“You don’t look like you slept,” she said as she set the loaf aside to cool.
“Thanks?” I mocked.“But you’re right.Archer didn’t sleep much either.”
“Oh?And how do you know that?”she asked, her hazel eyes twinkling with devilment.
I shot her a look.“Because we ran into each other in the kitchen around two in the morning.”
“I see.”
I went to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of cream.
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll hang out with you until Archer’s finished.He said he’ll be done by noon and then we’re running errands.”
“What kind of errands?”She lifted the dishtowel covering a glass bowl that had resting dough.
“We need to buy paint for Lenni’s room and a new bedspread.And she’s wearing Poet’s coat right now—she needs real winter clothes.She grew up in Georgia.”
“Oh, she’s not prepared at all.”
“Exactly.”
“I think there are a few boxes of Hadley and Salem’s clothes from when they were her age in the attic.I’m sure they wouldn’t mind?—”
“Thanks,” I said.“But she’s getting new stuff.”
“Oh?”
“The old clothes could make her feel ...I don’t know.Like a charity case.An orphan.”
Muddy didn’t say anything as she began to stretch the dough.
“I found out that she doesn’t have anything from her life with her mom.I think Nancy donated it all when Lenni moved in with her.”
“Damn.”
I sighed.“She cried in the truck just now.It took everything in me not to get outwardly angry.But that won’t help things.”
“No.It won’t,” she agreed.“How’s Archer doing?”
I rubbed my third eye.“As good as can be expected, I guess.”
“So, he’s feeling guilty and overwhelmed then?”
“Very.”
Muddy shaped the dough into an elongated loaf and then dropped it into the banneton.
“I’ve started the meal prep for Hadley and Declan,” she said.“It’s easy to pop a frozen lasagna into the oven.Don’t want them to have to think about food when the little one arrives.”
“Can you believe it?”I asked with a shake of my head.“I can’t believe she’s going to have a baby soon.”
“I know.”Muddy smiled.“The house will soon be filled with babies.I can’t wait.”
“Yeah.”My throat constricted.
“Your time will come.”
“Excuse me?”
