Chasing Him

by Kennedy Fox

  “You’re something else,” I say.

  “In a good way, I hope.” She bites her bottom lip.

  I glance over at her. “Of course. In the best way.”

  Mila turns her head and looks out the window at the vast land that goes on for miles. I glance over at her and see her reflection in the window and true happiness shines through. I want to bring up last night and apologize again for my temper and how I reacted, but instead, I bring the conversation back to Evan and Emily, and she asks more questions about them.

  “So how’d they meet again? Like the real story,” she says.

  I let out a chuckle. “The short story? They met at Alex and River’s wedding. Hooked up. She gave him a fake name. And then, she stole his clothes and left him butt ass naked at the B&B.”

  Mila bursts out into a hearty laugh. “No way.”

  “Yep. Then he went to work on Monday, and she was there.”

  “Emily is a savage,” she says.

  “It would take a savage to tame Evan. Feisty as hell, kinda like you.” The last part slips out, but they’re both sassy. Must be a Southern thing.

  She playfully rolls her eyes. “I am not feisty.”

  I pop an eyebrow and look over at her.

  “Okay, maybe a little bit.”

  Soon we’re pulling into the hospital parking lot, and it’s almost like a family reunion as we get out of the car. I took my time driving over, and it’s been over an hour and a half since Evan texted me. Jackson and Alex rode together, and I see them get out of Jackson’s truck. When we make eye contact, they grin real big. Mila waves at them, and they wave back.

  “Mama and Dad are already in there,” Alex says. “You know Mama wouldn’t wait. River joined her with Riley since she’s off today and I had shit to finish at the ranch.”

  “Didn’t expect her to,” I say. I turn and look at Jackson. “I thought you were coming early.”

  “Mama said if I did, she’d throat punch me.”

  Laughter breaks out.

  “She did not say that,” Mila says as I take the car seat from her once she’s unlocked it from the contraption that still confuses the hell out of me.

  “I swear it and the tone of her voice when she said it was deadly. Basically went back to the stalls and oiled saddles until Alex said he was ready. I was legitimately scared,” he tells her. We walk into the hospital and go to the elevator and take it to the labor and delivery floor. River meets Alex as soon as the elevator doors open, and they basically maul each other. She’s wearing a huge smile and can’t stop kissing him.

  “Get a room,” Jackson says, loudly.

  “Shut up,” River tells him. “This way,” she says, walking past us. “Emily did really well. No complications other than delivering a ten-pound Bishop baby. You guys are deadly with your big ass babies.” River snorts.

  “That’s not the only thing that’s big,” Jackson adds, and Alex elbows him in the stomach.

  We make it to the room, and we all stop and look at each other, the moment becoming more serious, though we’re smiling. River turns the handle and opens the door, looking at each of us as we walk in. The first thing I see is Evan holding his baby girl in his arms, and I fully understand the happiness that’s written all over his face. Mama is standing by Emily, holding her hand, smiling so damn big. I see Emily’s family as well, and Jackson, Alex, and I walk toward Evan to get a look at the sleeping baby and congratulate him. She looks so peaceful, and even though she’s only a few hours old, I can already see so much of Emily and Evan in her features. Dad has Riley on his lap who’s talking about babies. Mama spots Maize and comes over and takes her from the car seat. Mila and I go to Emily and chat with her, though I know she’s dead tired.

  “How’re things goin’, Mama?” Mila asks.

  She gives us a sweet smile. “Really good. But I feel like a punching bag. No amount of reading books or being a doctor prepares a person for this. Elizabeth’s healthy as can be, all the testing went great, and she already ate like a champ.” Emily yawns.

  “Oh, I love her name! What made you pick that?” Mila asks.

  “Elizabeth is after the first female doctor, Elizabeth Blackwell, and her middle name is after Mama Rose,” she explains, smiling contently.

  “Oh, of course, you two would. Doctor stuff.” Mila chuckles.

  Emily smiles sweetly but yawns again.

  Evan walks over and offers us the baby to hold. Mila’s eyes light up immediately as she opens her arms. “She’s so precious,” she murmurs. “Looks so much like you Bishops already.”

