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But more than anything else, he wanted this baby to have the best life possible. He already knew Jamie would be a great mom. Shannon would be the best aunt in the world. And he planned to be the best dad ever. But would Dréa want to be a stepmom?
Chapter 21
Awkward. The whole situation had felt more than awkward. But the McGregor’s hadn’t freaked out or yelled, and Jamie hadn’t felt judged like she thought she might. Their support meant everything to her. But it had hurt to hear them talking about Duncan and Dréa’s wedding.
She wondered what was going to happen. Would they stay together? Would the wedding go on as planned? She wondered if they’d spoken since yesterday when the pregnancy was revealed. The sooner she knew the state of their relationship the better, so she would stop obsessing.
Jamie stared at her computer screen on her half of the brand new shared studio space Shannon’s boyfriend, Micah, had secured for them. This was the space they’d dreamed of having in East Grand Rapids, and it felt surreal that it was theirs.
While she’d been away at her parents’, Shannon had furnished the place and set up a workspace for her, all without knowing whether she’d be coming back. There was a lot of catching up for her to do after being gone the past few weeks. She had pictures to edit from the wedding she’d photographed the weekend she found out she was pregnant. Normally, she would’ve posted a sneak peek of pictures on her website within a few days of an event, but the news of the baby had sidetracked her. Her clients were the best, though—completely understanding and offering their congratulations—but she still felt bad for the delay.
Shannon was out for the morning with a client meeting and engagement session, so Jamie had the entire space to herself. She went to work, sorting through the gallery of beautiful images, and edited highlights of the day.
The silence was beginning to get to her, though, and with her mind still reeling from all that had happened, she found it difficult to concentrate. She stared at more images of the lovely couple on the screen, then abruptly pushed back on her office chair, rolling across the room toward the long console table along the wall.
Jamie turned on the small stereo Shannon had set up there and cycled through the channels to find something to break the silence. As she rotated the dial, she heard the notes of the song “Stronger” by Mandisa, which she’d first heard at her parents’ last week while Mom was on the treadmill. She rolled back to her desk and let the words and music pour over her. The antsy feeling she’d had since returning to town faded, and she felt calm, the way she had that day in Hershey when she finally accepted Jesus into her life. No matter how hard things seemed, the song reminded her that it was only going to make her stronger. God had started a work in her, and though this was all new, she believed He was with her through it all. She felt like a different person, and she was excited to see what God had planned for her life.
Jamie went back to work, leaving the stereo set to the Christian music channel, and worked straight through lunch. Her stomach growled as the front door chimed.
“Hey.” Shannon walked in and stopped beside the stereo. “You could’ve changed the station if you wanted.”
“I chose this channel.” Jamie grinned.
“You know this is Christian music, right? Not your usual grunge or metal band.”
“I don’t listen to metal. And I like this stuff. Every song is so uplifting and hopeful.”
“Yeah, it is. I thought you didn’t liked my music.”
“Well, a lot changed in my life while I was gone.”
Shannon rolled her office chair over to Jamie and took a seat. “Do tell.”
“When I got home, I found out my parents had suddenly become big-time churchgoers.”
“They weren’t before?”
“They’ve never gone to church in their lives, but somehow they started going, and I could tell they were different. Not that they were awful people before or anything, but there was this new kind of joy about them. I went to church with them while I was there, just to see what it was about.”
“They didn’t have to drag you?” Shannon winked.
“I went willingly if you can believe that. And what I found there really changed me.” She started at the beginning then, spilling the whole story, from clinic appointment to church with her parents. “I felt so welcomed from the moment I walked into my parents’ church, but I wondered if they would see me differently if they knew my situation. Only, I found out some of them already knew, because my mom and her prayer group had been praying for me since I got to town. They accepted and encouraged me, and I wanted to know more. I listened so intently to the pastor, and after church, I asked my parents to tell me what it was that had changed them. They shared all that God has done for us by sending His Son, and that they had accepted Jesus into their hearts, that He was the reason for their joy. I told them I wanted that joy too, so they prayed with me.”
Tears slid down Shannon’s cheeks.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“Believe me, they’re happy tears. I only wish I’d been in a better place in my relationship with God all these years so I might’ve helped you learn all this sooner.”
“I think you did. Maybe you didn’t tell me with words, but I could tell you were different than my other friends.”
Shannon gave a weak smile. “I was angry at God for years because of my diagnosis, and while I believed it was the right choice to let Micah go so he could have a chance at a family with someone else, I blamed God for the whole thing. After Micah came back, a lot of those feelings were brought to the surface again, and thankfully, I made my peace with God.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too. It’s hard when you’re in the moment, and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Things can seem so hopeless. But He knows everything, and He sees the whole story when we only see the chapter we’re in. If we trust that He knows what’s best for us and keep flipping the pages, there are better days to come.”
Jamie smiled. “I like that.”