Zara started to cry.
“Do you want me to take her?” Jake held out his arms.
“Sure, so I can grab the diaper bag.”
He took her from me and rested her against his chest, which only caused her to start screaming.
“Oh, no.” I gasped as I dug through the backseat of the car. “Jake, I don’t have the diaper bag.”
“You left the house without it?”
“I guess so. There were so many boxes and things, I must have forgotten it. Oh, Jake, I’ve messed everything up today.”
“Sweetie, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I said what I did. It’s fine. We’re just going in for a quick appointment, we won’t even need the diaper bag.”
“But what if she—” I froze as I heard the horrifying gurgle of a blowout occurring under my daughter’s pink onesie.
“It’s probably just gas.” Jake’s eyes widened, then his nose scrunched up, then his face lost some color. “Nope, it’s not gas.”
“We’re just going to have to cancel, that’s it.” I sighed and tried not to burst into tears.
“It’s fine, I’m sure they have diapers inside. Let’s just go in.” He headed for the door, while Zara continued to scream and I chased after him.
“Jake, there’s no way I can ask our brand new doctor for a diaper. How terrible would that look?”
“Okay, fine.” He huffed as he glanced around. “There’s a drug store right on the corner. You take her inside, I’ll run and get us some diapers.” He handed me Zara.
“And wipes! Lots of wipes!” I called after him as he took off toward the car.
“And wipes!” he called back.
Still frustrated, I stepped into the doctor’s office. The waiting room was crowded. I could tell Zara was very unhappy about her diaper and a cloud of smell hovered around us as I waited in line to check in.
“Hurry up, Jake,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Isn’t she precious.” The receptionist smiled at me. “Only a few weeks?”
“Yes, almost three.” I signed the paper in front of me.
“Well, the doctor is running a little behind but he likes to see newborns as soon as possible, so I’ll let him know you’re here.” She sniffed the air, blinked, then looked back down at the paperwork in front of her.
“Oh, no rush.” I smiled. “We don’t mind waiting.”
I tried to find a spot to sit that was far away from everyone else, as Zara’s diaper was packed full and the scent was getting stronger.
“Where are you, Jake?” I peered through the front window.
As each minute passed, I grew more and more nervous. What if Jake didn’t get back before we were called to see the doctor? How would he react when he was faced with such a ripe-smelling baby?
I began to consider whether I could fashion my jacket into a diaper. It might be better than nothing.
“Zara?” The nurse stood in the doorway that led back to the patient rooms. “Z-a-r-a, Zara?”
I was a little surprised that she had to spell it out. I thought it was a simple name. Still, I pretended that I didn’t hear her. What else could I do?
Suddenly Jake burst through the door. “I’m here!” He held up a bag from the drug store.
“I’m sorry.” I smiled at the nurse. “We have a diaper situation.”
“Oh.” She nodded, then laughed. “Go ahead and take care of that. Just let the receptionist know when you’re ready to go back.”
“Thank you so much.”
I grabbed the bag and carried Zara into the bathroom. A few minutes later she was in a fresh diaper and happy. I was ready to tear my hair out, but relieved she would at least have a clean diaper for the doctor.
Jake stood up the moment we walked back out.
“My hero.” I smiled and kissed his cheek.
“The doctor’s hero too, I bet.” He grinned. “Ready for this?”
“I think I have to be.”
Luckily, the rest of the visit was pretty uneventful. It did, however, run longer than we’d anticipated. By the time we came out, I knew that it was too late to meet up with Sharon about the cake.
Chapter 28
With the cake still on my mind, as soon as I got home, I settled Zara in for a nap, then dialed the number on the card Alex had given me. It rang three times before a woman answered.
“Hello, who is this?”
“My name is Hanna. I got your number from a friend. I’d like to order a cake from you if that’s possible.”
“What friend?”
“Alex. She owns Common Grounds.”
I was a bit put off by her tone. What if she didn’t work out? I only had one day to get the cake and most bakers required more notice than that.
“Oh, Alex! Wonderful! Any friend of hers is certainly a friend of mine. What can I do for you?”
“I need a two-layer vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. A sheet cake, please. But I need it by Sunday morning. Is that possible?”
“Sure, honey, with me, anything is possible. Is it a special event?”
“An engagement party.”
“Oh, how sweet.” She gave me the final details and I agreed to the fee.
When I hung up the phone, I still felt a little hesitant. She sounded nice enough, but was she reliable? I knew I didn’t have much choice but to trust her.
I spent the rest of the evening going over the plans. I texted with Noella and Zoe about the party and arranged for Noella to pick up the cake Sunday morning. Then I checked in with Blu, Samantha, and Callie to ensure that they were all still planning to be there for the party. Once I’d touched base with everyone, I was feeling a little better.
That night as I fell asleep, I smiled at the thought of Dawn’s face when she would discover the surprise. She deserved every ounce of happiness.
A few hours later, I was awake with Zara. I felt like a zombie as she ate. Once she fell asleep, I stretched out in bed, ready for a few hours of sleep. Fifteen minutes later, however, she was up again. Then an hour after that. Then she was ready to eat. By the time the sun peeked through the curtains, I was certain I hadn’t slept more than two hours. I closed my eyes and Zara started to fuss.
