Skylar
After waking from an afternoon nap I never intended on having, I joined my sister and Greyson in the kitchen. They were laughing and chatting, and the sound of their happy voices made my heart swell. I took a seat at the table and Greyson fetched me a glass of water. I sipped on it as Renee sipped a glass of white wine.
Greyson, of course, was preparing us dinner.
The whole place smelled of the delicious aromas. It wasn’t long before my stomach was growling and I was fighting the temptation to ask how long it would be before we could eat. I knew Greyson would poke fun at me and I didn’t need to give him any more ammo than what he already had. So I held my tongue and watched Greyson as he went about his routine of stirring the gravy while it simmered on the stove. While he managed that he added a bit more spice to the roast chicken steaming on the counter. It must have come out of the oven when I woke from my nap.
When Greyson put everything out on the table and we tucked in to eat, my mouth was watering. I filled my plate and ate immediately, burning my tongue but ignoring the pain.
“So,” Renee said after washing down a bite of chicken with a sip of wine, “Is there anything else you guys need before baby arrives? I was thinking since I’m here I could run out and pick up any last minute items for you.”
“I think we have it all,” I said, looking over at Greyson for confirmation. I didn’t trust myself as much as I used to. The whole ‘pregnancy brain’ thing was not a myth, after all.
“We’re ready,” Greyson agreed. “As ready as we can be, anyways. I think we have over two thousand diapers in the hallway closet.”
Renee laughed and stabbed a piece of broccoli with her fork. “You don’t need any more clothes?”
I put my fork down. “Renee, you’ve already sent us four packages full of baby clothes. No. We don’t need any more clothes. I think she’s going to have a different outfit for everyday of her life at the rate we’re going.”
“Sounds like the beginning of a Fashionista to me,” Renee said.
“You have no idea. Greyson is also guilty of going a little crazy with the outfits. Aren’t you, babe?” I shot Greyson a mild accusatory glance.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, you mean you don’t have any recollection of coming home the other night with six pairs of shoes for her to wear before she’s three months old?”
Renee erupted in giggled and slapped her hand on the table. “Her feet will grow so fast you’ll probably just have her in socks most of the time.”
“That’s what I said,” I muttered. “She’s not even born yet and she’s the most spoiled little girl I know.”
“Hey,” Greyson said, “She’s our little girl and she deserves the world. And baby shoes are just so tiny and cute. When I saw them I couldn’t help it. I lost all sense of self control and caved and bought them all. Your voice was screaming at me to put them down.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Greyson said.
“Ugh, stop it you two,” Renee groaned, “I can’t handle all the emotions right now.”
Greyson grinned as he got to his feet and began gathering the dishes. He loaded them into the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen as Renee and I moved to the living room to find more comfortable spots. I settled into the corner of the sofa that I had claimed as my own, and wrapped my arms around one of the throw pillows. For some reason it took pressure off my back and relieved some of my discomfort.
When Greyson was done he came and stood behind the sofa and rested a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to head to bed to read and go to sleep early. You girls catch up. Just don’t stay up too late, okay? You need some rest too.”
“Okay,” I said, tilting my head back to kiss him when he bent forward.
“Goodnight Renee,” Greyson called over his shoulder as he made his way up the stairs to our bedroom. “Don’t let her stay up too late. You and I both know she won’t put herself to bed of her own free will.”
“Goodnight,” Renee called while grinning at me. “I’ll send her up to you shortly.”
I heard the door close behind Greyson. “Don’t encourage him,” I said.
“I’m not,” Renee said.
“Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“I don’t think that’s what he’s implying. I think this is hard on him. He sees how uncomfortable you are and he knows there isn’t really anything he can do to make it go away. He’s doing everything he can to make sure you’re feeling as good as possible. It’s sweet. He’s sweet. I wish he had a brother.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “You are not the first person who has said that to me.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“He’s been amazing throughout this whole thing, you’re right,” I said. “I’m so lucky to have him.”
“And he’s lucky to have you. And he knows it,” Renee said.
“Yeah. It’s still all so surreal. Can you believe it’s already been two years since we first came here? I feel like I’ve known him forever- like he’s always been a part of me, you know?”
Renee nodded, even though I knew she didn’t quite grasp what I meant.
“Who would have thought that this is where we would have ended up back at the beginning.”
