Trina quickly and quietly ran up the stairs to her room. Before she could get into the bathroom, Willow’s cries echoed through the silent house.
This was going to have to wait. Wasn’t it better to test first thing in the morning, anyway? Detouring back down the hall, she entered her daughter’s room with a smile on her face and cheer in her voice. “Hey my little girl. What you crying for, baby?”
She picked up Willow. The toddler was still moaning. Trina pressed her chin to Willow’s forehead. “My poor baby, you have a fever. Are we teething again?” She rocked back and forth, comforting the little girl. With any luck, she was just teething and didn’t have another ear infection.
Trina tossed and turned all night. She was up every hour on the hour and even walked the hall a few times just to check on Willow, who was sound asleep. How early was too early to be “first thing in the morning”? She looked it up on her phone, but couldn’t find a cut-and-dried answer. The sun wasn’t even up yet, but not wanting to wait any longer, she took a test at four o’clock in the morning.
It was one of those digital ones, so there was no way her eyes could play tricks on her from the lack of sleep. Sitting on her bed, she channel-surfed as she waited the two minutes suggested on the package. Two minutes never felt so long.
There wasn’t much on television that kept her attention. Infomercials, and decades-old sitcoms.
Once the final moments of the two minutes ticked down, Trina hurried to the bathroom, but paused right outside the threshold. Excitement jumbled her insides like kids on a trampoline. However, fear was what held her back from looking at the test.
Sam wasn’t here right now, and she didn’t know how long it’d be before he was back home. She should be sharing this joy or disappointment with him.
Taking a deep breath, she forced her legs to work. Standing face-to-face with her future, she looked down to see an unmistakable — PREGNANT — looking back at her.
Joy ran through her body. She wasn’t scared about handling this while Sam was away, but she was hurt that she couldn’t share the news with him right now. He was so looking forward to having another baby, and he wasn’t even here to share in the excitement.
She considered telling him, but he needed to get better for himself first. He didn’t need to be worrying about them, or a new baby. Sam just needed to worry about Sam. She’d tell him as soon as he was on the mend.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Trina
Trina took one more quick look around the house. The living room was neat and free of all of Willow’s toys, for the moment. She knew they’d be scattered again soon. But at least it wouldn’t look like a tornado had torn through the room when her sister got here. She had fresh coffee made, and cinnamon rolls in the oven. She was no Betty Crocker, but she was satisfied with how welcoming her home felt this morning.
The warm sun poured into the dining room through the sliding glass door. The yard was still piled with patches of snow, but at least it was slowly melting. She was pretty sure spring was on its way. Finally. In Pittsburgh, you never knew what the weather was going to do. More than once since she’d been here, she’d seen all four seasons happen over a span of two days.
Staring out at the winter wonderland that was still her backyard, she yearned for spring. Man, I miss San Jose! She was spoiled, having lived in San Jose for a few years with Sam. Moving to Pittsburgh had been a shock to her system.
“Mummy!” Willow ran to her, her stuffed giraffe tucked in her little fist.
Trina pulled her baby girl up into her arms and hugged her tight. “Mummy loves you, little one. So much.”
Trina jumped, startled by the doorbell. Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong!
Through the front window, she could see the airport shuttle van pull away from her house. “Willow, guess who’s here?”
Willow looked up at her with a scrunched up and confused look on her face. “Daddy?”
Trina’s heart fell with a thud into her stomach. Poor thing must be so confused as to why Sam hasn’t been home. His road trips are hard enough on her, but this… Sadness filled Trina’s chest at her little girl’s question. “No, honey, not Daddy.” Taking a deep breath, she forced the hot tears to go away, and cleared her throat. “You know who’s coming to visit us? Aunt Talia! And she’s here! Yay!”
The second Trina opened the front door, Talia lunged at her and Willow, pulling them both into a big hug. Talia was Trina’s older sister. They looked similar, both having blond hair and wistful eyes, but where Trina liked a lot of eye makeup and dramatic eyeliner, Talia went with more subtle eye shadow and a more natural look.