  “That’s right,” Emily chimes in. “Spend nine months carrying the baby, making sure to eat right and exercise, go through hours of labor, and for what, you ask?” she mocks, looking up at Evan with a devilish smile. “Baby comes out looking just like her dad.”

  All of us laugh at her teasing when Mama comes over. “Try having five babies coming out looking like their dad.”

  We laugh again, Mama sounding so serious too.

  “What can I say? Bishops have strong genes,” Dad says, pulling Riley up as he stands and walks toward the group.

  “You wanna hold her?” Mila nudges my arm, and when I look down at her holding Elizabeth, I can’t help the thoughts spinning in my mind. She’s such a natural with babies and seeing her with Maize or any other baby continues to mess with my head.

  “Sure, I’d love to.”

  Mila hands her over, and I carefully hold Elizabeth in my arms. I can’t believe how tiny she feels compared to Maize and those feelings of missing her early days come back full force.

  Mama comes over and places Maize close by. “Here’s your new cousin,” she tells them. “You two are going to give us all a run for our money, aren’t you?” she asks, and we all chuckle at how close in age they’re going to be growing up.

  “Looks like you’re gonna be in charge of them, Riley,” Emily teases him when Dad sets him down, and he hides behind Mama’s legs.

  Elizabeth starts to fuss, and Emily takes her back to feed her again.

  “We should give you some alone time. You’re exhausted,” I say, grabbing Maize from Mama.

  “Good luck,” Emily says. “You might need a forklift to make them all leave.”

  “Oh crap,” I mutter, remembering I was supposed to FaceTime Courtney so she could meet the baby too. I hurry and dial her number, and as soon as she sees my face, she squeals.

  “It’s about time! I was beginning to think you forgot about me!” she scolds. I turn the volume down on my phone because Courtney can be…energetic.

  “I’d never forget about you, sis,” I reassure her with a laugh.

  “Where’s Emily?” she asks. I hand the phone to her once Elizabeth is settled on a pillow in her lap.

  Courtney immediately starts talking and goes on and on about how she needs to use this time to rest and not be afraid to kick people out of the room. Emily chuckles and shakes her head, knowing she’d never win that battle with a family like ours.

  “Can I see her?” I hear the excitement in Courtney’s tone. Emily turns the phone around, and Courtney lets out a big aww when she sees Elizabeth.

  I stand to the side with my arms crossed and can’t stop smiling. Scanning the room, taking in everyone’s happiness, I see Mila, and she’s looking at me. I smile a little bigger, and she blinks slowly. At the moment, it feels as if we’re having a silent conversation. She tucks her lips into her mouth, and before I completely lose myself in her gaze, Emily is handing the phone back to me. About fifteen minutes pass, and when the nurses walk in to do a regular checkup, Evan nonchalantly kicks us all out. The hoard of us go to the waiting room, and he comes out to chat with us with joy written all over his face.

  “Sorry, y’all, Mom needs some rest; she’s had a long day already,” he explains. He comes over and chats with us. Courtney’s still on the phone, being passed around to everyone. By the time I finish chatting with Evan, I search for Mila, who is chatting with Courtney. Though
Court isn’t here, somehow, she made her way around the room as if she were. I walk up to Mila. Our arms brush together, and I feel her tense.

  “What are you talking about?” I put myself into view, and Courtney tilts her head at me.

  “Just meeting your work wife.” As soon as the words leave Courtney’s mouth, Mila blushes. I open my mouth to say something, but Courtney interrupts me. “I was just kidding. Geez, you two. So uptight. How’s my little Maize doing these days?”

  I tell Courtney how happy and good Maize is and how she’s finally on a real schedule thanks to Mila’s help. Chatting with Courtney about baby things reminds me of the moment I told her about Maize. Instead of calling her, or texting her, I FaceTimed her. Considering I don’t do it often, she answered my call immediately and assumed something was wrong. I knew, without a doubt, Courtney would be the most supportive out of everyone. Of course, she was shocked like everyone else and even asked if I was sure it wasn’t Jackson’s—just like the rest of them did—but once I explained the letter and Bailey to her, there wasn’t another snide comment about it. She’s been helpful and even sent packages of baby girl clothes that hers had outgrown. That’s one thing I can say about my sister—she’s generous and caring, regardless of the distance between us.