“Jake.” I gave him a light shove. “Jake, can you please get her, I’m so tired.”
“Huh? Sure.” He mumbled as he struggled to wake up.
I drifted off to sleep to the sound of him singing to her.
Twenty minutes later he woke me up. “Baby, I’m so sorry, but I think she’s hungry. She won’t calm down.”
“I’m so tired.” I did my best to be calm as I took her from him. She was indeed hungry again.
Throughout the day, I tried to work on the final details of the party, but I was so tired that I fell asleep every chance I had. Zara continued to be fussy and wanted only me. I did my best to remember how lucky I was, but it was hard when the moment I closed my eyes she’d begin to whimper again.
“Do you think she’s sick?” Jake asked with a guilty frown as he handed her over again.
“She doesn’t have a fever and she’s definitely got an appetite. I read about times like this when she will need a lot of nourishment. It’s just not great timing. I have no idea what’s even left to handle for the party. I’m so out of it that every time I think about it, my head spins.”
“I’m sure you’ve got everything covered. As soon as she’s done, you need to lie down. Dawn wouldn’t want you forcing yourself to stay awake to plan her party, would she?”
“No.” I covered my mouth as I yawned.
At some point late in the evening, Zara was finally satisfied and I slept. I slept so much that it was nearly morning when I woke up.
I sat up with a jolt as I realized it was the morning of the party. I was still tired, but I could at least think clearly enough to figure out just how much I needed to get done before Dawn and Garrett showed up. I started to make a list, and as I finished it, Zara began to cry.
Once I’d fed her, my phone
rang. I picked it up when I saw that it was Noella.
“Hanna, I’m so sorry but I’m not going to be able to get the cake. I forgot that I have to drive the soccer team to practice this morning. Wes is going to drive them home, but he’s working in the morning so that he can be at the party and he’s already left and—”
“Don’t worry about it, Noella. I’ll pick up the cake. It’s no problem.”
“Are you sure? I’m so sorry. I know you already have your hands full.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Zara seems to love riding in the car.”
“Oh, great, thank you so much! The party is going to be amazing.”
“I sure hope so.” I sighed as I hung up the phone.
Amazing? With no cake and no decorations so far. I had to get there to hang them up and finish off some of the last craft pieces that I had planned to do the day before. But first I had to get the cake.
I glanced down at my clothes and realized that first I had to get changed. It seemed like everything I planned lately was going wrong. As much as I was looking forward to the party, I wished I could fast forward to it. Maybe that way, I could keep things from going wrong.
After a deep breath, I looked at Zara and smiled.
“I guess it’s better that you learn young that life is going to throw some surprises your way. It’s up to you how you deal with them, hm?” She cooed as she gazed up at me. “Exactly. A good attitude makes all the difference.”
“Honey, are you okay? Did you get enough sleep?” Jake wandered into the living room and gave us each a kiss.
“I got some.” I nodded. “Honey, can you do me a big favor? Can you go to Common Grounds and start working on the decorations? I have to go pick up the cake and I’m afraid we’re going to run out of time.”
“Sure I can. Do you want me to take Zara?”
“No, I think she’s better off riding with me.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” He looked into my eyes.
“I will be, I promise. I just need to get dressed and then we can head out.”
As I changed my clothes, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Yes, I was exhausted, and yes, I was stressed about the party, but I spared two seconds to appreciate my body.
Despite the fact that I wasn’t getting all the rest that I needed, I was still functioning.
Chapter 29
We arrived at the address on the business card and I soon found out why the woman was considered eccentric. Her entire yard was filled with garden gnomes. Not just a few, but there must have been close to one hundred. I stopped counting when I noticed the creepy ones that lined the fence.
“Don’t look, Zara.” I covered her eyes. She stretched her body and smacked her lips. “Nope, you’re not chewing on those!” I knocked on the door and hoped that Sharon would answer quickly.
When she did, she was in her bathrobe with curlers in her hair.
“Oh, hi there.” She blinked. “Do I know you?”
“No, I’m sorry, you don’t. I’m here to pick up the cake. Hanna? I ordered it on Friday.” My heart dropped as I wondered if she’d forgotten.
“Hanna?” She looked puzzled. Then suddenly she smiled. “Oh yes, right. I just need to put the last bit of foil on it; come on in.”
“Foil?” I stepped inside and narrowly avoided kicking a gnome that was positioned near the door.
“Sure, to protect it.” She led me into her kitchen.
I was surprised to discover that she appeared to be running her cake-making business out of her home. Dawn had done the same thing when she was getting started. I didn’t mind it, but the cake on the kitchen table was nearly covered in foil, with only one corner peeking out. It wasn’t the two layers I’d requested, but actually looked like it might be four.
“Uh, are you sure this is the right cake? It’s a lot bigger than what I ordered.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I did a little extra for free because I was at the end of a few ingredients so I just tripled things up. No extra charge.”
“Thank you, that’s so kind of you, but the problem is I’m not sure that I can carry that to the car.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie.” She added the last piece of foil to the top of the cake. “I can carry the baby for you.” She turned and reached for Zara.