Trina hugged her sister through the large, fluffy winter coat. “Cold in Winnipeg?”
Belle and Toby danced excitedly at Talia’s feet, scurrying around and sniffing her stylish boots. They sat and ate up the attention when Talia petted their heads, their tails wagging and pink doggie tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths.
“It’s winter, of course it’s cold! For the end of March, it’s colder here in Pittsburgh than I thought it would be. I’m glad I was dressed appropriately. But isn’t the snow gorgeous? I just love snow!” Talia swooned about the frozen weather.
Trina curled her lip at the talk of snow. “Gorgeous? No thanks. We might look alike, but we are so different, Tal. I can’t wait till this crap is gone. And the way the forecast looks, it should be within the next week or so. Spring is on its way, finally.”
Talia stole Willow out of her arms, as Trina shut the front door and hung Talia’s jacket up.
“Hey there, my little Willow-girl! How’s my favorite niece? Auntie Talia missed you so much!” Talia pressed loud smacking kisses to Willow’s cheeks.
“Willow, Auntie Talia is going to kiss your little face off!”
Willow’s face turned white in child-like terror. “No! Auntie Talia! No!” She put her little hands up to her cheeks.
“Oh, my little Willow-girl, Auntie Talia isn’t going to kiss your face off. No-no-no. I love this little face. As a matter of a fact, I love it so much that I just can’t help but kiss it! I love these little chipmunk cheeks!” Talia kissed Willow’s cheeks some more, while the toddler giggled with such glee.
“Talia, why don’t you play with Willow in the living room, and I’ll bring us some coffee. I just brewed a fresh pot. Go on, I’ll be right back.” Not waiting for an answer, Trina hurried into the kitchen. Pausing at the counter, she took a deep breath. Acid swirled in her stomach, and that same acid crept into her throat. Closing her eyes for a moment, she stood frozen, willing the sick feeling to go away. It took a few minutes, but it did.
She poured the coffee and plated the cinnamon rolls. The spicy aroma filled her nose and now her bout of nausea turned into hunger. She fought the urge to gobble one up before she left the kitchen, until she couldn’t take it anymore. Chewing the delightful treat, she carried the tray into the living room. Carefully stepping around the dolls and stuffed animals that now cluttered her living room, she avoided Belle and Toby’s attempts to sniff the treats, finally reaching the coffee table.
“Coffee is served!”
“Tri.” Talia cocked her head to the side and looked from the sweet breakfast rolls back to Trina. “Refrigerated cinnamon rolls?”
Trina smirked. “What do you think?” She was not known for her cooking skills, and Talia knew that. She did alright making her family dinner, but it was nothing gourmet, and admittedly she did utilize more than a few frozen items. Wiping a bit of cinnamon off her cheek, she laughed. “Please, there’s nothing wrong with them. They’re good, Tal, just try one.”
Talia shook her head and jokingly turned her nose up. “Oh Tri. What am I going to do with you?”
Talia and her husband, Michael, owned a restaurant back home. Trina had lived with them for a while, ions ago, and had helped with waitressing. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, but it kept her out of trouble at the time. Talia always baked from scratch, just like the food they served in their re
staurant. That was just something Trina had never taken an interest in.
“Whatever, sis.” Trina sat down and sipped the hot coffee. Her stomach growled until she satisfied the hunger with another cinnamon roll. “The kitchen is all yours while you’re here. Make yourself at home.”
“Okay, I’ll try one. I’m sure they’re delicious, just like you said.” Talia hesitated as she ate a roll, then smiled like it was as good as a homemade one, and washed it down with a large sip of coffee. “Don’t worry, while I’m here I’ll whip you up some delicious treats and take good care of you, so you can relax. No need for you to be strong while I’m here.”
No need to be strong. Was Talia serious? Trina didn’t know how to be anything else. Talia was already overbearing, and she would no doubt hover while she was here. And Trina expected nothing less from her big sister.
