“Noella, you make everything better.”
“Keep that in mind when I tell you that the cake I ordered for Dawn’s engagement party fell through. We’re going to need another one by Sunday. Any ideas?”
“Ugh! I would ask the best baker I know, but she is the one we’re having the party for. We’ll find one. I hope. I mean, I know we will.” I closed my eyes. “One crisis at a time.”
“Absolutely.” She smiled. “And don’t forget you’ve got a whole team behind you.”
As we walked out of the room together I noticed that the house was very quiet.
“You didn’t bring the boys?”
“I thought it would be nice to let Zara have a little attention tonight.” She smiled as she looked at the baby. “My boys are a little high energy.”
“I love your boys and all their energy.”
“Good, because as soon as Zara is a little older, you’re back on babysitting duty.”
“I can’t wait.” I took a deep breath as we entered the living room.
The pizza was spread across the coffee table, Jake’s father couldn’t look at me without blushing and my mother and Jake’s mother were engaged in quite a debate. Wes and Jake stood in the middle, looking a bit like deer in headlights.
“Ah, the baby. Finally!” My mother stood up with her arms spread.
“Oh, can I see her for just a second?” Jake’s mother reached out.
One night, I reminded myself and smiled. And how lucky was Zara that so many people loved her?
Chapter 24
The next day I woke up with a sense of doom hanging over me. Even though the evening had ended up fine with everyone hugging as they departed, the memory of everything that had gone wrong haunted me. The knowledge that I’d planned an engagement party with no cake also haunted me.
I climbed out of bed as quietly as I could and grabbed my phone. Only then did I notice a few missed texts from Dawn. In all the craziness of the night before, I’d never even looked at my phone. She was welcoming us home and asking if she could see the baby.
Noella had dropped off a box of materials to use as decorations for the party on Sunday that I needed to go through and personalize. I needed to find a bakery that could make a cake and have it ready for Sunday. There were several other last minute things that I needed to do that couldn’t wait.
I sighed as I stared at the texts and wondered how I could avoid seeing Dawn before Sunday. Finally I sent a text back that we were resting due to the excitement of the drive and that as soon as we felt up to it I would let her know.
I hoped that she would believe me. The last thing I wanted to do was spoil the surprise.
As I was pulling the decorations out of the box, I received a text, this time from Zoe, offering to help in any way she could. I replied that I could use her design expertise. She promised to be over soon.
I closed my eyes and relaxed in the quiet for just a few minutes. But the longer the minutes stretched, the more worried I became.
Was Zara sleeping too long? When was the last time she’d eaten? I’d peeked in on her in her bassinet as soon as I woke up, but she was so still. Was she okay?
I crept back into the bedroom and found her sound asleep, just as she’d been when I woke up. I rolled my eyes at my nervousness and went back to work on the decorations.
Zara was still asleep when Zoe texted me to let me know that she was outside the door.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t tie a bow to save my life.” I laughed as I led her into the living room.
“No problem. I can’t wait to see Dawn’s face when we surprise her. She’s going to be so happy.”
“I just hope she’s surprised. If anyone could figure this out, I bet Dawn could. I mean, she must know it’s coming.”
“Maybe, but she doesn’t know when.” Zoe grinned. “She’s going to be surprised, I know it.”
“I’m just so happy for her. Garrett is a great guy and his daughter is so precious. I know that Dawn is going to want to add to her family too. I remember when we first started running together before work when she was still a secretary at the school. She couldn’t see how wonderful she was—not at all. Now I think she’s starting to get how much she’s valued by all of us and by Garrett.”
“I’m so glad to see that too. It always baffles my mind when women can’t recognize their own beauty. I guess that’s because I see so much beauty around me. I love taking a woman who is hiding herself in drab and boring clothing and revealing her true beauty. It’s more than just a transformation, it’s like an awakening.”
“You have such a special talent for drawing out beauty, Zoe. I can’t wait to see what you do with Callie and the other models.”
“I’m nervous.” Zoe frowned slightly. “I’m not usually nervous about anything, but this I’m nervous about.”
“Why?” I began to fill out funny sayings to hang around the cafe during the party.
“I usually work with women who are struggling to find their image. Sometimes they’re trying to be confident but haven’t gotten there yet, but most of the time they’re not feeling very good about themselves. This time I’ll be working with women who recognize their beauty, or at least enough to participate in modeling. It just has a different feel to it. They probably already have a good handle on who they are and what image they want to present.”
“Well, that should make your job easier, right?” I grinned. “But to be honest, I think even the most beautiful women experience insecurities. There’s such a drive in advertising to create flaws in women and then market products to fix them. I don’t think there is any part of a woman’s body that hasn’t been critiqued for the sake of selling creams, make-up, and exercise equipment.”
“You’re so right. You know how confident I am, but when I started dating Trent I was sure that he wanted a certain kind of woman that I would never be. It shocked me how quickly I could feel insecure and unworthy. I wish there was a way to avoid that.” She picked up a pile of glitter-covered stars and began to attach hooks to them.
