Jude dipped his head, his eyes sliding off me. “It’s time we put this to a vote.”
Ángel nodded. “All in favor of stripping Bryce Madigan of his role as CTO, raise your hand.”
I held my breath as I watched hands raise around the room, determining my future and the fate of the company.
67.Jada
At work,I sat in a rocking chair with a twelve-week-old baby while he nursed on a bottle of formula. His little white cheeks were round and looked perfectly squishy. His pale brown eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks. And his tiny little nose let out soft breaths as he drank.
He was so precious, and it was hard to believe that soon, I’d be holding a baby of my own in my arms. There was so much to do before she was born. Hopefully, the couple of weeks after the wedding would give me enough time to nest in our new house.
The pretty yellow home with white shutters and a place for my grandma. The same grandma who was meeting with Dr. Martins any minute now. It was hard to focus on that, though, knowing Bryce was upstairs, fighting for his role in the company.
The baby in my arms finished his bottle, so I propped him up on my shoulder and patted his back. He didn’t burp right away, so I used all my typical tricks until I heard the sweet little burp.
With a satisfied smile, I shifted him back to my arms and paced around the small nursery until I was sure he was asleep and gently laid him in the crib. Then I picked up the seven-month-old, who had been happily lying on his back on theplaymat, batting at the twisting toys above her. “Time for some lunch. Let’s see what Dada packed for you today.”
I set her in the high chair and carefully buckled her in before moving to her cubby on the side of the room. She was a more adventurous eater, and I loved seeing what her lunches were each day.
It made me wonder what I’d be packing for my little girl when she was that age.
I pulled the first container from the lunch box and opened the lid. “Looks like a pasta salad? Noodles and chicken.”
She bounced in the chair like that was really good news.
“Sweet girl,” I hummed. I pulled out the other container, holding a mix of soft fruits. “Are you sure we can’t trade lunches?”
She burbled in response.
A chuckle came from the doorway. “You’re so good with them.”
I looked over, realizing that my boss Esther was standing there. Her curly hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. Flyaway curls pulled out from her head, catching the light to form a halo. Little Miss Evie looked there too, and Esther waved at her. The baby lifted her hand, clenching her fingers in and out.
It was so cute, my heart melted.
“Everything okay?” I asked Esther as I started wiping Evie’s hands with a baby wipe. Once her hands were clean, I put her food on the tray.
The twelve-week-old whimpered, so Esther picked him up and brought him to the chair. “I wanted to talk with you about your future here at the daycare.”
My eyebrows drew together as I looked over at her. The baby in the farthest crib started crying, and I went to pick her up. “Is everything okay?” I hoped she wasn’t upset with me for takingoff this morning. I was working through my lunch break to make up for it.
“It’s fine, but we both know marrying a man like Bryce means you won’t need a job. Is that something you still want?”
My heart twisted because I wasn’t planning to quit the job because I got married. “There is something I need to tell you, Esther.”
Baby boy lifted his head for a moment and then fell forward against her chest, losing the fight against sleep.
I took a breath as I brought the baby to the changing table. Freshening her up gave me something to do with my hands while I spoke. “Esther, I’m pregnant. It came as a surprise, but I’m due in about a month.”
Esther gasps. “What?”
“I know,” I muttered. “The doctors told me it was impossible, and I believed them.”
I could feel her examining my body. “But you don’t look pregnant.”
“I know,” I repeated again. I buttoned the baby’s onesie and pulled her ruffled leggings back up before returning her to the play mat. Then I washed my hands and went back to check on Evie. “I was planning to tell you after the wedding, but I know there’s not a great time to lose an employee.”
My nervous system was on red alert, remembering how the administration reacted to losing me as a teacher midyear, even though I’d left to help my grandfather.This was just as good a reason, I reminded myself.
