CHAPTER TEN
Lucy was curled up on her bed, blanket around her, chocolates within reach and her Kindle in hand. Her favorite author had finally released their latest book and she'd looked forward to reading it all day. This was the book she'd waited, not so patiently, for three months to find out what had happened to her hero and she didn't want anything to interrupt her night of reading pleasure.
She'd just got to the end of the second chapter when David and Sylvia called her into the living area. She struggled to read the blank expressions on their faces when she stepped into the room. Normally they never called her out of her room once the children were in bed; they respected her alone time. She sat down on the chair nearest the door, put her hands on her lap and waited for someone to speak.
"Don't look so worried," David reassured her as he glanced over at his wife. "It's good news. We're having another baby! We wanted to wait until after the first trimester before letting anyone know. We've not told Tristan or Olivia yet."
She should have guessed when Sylvia had swapped her wine glass for water.
Before Lucy could offer her congratulations, he continued with what sounded like a rehearsed speech. "It made us think about things, especially with the kids. You know how I work late most nights and frankly, it's not going to get any better anytime soon at the firm. It's not how Sylvia and I want to raise them. We're going to have to make some changes."
Was she going to lose her job? She sucked in a shallow breath and let it out slowly. After Indya's news and now the new thing with Adam, and the possibility of going back to school, she wasn't sure she was ready for any more changes. She wasn't a 'changes' person.
"I've accepted a new job in L.A. and start in three months. We wanted to make sure that you wanted to move with us and not presume like we did when we moved here. So, Lucy, would you like to move with us to L.A.?" he looked at her and she could feel the pressure to give the right answer, whether it was the answer she wanted to give or not.
She squirmed in the chair as both sets of eyes were glued on her, as they waited for her response. Yes, she'd moved with them here when he'd got his last promotion without a second thought, but things were different now. She loved her job and the thought of having a new baby in the house filled her with excitement ... but then there was Adam. It was new and while it might not go anywhere, she'd like to give it a chance, but she'd need a job to be able to do that and go to school. What was she supposed to do?
"There will be a pay raise for you," Sylvia smiled as she ran her palm over her flat stomach. "I'm going to ask to go part-time after my maternity leave, if the firm agree to my transfer request. We know Tristan and Olivia would love for you to move with us. We would too. We would be lost without you. I hope you know that."
"I'd love to," she forced out and gave a fake smile. She could always change her mind once she'd had time to process this news, right? She would see where her relationship with Adam went during the next month and then would discuss the move with him. She scoffed, relationship? She'd been out a few times with him. He'd just moved into the building and she was around his age, so it was only natural they'd hung out a few times. He was just being a friendly neighbor who'd been looking to make new friends. She knew this wasn't true, but it might make the move easier if she thought of him as just a friendly neighbor than anything more, and she so desperately wanted more.
"Great news!" said Sylvia as she moved to wrap her arms around Lucy. "We're so glad you're coming with us."
"That's great, Lucy. We'd hate to lose you, after all you're part of this family," David smiled as he put a hand on his wife's back and rubbed it.
She smiled back, not sure what else to say. As soon as she could she scurried back to her room to process the news. Her Kindle lay discarded on her bed and the last thing she was in the mood for was romance and happily ever afters. She picked it up and placed it on the nightstand and then wrapped her blanket around her and lay on her bed. She pulled the chocolates towards her and popped one in her mouth and began to chew.
Did she want to go to L.A.? She could always study there. She sighed with the realization that, although she loved her job, she needed to figure out what she wanted for her life, instead of going along with what the people in her life expected. She'd never been to L.A. and wouldn't mind living there, but it wasn't the life she wanted. She loved her job as a nanny but more than that, she wanted to be a teacher and have a family of her own one day. Moving around with the Delgado's might not be the best way to get that but was she ready to start out on her own?
Although it was still early, she switched off her light to try and sleep. It had certainly been easier to go along with the decisions other people had made for her life, but perhaps it was time she made some of her own.