While Talia had Willow out for an afternoon of auntie and niece fun, Trina took a nap. A long afternoon nap where she didn’t have to worry about Willow was something she wasn’t used to. It was heaven. She must’ve been running on empty since Sam had been gone, because she fell asleep almost as soon as they left, and it was the most restful sleep she’d had since before Sam got hurt.
Trina woke to the smell of something cooking. It wasn’t an aroma that ever filled this house, and it smelled delicious. She shook off the sleepiness and slowly made her way down to the kitchen.
“Hey, sis. What’re you baking? It smells delicious.” Looking around the kitchen, she didn’t see Willow. She joked, “And what did you do with my daughter?”
“That little doll-baby is sound asleep in her crib. She had an awesome day with her auntie. She fell asleep on the way home, so I sneaked her into bed while you were sleeping. Did you have a good nap?” Talia was at the counter, working on some other delicious masterpiece while something baked in the oven.
“Yes, thank you.” Trina yawned. “I don’t think I’ve slept like that since… well, since before Sam got hurt. Maybe not even then.”
“Good. That’s what I’m here for.” Talia motioned to Trina. “Because sis, I don’t mean to be rude, but you look like you need all the sleep you can get.”
“Well, thanks? Rude.” Trina grabbed a hot cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “So, what are you baking?”
“Glad you asked. I have a cherry pie in the oven and cookie dough refrigerating. For dinner, I’m preparing sirloin tips with mushrooms and mashed potatoes.”
“But I didn’t have any of that stuff.” She knew better than to think Talia would make boxed mashed potatoes.
“I know you didn’t.” Talia shook her head. “Willow and I stopped off at the grocery store before we came home. I also invited your busybody friend Kat, her husband, and her little guy, over for dinner, as well as Tyler and Paige,” Talia said, with her back still to Trina.
“Oh, Tal, I don’t know if I’m up for a dinner party.” Her nap was wonderful and she really did need the restful sleep, but nothing else had changed. Her hormones were working overtime and the stress didn’t help.
“Relax. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy. Willow will play with Kat’s little one. I will handle dinner. You get a nice night with your friends, people who love you, and as a bonus, I get to visit with my little brother. Everybody wins. Plus, this kitchen is gorgeous. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I love the way the afternoon sunlight illuminates the space. And stainless steel everything. Nice touch.”
“You couldn’t just cook for me and Willow? We need to have a dinner party?” Trina wasn’t mad, just tired.
“Tri, it’s not a dinner party. You’d know if I was throwing a dinner party. This is just a few good friends getting together. Now, I don’t want to hear any more about it. Either sit down and be a good little taste-tester, or go relax in the living room. But we’re having dinner with your friends and that’s that.”
Trina couldn’t explain how she was feeling. It would be nice to have everyone here, but at the same time, she just wanted to be alone. She didn’t need people fawning over her. And as much fun as it would be to spend time with her friends, she’d miss Sam being here.
She spent the afternoon watching television and playing with Willow. But once her brother and friends were there, Willow ignored everyone but little Ian.
“Tri.” Paige rushed in the door and wrapped her arms around Trina. “Hon, how are you?”
She hugged Paige back. “Look, guys. Rule of the night: no more asking me how I am. We all know the situation. It isn’t going to change anything to keep asking me that. And by the way, I’m doing okay.”
“Got it.” Paige stood back and looked Trina over. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Trina led her brother and sister-in-law to where Kris and Kat were relaxing on the couch. “Look at those two.” She pointed to Willow and Ian already playing together in the corner. Willow’s toy bins were dumped out and dispersed across the carpet.
“So Tri, has Tal been stuffing you full of homemade goodies?” Tyler asked with a smirk.
“What do you think? She had a conniption when I fed her refrigerated sweet rolls.” Thinking about that morning’s events, she stifled a chuckle.
“Refrigerated sweet rolls, Tri? Damn, that was a bold move. Did she make that scrunched up face with the fake smile?” he asked.
Talia’s voice bellowed from the kitchen. “You two do know that I can hear you, right?”
Paige shook her head. “You two are terrible.”
