Page 66 of Ideal Life

After half an hour, the walls around her finally stopped spinning, and the light of a screen didn’t make her want to throw up anymore. She dialed Libby.

“Hi, Tal!” Libby chirped. “We were about to head out to do a live stream for a color-analysis service. Can I call you later?”

“Actually, no—this is important,” Talia said.

Libby stopped short. “Oh, okay.” She turned off-screen and said, “Jacob, honey, I need to talk to Talia real quick.” She ducked into the hotel bedroom and shut the door. “Um, what’s up? Is everything all right?”

Talia nodded. “I just wanted to check in. You called me a week ago, and I’m sorry I ran off to that silly singles mixer that didn’t even work out. I should have stayed home and talked to you about whatever it was you called for. But here I am now. You’d said you wanted to pick my brain?”

“Yeah. I think we’ll need more than the five minutes or so that I have to spare right now, but I do have something huge I want to tell you.” Libby’s face glowed even though she wasn’t wearing any makeup. “Jacob and I are having a baby!”

“Oh my god!” Talia clapped her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe it. Wow wow wow… Congratulations!”

“Thank you. I’m just so happy, Tal.”

“I know. You always wanted a family.”

Libby nodded. “And you get to be her auntie, and I won’t even get mad if you spoil her rotten.”

Talia laughed. “It’s a plan. But hey… will this change what you and Jacob do? I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, but my protective-auntie instincts are already kicking in about my baby niece or nephew being broadcast to three hundred million strangers.”

Her sister let out a long, pained exhale. “You read my mind. That’s exactly what I’d wanted to pick your brain about.”

“Don’t worry—I can help you think it through.”

Jacob knocked on the bedroom door. His voice came in from off the screen. “Hey, sweetie, we need to head out now. You ready?”

“Tell Jacob to come over here,” Talia said.

His face popped on the screen as he sat next to Libby on the bed. “Hey, Talia!”

“Libby just told me the wonderful news. Congratulations, Future Daddy.”

He grinned, his world-famous dimples showing. “Thank you, Future Auntie.”

“All right, well, I know you two have to get going to that color-analysis thing, but just remember, Jacob—no jokes about color matching for the baby, okay?”

Jacob looked confused. “Why would I make a joke like that?”

“Exactly,” Talia said.

She decided in that moment not to tell them about the watch. Let Jacob move forward without feeling any guilt about his previous mistake. Talia was happy to be able to help them without taking credit for it.

She turned her attention back to her sister. “Call me when you’re done, and we’ll brainstorm, all right?”

“Definitely. Thank you, Tal!” Libby blew her a kiss, and they hung up.

Talia flopped forward, head on her desk. Disaster averted.

A notification popped up, chiming at the same time on her Omni 3Ds, her computer monitor, and her phone.

Ideal Life Queen Elizabeth: It has been four days since you have seen or communicated with Sam, even though he has texted you. I have analyzed your prior messages and his recent ones, and there does not seem to be any conflict between the two of you. However, your mood markers have been a bit lower recently. May I suggest that you reach out to him? I think it would be good for you.

Her heart did a little pirouette at the thought of getting to spend the next few hours with him again in the hidden cave off the beach.

At the end of the evening, when she drove him back to Lighthouse Books, a flashback of the last time they’d been in the parking lot flickered through her memory.

But Talia had taken care of all that. She’d done it again, better. So hopefully, this next part would be fine.