“I think the best way to avoid it is what we’re doing right now.” I smiled. “What all of you have done for me. We’ve created this strong tribe of women and we build each other up every chance we get. There’s no better cure for feeling not good enough than to have a circle of sisters to remind you of just how wonderful you are.”
“So true.” She nodded, then looked into my eyes. “We are always here for you, Hanna. Never forget that. Right now you’re experiencing a whole new part of your journey, and I know since I don’t have kids of my own, you might think there are things I won’t understand or that you shouldn’t tell me, but trust me when I tell you, I want to hear it all. Anything that is on your mind is important to me, and even though I might not be able to relate completely, I’ll still listen and support you the best I can.”
“Thanks, Zoe.” I hugged her. “You have no idea how much that means to me. Last night was such a disaster.”
“Was it really that bad?” Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“Jake’s father saw me naked, our mothers almost came to blows, and I’m pretty sure that Wes is permanently traumatized by the amount of family drama that spilled out all over the dinner table.”
Chapter 25
“Oh yeah, that’s pretty bad.” Zoe burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, I just said I would be supportive, right?”
“Right!” I threw a congratulatory bow at her. “I’m not feeling the support!”
“It’s okay, I’m so sorry.” She laughed even louder.
“It is pretty funny.” I rolled my eyes. “Only I would do something like clean the shower at the same time as I’m taking one. But you know, it taught me a lesson. If I’d made myself a priority, my shower wouldn’t have waited until the last minute and I never would have slipped right as Jake’s parents were arriving.”
“But they shouldn’t have shown up early either.” Zoe quirked an eyebrow.
“True, but they wer
e just excited to see the baby. I’m not going to blame them for that. I probably shouldn’t have taken on so much, or worried so much about how the house looked. I have to find a way to let go of that image issue and focus on just being honest.”
“That sounds right to me.” She closed up a box of decorations. “So when are you taking these to the cafe? Or would you like me to take them?”
“Actually, I’ll drop them off. I’m sure Alex would like to see Zara, plus I want to finalize a few plans for the party. Are you and Trent going out tonight?”
“Yes, we’re going dancing.” She smiled. “We’re both looking forward to it. We’ve been so caught up with things, we haven’t taken a lot of time for one another lately.”
“I hope you have a great time.” I walked her to the door and gave her a big hug.
Just as the door closed behind her, Zara began to cry.
“I’ve got her!” Jake called out from the bedroom.
I smiled to myself as I finished getting the rest of the decorations together. I could only hope that Dawn would be as happy as Zoe thought she would be. I wanted to be sure that she knew how much we all cared about her and how happy we were for her.
“Honey, do you think we should give her a bath before her appointment?”
“Her what?” I looked at Jake as he walked out of the bedroom with Zara in his arms.
“Her doctor’s appointment. It’s today at three, remember?”
“No!” I blinked. “Did I make it?”
“No, I called yesterday and made it. Don’t you remember me telling you?”
“No, Jake, I’m sure that you didn’t. I would remember something like that.” I frowned.
“Well, you were so busy I didn’t want to bother you with the call, so I made it myself. It’s at three. I’m sorry if you don’t remember, but I’m sure I told you.” He shifted Zara in his arms as she fussed. “I think she’s hungry.”
“I know you didn’t tell me.” I took Zara. “I guess, yes, we should give her a bath. I was planning on going to Common Grounds to drop off these decorations.”
“I have plans to meet up with one of my associates to help him go over a pitch. I’ll be meeting him for lunch. I thought you could come with me and we could all have lunch together.”
“You want to bring Zara to a restaurant?” I shook my head as she began to cry. “I don’t think we’re ready for that.”
“Why not? We can’t stay cooped up forever. Besides, we won’t have time for me to come back and pick you up before the appointment.”
“Jake.” I gritted my teeth. “You have to run these plans by me.”
“I did tell you!” He frowned, then his eyes widened. “Or was that my mother I told?”
“Great, now you’re confusing me with your mother?” I laughed.
“Look, Hanna, you’re not the only one not getting a lot of sleep, you know.”
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” I smiled at him, then kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry about it. You go to lunch, I’ll go to Common Grounds and we can meet up at the doctor’s office.”
“Are you sure? The doctor squeezed us in. The receptionist warned me that we shouldn’t be late.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Let me just feed her and then we can give her a bath and we’ll be all ready to go.”
As I snuggled Zara, I was reminded of just how lucky I was. No matter how chaotic things got, she was constant evidence that everything was great.
After she ate and had a quick bath, I started packing the boxes of decorations into the car.
“Hanna?” Jake called out the front door. “I have to get going or I’m going to be late for lunch.”
“That’s alright, I’m just about ready. I just need to grab one more thing.” I headed inside. “Go on, Zara and I will be fine.”
“Are you sure?” He frowned. “I could cancel the lunch.”
