“You don’t need to keep saying it. I did it because I wanted to. Don’t worry about coming back to the office until Monday. You should have enough sick time built up.”
I nod, pulling my purse over my shoulder. “I guess I’ll see you Monday morning.” I wrap my arms around him in a show of appreciation.
He kisses my forehead. “Call me if you need anything.”
Within a few minutes I’m at the counter renting a car to drive back home. While the agent processes my information, I pull my cell phone out, turning it back on. I wait for it to load as she hands me the keys and rattles off several minutes of disclosures.
Three messages pop up.
Reece: Did you talk to Blake? Call me, plz.
Blake: What time will you be back?
Blake: I need to see you.
For now, I tuck it back in my purse and go claim my mid-size Honda from across the street. Blake has left me hanging so many times that it justifies me doing the same just to pay him back. I’m not that person.
Lila: I went back home to see my parents. Back next week.
Before pulling my car from the lot, I call Reece. It rings four times before she picks up.
“It’s about time. I’ve been worried about you.”
“Sorry, we were in New York all day and then I decided to come home for a few days.”
“Home?”
I start the car, letting the air conditioning kick in. “Pierce dropped me off in Omaha. I need some fresh air for a few days … some time to think without all the distractions.”
She sighs. “I’m going to miss you, but you made a good call. I guess Blake didn’t take it too well, huh?”
“He ran the way he usually does. He’s been texting me today, but I’m not going to let him take me on the roller coaster with him this time. I have more than just myself to worry about.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“It sucks, though,” I admit, tearing up again. “Look, Reece, can I call you back tomorrow? It’s been a long day, and I’m really tired.”
“Of course. Get a good night’s sleep, okay?”
“I will.” Before she can hang up, I add, “You’re a great friend. I really mean that.”
“You are, too,” she replies.
I laugh quietly. I don’t see how that’s possible when I have all the problems. “I try to be. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
As I drive out of Omaha onto the country roads Nebraska is notorious for, I roll down the window and turn up a little Brantley Gilbert. The smell of fresh cut grass and the occasional scent of cattle seep into my car, but they’re just more reminders of home.
It’s always going to be my safe place.
My nerves don’t show until I pull into my small town. In less than a minute, I’ll be in my parents’ driveway. There won’t be any way to explain my visit without telling them everything.
I take one deep breath and put my hand on the door handle.
I take another and actually pull it back.
After three, I’m finally out of the car making my way to the front door. I still have my key, but they’d probably have a heart attack if I just walked in. I knock instead.
While waiting, I peek through the side window, seeing the glow of the TV coming from the living room. Mom comes around the corner cautiously, her robe pulled tightly over her pajamas.
Her mouth hangs open when she sees me standing on the other side of the door. “Lila,” she says, folding her arms around me. “What are you doing here?”
“I need you,” I cry, burying my face in her hair. She’s used the same shampoo since I was a little girl. It reminds me of the hundreds of times she’s comforted me over the years.
“Come in. Do you have any bags you need help with?”
“No,” I answer stepping inside. “It was a last minute sort of thing.”
“James!” Mom yells. “Your daughter is here!”
I wince. I love my daddy, but he’ll have ten times more questions than Mom.
“Hey, baby girl.” He smiles, coming around the corner. “What are you doing here?”
Folding my arms over my stomach, I say, “I needed a break from the city.”
He pulls me in for a hug, kissing my forehead in the same spot Pierce had just over an hour ago. “I’m glad to have you home.”
For a while, we stare at each other. I know they know something isn’t quite right. They’re just waiting for me to say it or thinking of a way to ask me.
“Do you want to come watch some baseball?” Dad asks, motioning toward the living room.
I shake my head. I hate baseball. He knows it. “I was wondering if Mom wanted to sit on the back deck for a while. I’ve been stuck on a plane for most of the day and could use some fresh air.”
Dad looks relieved. “I wouldn’t want to impede on girl time.”
“Do you want something to eat before we head out?” Mom asks.
I haven’t had anything since the cupcake back in New York. “Peanut butter and jelly,” I say, wrinkling my nose.
She pats my back. “I’m glad Chicago hasn’t changed you too much.”
While she puts together my sandwich, I go out to the deck leaning against the railing. A cool summer breeze blows through my hair as I look out to the mature trees that fill the back yard and listen to the crickets.
I hear the patio door slide and turn around, watching Mom carry a plate and glass of milk to the table. “This should do it.”
“Is that your homemade bread?”
“Did you think I was going to make you something on store bought bread? Never.”
I kick my heels off and take a seat across from her. The first bite goes down easily and before I know it, it’s half gone. It’s a good thing my nausea wore off after lunch.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she finally asks after I down my glass of milk.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Nothing you can say is going to make me love you any less. Remember that.” If I’m half the mom she is, my baby will be lucky.
“I’m pregnant.” My hands shake under the table as I wait for her reaction.
Her eyes widen as she takes a visible deep breath. “I guess I didn’t realize you had a boyfriend.”
This is the part that stings the most. “I don’t.”
Her elbows hit the table, hands framing her face.
I continue, “I met a guy after I moved there—Mallory’s older brother, actually. We’ve been seeing each other on and off.” I purposefully leave out Pierce. She doesn’t need to hear all that.
“Where are you now?”
“Off.”
“Oh, baby, your dad and I will help you with whatever it is you need. Have you been to the doctor yet?”
Shaking my head, I say, “Not yet. I was hoping I could get in with Dr. Phelps while I’m here.”
“We’ll give her a call in the morning.” She pauses. “Do you want to know a secret?”
“You have a secret?”
She holds up her index finger. “Just one.”
“Spill.”
“I got pregnant with you before I married your dad. Our parents put together a wedding in two weeks to try to make it look like you were a honeymoon baby.”
I’m not sure if she can see my eyes in the darkness, but they have to be at least double in size. “No freaking way.”
“Shocking, huh?”
“Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have anyone for you to make me marry.”
She laughs. “I would never even suggest it. Besides, I love your dad so much, it would have happened at one time or another.”
More time passes. I finish the last of my sandwich as I enjoy the quiet serenity.
“Can we wait a couple days to tell Dad? I want to go to the doctor and all that before I tell anyone else.”
“What do you want me to tell him?”
I shrug. “Just tell him I needed a break. There’s no lie in that.”
“True. You look exhausted. Why don’t you head to bed, and we can talk more in the morning. I’ll even make you waffles with strawberries if you want.”