Tyler waved his wife off. “Ah, she’s used to it. And believe me, she gives it back just as bad. It’s all in sibling good fun.”
“Just remember, I’m the one making your food,” Talia called, with a sense of playfulness in her voice.
“See?” Tyler nodded towards the kitchen.
“So, you’re like the rotten little brother?” Paige asked her husband.
“Sounds about right.” Talia appeared in the entrance to the living room. She was drinking a glass of wine. With a snicker, she added, “He never told you that he was the spoiled little brother?”
“Somehow I can see that.” Paige rubbed Tyler’s back, then placed a kiss on his cheek.
Tyler shook the teasing off. “So when’s dinner, sis?”
“Everything is ready.” Nodding to the dining room table, she said, “C’mon and sit down.”
Trina’s dining room table was perfectly set, and it was beautiful. Each dish had a wine glass at it. On the counter sat a few new bottles of wine that Talia must’ve picked up while she was out.
Trina was a beer drinker, not so much wine. Maybe it wouldn’t be too obvious if she didn’t drink a lot of wine. She didn’t need any more looks of sympathy or empathy, or whatever.
At dinner, the little ones sat next to each another and were perfect angels while the adults ate and talked. She wasn’t used to not having Willow clinging to her legs since Sam had been away. Maybe Talia was right, and Willow needed this even more than Tri did.
“Kat, it’s so wonderful to finally get to meet you. We’ve spoken over social media, but it’s just not the same as a face-to-face meeting. I’ve been watching you all interact, and you’re really like a family, aren’t you?”
Talia was older than Trina, so she hadn’t spent the same amount of time with Tyler and his youth teams as Trina had. Talia had been out with her friends or sleeping in, while Trina was forced to tag along. Her sister missed seeing how the teammates interacted and bonded.
“We take care of our own,” Kris added, with a grin and nod to Trina.
“I’m sure it helps that she’s Ty’s sister?” Talia added.
Talia had a certain way of talking. And she held her brother in high regards as a hockey player. She didn’t mean it to sound rude or condescending, but it tended to come across that way. Trina and Tyler knew better. She’d always been a mother-figure to Trina and Tyler; even now they were adults, she couldn’t help but look out for them.
Kat didn’t seem fazed by Talia’s tone. Kris t
hough, tossed Tyler a funny look. Tyler waved him off, as if to say “don’t mind her.”
Kat chimed right in, ignoring Talia’s tone. “Not really. I mean, Trina might not be here, in Pittsburgh with us, if she wasn’t Tyler’s sister. I’m sure that had a lot to do with Sam’s decision to come into this team. But like Kris said, we do take care of our own. That goes for the players and the wives. I love these girls and can’t imagine life without them.”
“I can see that.” Talia nodded, apparently satisfied with her answer.
“Guys, I don’t need taken care of.” Trina was tired of the attention. What she really wanted was to curl up in a ball in the corner and have a good cry. That wasn’t something she could do while she was taking care of Willow. She always prided herself on her strength, and that’s exactly how she would get herself and her daughter through this. “But I do appreciate the help with Willow. She needs things to be as normal as possible while Sam’s not here.”
“She seems to be doing okay. Yeah?” Kat motioned to Willow sitting at the table, eating with a big smile on her face.
Trina nodded.
“Kris, have you seen Sam?” Talia asked.
Trina wasn’t sure if her sister was digging for information or just trying to keep the conversation flowing, but talk about Sam was something Trina was hoping to avoid. Unfortunately, no one picked up on that.
Kris shook his head in response, as he continued to eat dinner. “No. He knows we’re behind him. We have a job to do, and he’d want us to concentrate on that.”
“I think it’s just been me checking up on him,” Tyler commented. “The guys don’t want to overwhelm him. With his changing moods, that’s probably best. And he knows they’re cheering for him.”
Trina was getting irritated. “He hasn’t been away that long.” It’s only been about two weeks. Why is this being made a federal case?
Blindsided: Renegades 7 (The Renegades Series) Page 16