Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Fear was pulsing through me with every heartbeat. I wanted to give Forrest to my dad, grab my keys and leave. I needed to get to Mark.
Instead, I did what I knew he would want me to. I nursed Forrest for a couple more minutes until he fell asleep and carried him into his room, laying him carefully in his crib.
“I’m going to go get Daddy,” I whispered, rubbing his back lightly. “I’ll be home soon, bub.”
Shaking out my hands, I left his room and closed the door behind me. It sounded like more people had shown up while I was laying him down and I braced for the onslaught.
“Mama!” Meg yelled when I reached the kitchen. “Evybody is here!”
“Awesome!” I forced the brightest smile I could manage.
“Hey,” my cousin Rose murmured, pulling me into a tight hug. She leaned back and looked at my face. “You tell Woody I’ll punch him right in the baby maker if he doesn’t pull through this.”
I barked out a watery laugh. “Okay.”
“We’ll stay here with the kids,” she said, giving my arm a squeeze.
The room was full of chatter, the tone light, and I was so very grateful for it. Everyone knew that this was bad. Really bad. Everyone, except the two toddlers at the kitchen table eating ice cream, soaking in all the attention.
“Sissy,” Lily whispered, smiling sadly. “It’ll be okay.” She wrapped me in her arms and I shuddered. “Me and Leo will follow you guys to the hospital.”
“Where are the kids?” I rasped.
“Tommy and Heather are having a massive sleepover,” she replied. “All the littles are over there.”
“Not this little,” my sister Charlie said, shoving Lily out of the way. “I’m coming with you guys, too.”
“You two go up and pack a bag for your sister,” my mom ordered quietly. “You know what she wants.”
“On it,” Lily said, scooting past me. Charlie followed.
“I need to go,” I whispered to my mom, looking over her shoulder at the girls. “I need to go right now.”
“You are,” she assured me, holding me by the shoulders. “You have two and a half hours in the car to lose your shit, Cecilia. Keep it together for a few minutes longer.”
“Okay,” I breathed, nodding. I could do that. The pressure inside me was building and I swallowed it down. The girls were completely oblivious and I needed to keep it that way.
“Hey,” my cousin Will called as he came in the front door.
“You didn’t have to come.” I turned to face him.
“Shut it,” he grumbled, pulling me into a hug as he kissed my head.
“We’ll stay here with the kids,” Molly said, hugging me next.
“Rose said they were staying—”
“All of us are staying,” Molly cut me off with a small smile. “You just worry about Mark.”
“I got your clothes, toiletries, chargers,” Lily said, hurrying down the stairs. “And a shirt of Mark’s.” She winked.
“I’m the smarter sister,” Charlie said importantly. “Grabbed your breast pump bag.”
“Thank you,” I said with a sigh. My mind hadn’t stopped spinning.
“All set?” my dad asked.
“All set,” I confirmed as my mom took the bags from my sisters.
“Go tell the girls goodbye,” my dad ordered. He must’ve known that I was losing it.
I nodded and walked over to the table, swallowing, swallowing, swallowing it all down.
“Hey, guys,” I said, crouching by their chairs. “I’m going to go with Gran and Papa, okay? But you guys get to have a sleepover with Auntie Rose and Auntie Molly.”
“And Uncle Will?” Olive asked, grinning.
“Yep.”
“And Uncle Mick?” Meg asked. Her face was covered from nose to chin with chocolate ice cream.
I fisted my hands so hard, my nails bit into my palms.
“Uncle Mick, too.”
“Okay!” Meg said happily, going back to her ice cream. She paused and turned back toward me. “You’ll be home later?”
“Tomorrow.”
“You’re having a sleepover, too?” Olive asked innocently.
“I am.” My voice cracked and I grinned to hide it. “Yep.”
“Okay. Love you, Mama. Have fun!”
“You, too, baby. Give me hugs before I go?”
Both girls scrambled off their chairs to hug me, their little arms practically strangling me as they squeezed my neck. They seemed completely oblivious, totally unconcerned with the fact that there were a bunch of people in our house after bedtime and I was suddenly leaving for the night—but they didn’t let go of my neck.
“Who wants to watch a movie?” Molly asked, coming around the table. “I’m thinking we camp out in the living room tonight. Sound like a good idea?”
Her distraction worked. Both girls let go of my neck, barely pausing enough for me to kiss them.
Molly met my eyes. “They’ll be fine.”
I nodded and straightened.
“Come on, bumblebee,” my dad said gently, taking hold of my hand as he led me through the house.
My hands shook as I got into the front seat of my mom’s SUV and put my seat belt on. I looked at the house, light from the TV coming through a small sliver between the curtains in the front window. There was a package on the porch that I hadn’t noticed before. I wondered how long it had been out there.