“We’re going to hang out with Alex and then meet you at the doctor’s office. Relax.” I kissed his cheek. “We’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon, baby girl.” He kissed Zara’s forehead, then kissed me and hurried out the door.
“Now it’s just us, sweet pea.” I rocked her gently. “We’re going to have an adventure today.”
Chapter 26
Before we left the house, I made sure that Zara was changed and had had plenty to eat.
As I drove to Common Grounds, I thought about all of the conversations I’d had there. I’d gone through so many changes and each of those changes had been discussed under that roof. It had become such a special place for my friends and me.
As I parked in front of the cafe, I smiled, eager to introduce Zara to one of my favorite places. I stepped inside and immediately heard a gasp.
“Oh, Hanna!” Alex squealed as she ran around the counter to meet me. “Baby Zara!” She laughed as she gently hugged us both. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“We’re happy to see you too.” I grinned as I handed Zara over to her. “Thanks so much for letting us have the engagement party here. I still have to find someone to bake the cake, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”
“Oh, here.” She pulled a card out of her pocket. “This woman makes custom cakes. She’s a little strange, but she does a good job. Since Dawn has been busy with her bakery I’ve used Sharon a few times for small pastries and things that Dawn didn’t have time to make. I’m sure she’ll do a fine job.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” I sighed as I tucked the card into my pocket. “I’ll meet up with her after Zara’s doctor’s appointment.
“Oh, big day at the doctor’s office, huh?” Alex smiled at Zara. “Don’t worry, they’re no trouble at all. As long as you’re eating and pooping the doctor will be quite happy with you.”
“She’s doing plenty of that.” I grinned. “Do you mind keeping an eye on her while I unload the boxes?”
“Oh, please, take all the time you need.”
I headed back out to the car and began to unload the boxes onto the sidewalk. I might have gone a little overboard on the decorations, but it still didn’t feel like enough. I wanted the party to be magical. I wanted Dawn to realize just how wonderful she was and to move forward into the next stage of her life knowing that she had a circle of sisters around her to support her every step of the way. We were all warrior princesses and I wanted to remind her of that.
On my way to the back of the shop, where I planned to stow the boxes, I caught sight of Alex with Zara sound asleep on her shoulder. Alex seemed to know exactly how to soothe her. She had a natural knack for parenting, one I hoped that I would soon develop.
Once all the boxes were inside, I found Alex at our usual table.
“How is she doing?” I smiled as I looked at Zara.
“She’s so little.” Alex sighed as she stroked Zara’s head. “Sometimes I miss these days.”
“I feel like I already miss them and they’re still happening.” I sat down across from her. “Each minute she changes, it’s hard to keep up with it all.”
“I know it is. The best advice I can give you is to make sure you slow down and enjoy it. These first few months can be so harried, but if you can let go of the stress and focus on spending time with her, you’ll really enjoy it. I promise.”
“I believe you.” I took Zara back into my arms. “I still feel a little guilty about sleeping. The first few days we had her in Callie’s penthouse in New York City, I had to stay up and watch her breathe.”
“Just remember you have to recharge too. She’s going to need you to help her navigate all this. Aren’t you, precious?” She smiled as Zara began to stir. “She’s wonderful, Hanna.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait for Dawn to see her again.”
We chatted for a little longer, then I noticed the time on the large clock on the wall.
“Oh no, we’re going to be late if I don’t get moving.”
“Did you make a decision on the cake?” Alex followed me to the door.
&n
bsp; “I’m working on it—I’ll make sure we have one!” I shot a smile over my shoulder to her as I hurried to the car.
I caught sight of a familiar face as I opened the car door. He was across the street and I didn’t really have time to chat, but I couldn’t let him walk by without saying hello.
“Hey, Garrett!” I waved to him just as he was about to turn the corner.
However, he didn’t turn or wave back. As I watched him disappear I wondered if I might have confused him with someone else. Uncertain, I focused on the fact that I was running late for Zara’s appointment. The last thing I wanted was to make a bad first impression with our new pediatrician.
As I loaded Zara into the car, I tried not to feel nervous about the appointment. I knew that with Zara’s birth being a little early, the doctor might want to keep a closer eye on her. But would he also wonder why I had gone on a trip so late in my pregnancy? Would he ask me why I wasn’t paying more attention to getting her on a schedule?
Chapter 27
I was tempted to speed, but I couldn’t take the risk with Zara in the car. Instead, I willed every traffic light on the way to the doctor’s office to turn green. Sometimes it worked.
I pulled into the parking lot and felt a wave of relief wash over me.
“We made it, Zara, we got here.” I climbed out of the car to get her out and saw Jake’s car a few spaces away.
“Hanna, we’re almost late.” Jake frowned as he stepped out of his car. “I knew going to the cafe was a bad idea.”
“It’s okay, Jake, everything’s fine. We’re still here a few minutes early.” I jostled Zara a bit as I pulled her out of the car seat. “Oops, sorry, honey.”
Zara started to cry.
“Do you want me to take her?” Jake held out his arms.
Then Comes Baby Page 8