“She’s growing too fast,” she sniffles, wiping under her eye with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
I nod, squeezing her in closer. “We want her to grow, though. Think about how fun this next stage’ll be. She can explore more and learn.”
Emma looks up at me, eyes wide and innocent, like she hasn’t got a clue what we’re even talking about. Then, out of nowhere, she throws both arms out like she’s demanding her turn with me.
I laugh and take her, shifting her onto my hip, still keeping Karissa tucked close under my arm. Emma babbles like she’s telling me all about her big accomplishment.
“Yeah, you did good, sweetheart,” I tell her, kissing the top of her soft hair. “First steps. That’s a big deal.”
I know Karissa and I still have things to talk about tonight, but this moment…it makes things feel lighter. Not perfect, but better than we’ve been. This is what she needs—me showing up, being here, just us. And in two weeks, when the season wraps, I’ll be around more. I’ll step up more. For her. For Emma. For us.
Chapter 45
Karissa
Cody and I talked last night out on the porch. Really talked. Not just surface-level “I’m sorry” and move on. The kind of talk that clears the air enough to breathe again.
We both owned our part. I told him how overwhelmed I’ve been. How I’ve felt like I’m drowning in motherhood and how hard it is to be everything when I don’t even feel like myself some days.
He listened. Like,reallylistened. And then he told me the truth I needed to hear, not sugarcoated. That he hated seeing me worn down and hates that he doesn’t know what to do with that version of me.
He told me how awful he felt for snapping. How it stuck with him all day and into the night. That he couldn’t shake it. That writing that note wasn’t just something he did out of obligation; it was all he could think to do when the time wasn’t there to fix things.
I could see it in his face, how much it wrecked him. I thought he was going to cry, but he didn’t. And when I didn’t respond to the note, he said it scared him. Thought I was shutting him out. Looking back, I should’ve said something. Texted him. Let him know I saw it and that it meant something. But I didn’t. I didn’t want him to think everything was fine, because it wasn’t.
We both agreed we hated how quick we were to snap. How we let stress, exhaustion, and silence do the talking. And how that can’t become our default every time life gets heavy.
When we came back inside, we made up even more, physically this time, but it was about reconnecting. About feeling close again, knowing we’re not perfect, but we’re still choosing each other anyway.
* * *
Addison has her wedding binder spread across the coffee table like a general prepping for war. She’s got sticky notes layered on top of highlighted pages and color-coded tabs that somehow make the whole thing even more overwhelming. Wesley’s sitting beside her, sipping on iced tea like he’s just here for moral support and he knows to let her run the show, only chiming in when asked.
Leonard and Maureen are in their chairs, Jesse and Ella on the couch, Cora and Emma playing on the floor with a dollhouse. Cody and I are sitting just beside them on the floor, monitoring the sharing and making sure there’s no biting or catfights. So far so good.
Mason and Megan are on the other couch, sitting close, whispering who knows what to each other and laughing. Every so often, Megan will brush her hand over his hair or he’ll pull her in even closer for a quick kiss. And everyone’s noticed. They’re not exactly subtle.
The Dukes of Hazzardis playing on the TV in the background, volume low enough so it doesn’t have to compete with Addison’s voice.
“So I’m thinking…I’m going to do appetizers for guests while we do pictures,” Addison says, looking at Wesley, who’s already nodding.
“That’s what I always said I’d do,” Megan chimes in. “I’ve been to too many weddings where you’re just waiting forever and starving to the point that you contemplate eating the centerpieces.”
Everyone laughs.
“How long do you take pictures? It can’t be that bad,” Mason says, like he’s never heard of such a thing.
“Oh, for like one to two hours,” Megan says, and Ella, Jesse, Maureen, and Leonard all nod in agreement. But Wesley and Mason look genuinely baffled.
I wouldn’t know. Cody and I got a couple pictures after our ceremony—Addie took them—and then we went home. We didn’t have time to even think about a professional photographer or anything.
“Heck no,” Mason argues, shaking his head. “We’re not doing that, Meg. We got places to be.”
She laughs, but everyone else glances at each other. Did he just refer to a hypothetical wedding with a girl he’s only been seeing a few months?
Ella snorts, Addison’s head jerks up from her planner, and Maureen raises an eyebrow.
I catch Cody’s eyes and he lifts one shoulder, as if to sayNot our circus.