A complete stranger wanted to hold my baby. This was the first time I’d encountered that. I had no idea how to respond. Would it be rude to suggest that she carry the cake instead? I didn’t have time to argue and I knew that if Alex suggested her, she had to be a decent person.
“Okay, thanks, if you’ll walk her to the car with me.” I met her eyes.
“Sure, honey, I’ll be right there with you.” She headed to the door to hold it open for me.
As I balanced the cake, I wondered whether I would make it to the car with it. The ground was uneven and I’d chosen to wear my dress and dress shoes so that I wouldn’t have to change at the cafe.
As I stumbled forward with the cake, I noticed a car zip past the house. It looked familiar to me, but moved too fast for me to recognize it. It moved way too fast for the residential speed limit also. Annoyed, I caught my balance and made my way to the car, with Sharon and Zara right behind me. When I turned around I saw that Zara had a hold of one of Sharon’s fingers and seemed to be smiling.
“I think she likes me.” Sharon grinned. “I hope she likes the cake too.”
“Thanks for all you did.” I handed her the cash for the cake, plus a generous tip.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was no way Zara was getting a taste of the cake. I set the cake in the passenger seat and then took Zara from Sharon. I noticed the way Zara looked at her with so much affection.
I’d been quick to judge Sharon based on her bathrobe and curlers, and even quicker to worry about whether I could trust her, but Zara just loved her, not for any particular reason, but because it was natural for her to. I smiled to myself as I drove away. My little girl had taught me yet another lesson.
When I arrived at Common Grounds, Zoe met me outside. She also decided to carry Zara instead of the cake, which made me laugh. I thought perhaps the party wouldn’t be a disaster after all.
When I stepped inside, however, I was met with a confused look from Alex.
“Hanna, I just called Dawn like we’d planned and asked her to meet us for our regular get-together and she said no.”
“What?” I stared at her. My friends and I had been meeting up at Common Grounds one weekend morning every week for what felt like forever. I never thought Dawn’s attending would be an issue.
“I’m sorry, Hanna, I tried to convince her—told her you would be here with the baby, but she said she wasn’t coming.”
“What do you mean she’s not coming?” My heart started to pound. “We can’t have the party if she and Garrett aren’t coming. Let me try calling her.”
I set the cake down and dialed Dawn’s number. I was stunned when it went to voicemail. Instead of leaving her a message, I texted her that it was urgent that I speak with her. Several minutes slid by with no answer from her.
“Did you just speak to her?” I met Alex’s eyes.
“Yes, I did.”
“Then she must have her phone. Why is she ignoring me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But she did sound a little upset. I asked her what was wrong but she insisted that it was nothing.”
“What are we going to do?” I groaned. “Blu will be arriving any minute with Samantha and Callie. They’re all going to be so eager to see Dawn. What am I going to tell them? What could Dawn possibly be upset about? Ugh—I haven’t seen her since we got back, what if she and Garrett called things off?”
“I hadn’t thought about that!” Alex gasped. “You don’t think they could have, do you?”
“Even if they did, why would she be avoiding my calls?” I frowned. “Something isn’t right here.”
Chapter 30
“I could go over to her
place and check on her.” Zoe started toward the door.
“No, I’d prefer if you could be here when Blu, Callie, and Samantha arrive. Jake’s handling the decorations. But if the four of you could finish up some of the table settings?” My heart dropped as I wondered if all of this planning was going to go to waste. Maybe it was a bad idea for it to be a surprise. “I’m going to call Garrett.”
“But won’t that ruin the surprise?” Zoe frowned.
“There won’t be any surprise if Dawn doesn’t come.” I picked up my phone and dialed Garrett’s number. After the fourth ring I was sure it was going to go to voicemail. Instead, he answered.
“Hey, Hanna.”
“Hi, Garrett. Is Dawn with you?”
“No, she’s not.”
“Is she at the bakery?”
“No.”
“Well, can you tell me where she is?”
“Hanna, I think she needs a little time.”
“A little time?” I braced myself. “Is everything okay with the two of you?”
“Yes, of course. She’s just upset.”
“Upset about what?”
“She thinks that you’re avoiding her. She said you told her you were too tired to see her and then she found out Zoe went to visit you and she saw you at Common Grounds. Oh, and I guess she saw you buy a cake from someone else this morning.”
“Oh, Garrett.” I sighed as I put the pieces together. “This is terrible. She must hate me.”
“No, she doesn’t hate you. She thinks that you’re all upset with her because I proposed to her at Blu’s wedding. I tried to tell her I didn’t think anyone was upset, but she won’t listen to me.”
“Of course we’re not upset with her. We’ve been planning a surprise engagement party. That’s why I couldn’t see her. My house was full of decorations. We’re having it today at Common Grounds, which is why she saw me here earlier. I couldn’t exactly order a surprise cake from her, so I had to buy it from someone else.”
“That makes sense.” He sighed. “But honestly, I don’t know where she is. I’ll see if I can try to reach her.”
Then Comes Baby (Hanna’s Happily Ever After Book 2) Page 9