“You mean back when we were being held hostage by mobsters?” Renee asked slyly.
“Yes,” I laughed, “Exactly.”
“Well, this definitely isn’t what I expected, but it’s what I’ve always wanted for you. I just wanted you to be happy. Whatever that looked like for you I wanted you to find it. I didn’t think it would be with the man who nearly got us killed, but I couldn’t have asked for a better husband for my older sister.”
“Thanks, Renee,” I whispered, leaning over and resting a hand on hers. “That means a lot.”
Renee smiled and we sat together in silence for a moment. When she spoke again she shifted the topic. “So, tell me. Have you guys picked out names yet? The anticipation is killing me. Everyone else I knew who’s having babies had their names picked out before they even found out the gender.”
I shrugged. “No, no name ideas yet. We both want to wait until she arrives. Then we’ll decide. It’s hard picking a name for a new human. I think when we hold her and see her we will both know the right name for her. At least, that’s what Greyson says.”
Renee sighed and rested her head against the plush pillows at her back. “He’s so reasonable. And practical. And hot.”
I gave her a sideways smirk.
“Pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” She asked.
I nodded. “You have no idea. I still don’t know how I got here, or why he chose to be with me. But I’m happy he did. I’m so happy he did.”
“Me too,” Renee said. “Tell me more about being pregnant.”
“Where do you want me to start?”
Renee stroked her chin with her thumb and forefinger. “Is it weird when she moves around in there?”
“It was a little odd at first, but you get used to it. Now it’s as normal as feeling like I have to burp. I’ve been lucky, she’s not very fussy. She’s pretty content in there.”
“Are you scared?”
“Scared?” I asked.
“You know, to give birth?”
I considered her question for a minute. “I was for the first few months of the pregnancy. I didn’t know what to expect and the only thing I associated with childbirth was pain. As time has gone on and I’ve spent more time with my doctor I’ve realized there’s a lot more to it than that. Even if it’s a painful delivery, at the end of it all, Greyson and I will have our daughter. It will be worth it. Now I’m just ready for her to come already. I’m sick of feeling like a blimp.”
Renee laughed. “You’re not a blimp.”
“I know, but I feel like one. Everything is swollen. You should see me walking around sometimes. I knock stuff over with my belly all the time. Showering is ridiculous. I can’t tie my own shoes, or paint my toes, or do anything at all that requires a bending motion.”
“I can paint your toes for you,” Renee offered.
“Greyson suggested I should ask you.”
“Where do you keep your polishes? I’ll go get them and we’ll give you pretty toes for when you have your pretty little girl.”
“In the bathroom under the sink,” I said.
Renee fetched the polishes, and when she returned she pulled off my socks and tried to conceal her shock at how swollen my feet were. “This looks like it hurts,” she said as I sifted through the different colors.
I handed her a hot pink one and leaned back into the pillows. “It doesn’t not hurt, I’ll admit that much.”
Renee painted my toes with careful control. She never got any polish on my skin, and she fanned it dry with her hands as we continued to chat. I remembered the last time we did this was when we were still living in our family home and both of us were still in high school.
And mom and dad were still alive.
“This is nice,” I said.
Renee paused as she searched for a topcoat. “It is. Like old times.”
“Just like old times.”
“Soon we’ll be making memories with your little one,” Renee said.
I rubbed my belly. “You hear that? Auntie is excited to meet you. One day the three of us will all be sitting and painting our toes and fingernails.”
All of a sudden a swell of emotion tore through me. Tears immediately came to my eyes and I dabbed them with my fingers.
“Are you okay?” Renee asked.
“I’m more than okay,” I said, dismissing her concern, “Everything is perfect.”
Renee smiled, understanding the sentimentality of it all, and brushed on the final topcoat of polish.
I went to join Greyson in the bedroom after my toes dried. Renee was set up in the spare bedroom and I could hear the water running in the other bathroom as she most likely washed her face and brushed her teeth. I did the same thing and then made my way to the bed.
I slid in and bumped into Greyson’s side. He didn’t stir. He slept soundly, his steady breathing a comforting sound in my ears as I closed my eyes and curled into Greyson’s side. Even in his sleep, he embraced me. His hands found the swell of my belly and he held me to him.
It was my favorite place to be, and despite being a bit too warm, and having an aching hip, I stayed where I was.
I stayed where I knew I was always supposed to be.