartily. “Nah, not so much the newborn as the rambunctious seven-year-old going a little stir crazy and wanting our attention. I’m gonna take Millie to her skating lesson, though, so she can burn off some energy and be with her friends. Have a little daddy-daughter time to make up for all the focus that’s been on Henry.”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Grace grins.
“Not to prove your point,” Skyler chimes in. “But, uh, whereisthe baby?”
Owen grins and shakes his head. “Follow me.”
He turns and leads us down a long hallway with gleaming hardwood floors and dark green walls decorated mostly with pictures of Millie. When we reach an open doorway, we move through it and find ourselves in a living room with a big fireplace, plush gray sectional, and toys scattered all across the floor. Stacey is sitting in the middle of the sectional, her short red hair pulled back off her face with a clip, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She’s holding Henry while breastfeeding him, her arms propped up on pillows.
“Hey, babe,” Owen says. “You’ve got company.”
Stacey looks up and her lips curl into a wide smile. Her green eyes are bright, but there’s clear exhaustion in her gaze as she grins up at us.
“Oh my gosh! Hi girls. Sutton!” she exclaims, raising her free arm and beckoning me over. “It’s so good to see you! Sorry, everything’s such a mess…including me.”
“Don’t be sorry.” I hurry over to her and give her a half-hug. “You’re in baby-mode, and you look gorgeous, by the way.”
She laughs. “Oh, you’re a good liar. Don’t you dare stop.”
When she pats the empty spot next to her, I plop down. Grace, Skyler, and Rylee take up spots on the sectional around us. I gaze down at little Henry, who’s eagerly sucking away and totally oblivious to anything else around him.
“Look at this little guy,” I coo, reaching for his tiny hand. “He’s even cuter in person.”
“He knows he’s adored,” Stacey says with a tired but glowing smile. Looking around at all of us, she declares, “All right, I want all the updates! I’ve been getting bits and pieces of adult interaction since Henry was born, but I’m desperate to live vicariously through you all while I’m on maternity leave.”
“Are you already going crazy?” Rylee asks.
Owen snorts from his position by the doorway. “Where do you think Millie gets her restlessness?”
Stacey arches a brow at him. “Speaking of, shouldn’t you two get going? The sooner you leave the sooner we can talk about you behind your back.”
He lets out a bark of laughter and crosses the living room to drop a kiss on top of her head.
“If you’re talking about me, means you’re thinking about me.” He tilts her chin up and presses his lips to hers. “Which is how I like it.”
When he pulls back, Stacey’s cheeks are pink.
Turning, Owen makes his way out of the living room. “Millie! Come downstairs! We gotta get going.”
The sound of footsteps running along the floor above us is quickly followed by them clomping down the stairs down the hallway.
“Ready?” Owen asks.
“Ready!” Millie replies.
“Bye, baby!” Stacey calls out. “Have fun!”
“Bye, Mom!”
I hear the front door open and shut, Owen and Millie leaving the house without another word. Stacey sighs and shakes her head. “That girl, I swear. Couldn’t even come in and say hello to you all.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Skyler shrugs, relaxing into her seat. “Kids have one-track minds. They’re like dogs. See what they want. Go for it.”
