Peak Fitness, where Drew had gotten a summer job, wasn’t anything fancy—just a local gym with good equipment and a community feel. But they’d been flexible aboutDrew’s schedule, and they had childcare on-site for gym attendees and employees who needed it, which was basically all that mattered.
“Harper!” Sheila lit up when she saw me through the glass doors. She was one of two workers at Peak Fitness who ran the childcare room, and she adored Rory. “Perfect timing. Miss Rory just woke up from her nap.”
I caught sight of Drew through the window, spotting someone on the bench press. He looked so at ease in the role—like helping people reach their goals had always been what he was meant to do. He’d shared with me that he had dreams of being an athletic trainer, and I could totally see him in that role after college.
“How was she today?” I asked as Sheila led me deeper into the childcare room.
“An angel, as always. Though she did spend about an hour banging her palm on the toy piano and babbling like she was singing.” She grinned. “Wonder where she gets that from.”
Sheila was in her forties and had met her husband when they were in college, so of course she was in love with the idea of Drew and me becoming a happy family once we graduated.
Rory was sitting in a bouncy seat, chewing on a teething ring and kicking her legs. The moment she saw me, her eyes that had recently turned the same shade of hazel as Drew’s lit up, and her face broke into the biggest grin. She started making those happy little sounds that made my chest feel all warm and giddy.
This sweet girl’s smile was all it took to make my day.
“Hey there, beautiful girl,” I said, unbuckling her and lifting her up. At five months, she was getting so much more interactive. Drew swore she’d said something thatsounded like “dada” once, though I hadn’t heard it yet. He couldn’t wait for her to start talking. “Did you have fun today?”
She immediately grabbed a fistful of my hair and tried to eat it.
“No, no, Rory. Hair is not food,” I laughed, gently pulling the curls away from her mouth. “But I get it; everything looks tasty when you’re teething.”
“She’s been doing that to everyone today,” Sheila said, gathering up Rory’s things—her diaper bag, a few toys, the little blanket she liked to sleep with that Ava bought for her. “I think she’s teething more. Drew mentioned she was a little fussy last night.”
I nodded, bouncing Rory gently. She had been clingier lately, too, wanting extra cuddles and waking up more often during the night. But even her fussy days were manageable when Drew and I were handling them together.
“Thanks for everything, Sheila. See you tomorrow?”
“Bright and early! Have a good evening.”
I made my way back through the gym, Rory perfectly content to look around at all the equipment and people. Drew caught sight of us through the window and held up one finger, letting me know he was almost done. I settled into one of the chairs in the lobby area to wait, letting Rory play with my keys while she sat on my lap.
“Harper!”
I looked up to see Jake Morrison, one of Drew’s teammates, walking over with a gym bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was damp with sweat, and he looked like he’d just finished a serious workout.
“Hey, Jake. Good session?”
“It was great,” he said with a grin, plopping down in the chair next to mine. “I’ve never been in better shape.” Hemade a funny face at Rory, who giggled before burying her face against my shoulder. “How’s the little boss doing?”
“Happy, as always.” I shifted Rory so she could see Jake better. “Though she’s decided hair is the best snack food available.”
“Ah, the teething phase.” Jake laughed, wiggling his fingers at Rory, who was now fascinated by his watch. “My sister’s kid went through that. Everything went straight to the mouth. And how’s the fancy music stuff going? Drew says you’re killing it.”
“It’s incredible,” I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. “I never imagined I’d get to work with musicians at this level. Every day I learn something new.”
“That’s awesome. You guys are really doing it, huh? The whole domestic thing?”
I looked through the window at Drew, who was quickly finishing up, putting away equipment and obviously eager to wrap up his day. Even when he was in a hurry, there was something attractive about the way he moved, like he knew exactly what needed to be done.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “We really are.”
“Good for you both. I’ve gotta say, none of us saw this coming at the beginning of the semester, but Drew’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. And Rory clearly adores you.”
As if she knew we were talking about her, Rory let out a string of babbles that sounded remarkably like she was trying to contribute to the conversation.
“She’s got opinions,” Jake laughed.
“So many opinions. She’s very chatty these days.”