  “Oh, please let me chat with Evan one last time before I hang up. It was nice meeting you, Mila. I have a good feeling about you.” Courtney winks. “Get my number from John, and if you ever get bored, feel free to call or text me. We can have FaceTime playdates, and I can give you all the dirt on John. The real dirt.”

  Mila laughs and agrees before I cut in and walk across the room with the phone.

  Courtney leans in and whispers. “So are you two dating or something?”

  “Seriously?” I give her a look that tells her how annoyed I am with that assumption. “You offer her gossip and then ask if we’re together?” I narrow my eyes at her, though I can’t stay mad at my sister for long. “She’s just Maize’s nanny.”

  “Really?” She looks at me with disbelief.

  “Really. There’s nothing going on.” I keep a straight face because it’s the truth, as long as one kiss doesn’t count.

  “Not yet at least,” Courtney adds with a laugh.

  I shake my head. “Sometimes, you’re just as bad as Mama.”

  She lets out a hearty laugh, and I happily hand the phone to Evan.

  As tempting as it is, I cannot go there with my nanny, regardless of what my heart is saying.

  Chapter Fifteen

  MILA

  The Bishop family has been in a constant state of happiness since baby Elizabeth was born. Though it’s been a few weeks, the excitement is still there. We celebrated Easter together, and the Bishop family got together to dye eggs to bring to the church hunt. Evan and Emily dressed Elizabeth in a poofy little dress and giant flower headband that matched Maize’s, and the two of them were the life of the party. At the Easter egg hunt last weekend, I promised Gigi I’d visit after church this week, which passed in a blink. Each day, time feels like it’s going by so slow, but when I think about the big picture and how I’ve been here for almost two months, I realize it’s actually not. Another reminder that interviews will start for the next school year soon.

  Before I leave, I let John know what my plans are. On the weekends, I’m free to do whatever I’d like, but as a courtesy, I let him know I’m leaving for a few hours—just in case.

  I grab my phone, tell Maize and John bye, and hop in the car. Gigi’s let me keep her car, so I have transportation while I’m here since she has a second car to use. On the way over, I roll down the windows and take in the warmth. There’s still a briskness to it, but otherwise, spring is in full force. Along the highway, random flowers have begun to bloom, and the grass has woken up.

  It doesn’t take long for me to make it to her house, and just seeing it come into view puts a smile on my face. I park the car, make my way up the steps, and walk in. Gigi is sitting in her chair with her feet kicked up, napping. I almost feel bad for waking her because she looks so peaceful.

  “Gigi,” I whisper.

  Her eyes flutter open, and she smiles. “Mila, what time is it?”

  I glance down at my phone. “Almost two.”

  “Oh Lord. I invited some ladies over to play cards at five.” Gigi pops up out of her chair and goes straight to the kitchen to pull down ingredients for her famous oatmeal cookies.

  “I can help,” I tell her, measuring out the oatmeal like I used to do when I was a kid. She looks over at me, gives me a wink, then grabs the farm eggs off the counter.

  “How’re things going so far? Summer’s ’bout to be here, and I know that means you’ll be going back to Georgia for interviews.”

  I swallow hard, knowing this question would eventually come up. When I talked to my mom earlier this week while Maize was taking a nap, I somehow avoided it completely. But I know I can’t easily change the subject with Gigi. “It’s going great. Haven’t gotten any news yet. I just plan to take it one day at a time and cross that bridge when I get a call.”

  Gigi gives me a sweet smile. “Maybe you should apply for some positions here?”

  I laugh. “Gigi! You’re determined to keep me in Texas, aren’t you? You’re not even trying to be sly about it anymore!”

  “If it were up to me, I’d have the whole family move here,” she admits, cracking the eggs into a bowl, then adding butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and a tablespoon of vanilla.

  “I know you would. I do love it here, though. We’ll see how things work out,” I say, placing the butter in the fridge.

  “Oh, honey. Forgot to tell you. Your mother sent a huge box, and it came in the mail yesterday. It’s in the living room.” She continues mixing the dough.

  I can’t help but smile as I go in search of the box. When I see how large it is, I let out a happy squeal. Running to the kitchen, I grab a pair of scissors and go back to the box and cut the tape because it looks like Mom used a whole roll sealing it. I drop to my knees on the floor and open it as quickly as I can. Inside is my favorite Green Bay Packer poster of Rodgers and Matthews, my Aaron Rodgers jersey, some of my favorite Packer T-shirts with sayings like Go Pack Go and Cheesehead Pride, a green and gold Packer blanket, my fluffy robe and slippers, and tons of candy I love. She even sent some of my favorite clothes like I asked, which will save me from doing laundry every few days. There are photos of the family in nice frames, and a picture of Graham holding a sign that says he misses me. Somehow, Mom always knows how to play with my heartstrings.

  “What’d she send?” Gigi walks into the living room, and I hand her the silver framed photo of the group of us.

  “Aww, that was sweet.”

  “I know, right? I think they might actually miss me.” I let out a laugh, but it’s the first time I’ve let my homesickness sneak in since leaving. Staying in Texas this long was never a part of the plan, and I never could’ve predicted I’d be the nanny to a sweet, precious little girl. It’s almost hard for me to imagine leaving, though I know I will have to eventually. Soon, many school districts will begin their interview process for the fall, which adds additional stress wondering if I’ll even get a call. Right now, life is easy, and I’m going to enjoy that as long as I can.

  “I told Rose you wouldn’t be staying past the middle of July,” she adds, before returning to the kitchen. I stand and follow her.

  “Why’s that?” I ask. There’s no malice in my tone; I’m just curious.

  “Honey, I know you’re gonna get a call for one of those schools you applied to. It’s best the Bishops know ahead of time, so they can replace you once you leave. As much as I want you to stay, we all knew it wasn’t a permanent situation.” Gigi pulls another empty pan from the cabinet and rolls parchment paper on top. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s only three months from now. This whole time, have I been living in a fantasy world and just playing house with John and Maize? The thought of it weighs heavy on my
heart, but I force a smile.

  “You never know, Gigi. Haven’t gotten a call yet. Might not get one at all this school year. Competition is fierce in small towns,” I tell her, almost hopeful about it.

  She lets out a laugh. “With your grades and experience student teaching, they’d be stupid to let a good thing like you slip through their fingers.”

  I let out a sigh, and she wipes her hands on a dish towel. “I know that look.”

  She places the second tray of cookies in the oven and sits across from me at the bar. Gigi searches my face, and I’m sure she already knows what my issue is.

  “You love that little girl too much, and now you’re attached.” She hit the nail on the head.

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s gonna be so hard leaving her. She needs me, Gigi. We have a special bond—the two of us—and she’s grown up so much in the short time I’ve been here.”

  Placing her hand on top of mine, she gives me a little squeeze. “Honey, now listen to me. Sometimes in life, we’re faced with forks in the road, decisions that will change the outcome of our entire future. It seems to me that you’re comin’ up on one of those. But no matter what, you gotta listen to what your heart says. Just promise me that. If going back to Georgia to follow your dreams is what you want, then do it. Papaw and I will be here till our end days, and you can come to visit at any time. Besides, I’m sure Rose will happily send you photos of that pretty little grandbaby. No matter what you do, it won’t be the end of the world. You’re young. You still have time to figure out the big stuff.” She holds my gaze for a moment before checking her watch.

  “Thank you,” I tell her. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”

  “It’s ’cause grandmas always know best. You know, at one point or another in everyone’s life, there can be real tough decisions to make. Just think, if I would’ve moved to California and pursued my dreams of being an actress, I woulda never met your Papaw, your mother wouldn’t have been born, and you wouldn’t be sitting right here right now talking to me about it.”