Page 34 of My Three Hometown Firefighters (Aspen Springs #2)
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Sienna
A part of me thought the doctor was going to tell me I was crazy, that I wasn’t actually pregnant. Apparently, I’m not crazy, though, because right there on the screen is a little blob that the ultrasound tech told me is the baby.
It might look more like a little gummy bear right now, but it’s there. It’s really there.
The tech focuses on the fluttering spot in the middle of the gummy bear. A rhythmic thumping sounds through the room.
“That’s your little one’s heartbeat,” the lady says with a warm smile.
Tears spring to my eyes. Holy crap.
“Strong and healthy,” she adds.
I’m actually pregnant. I’m going to be a mom.
I have no idea why it’s fully hitting me now. I mean, I knew I was pregnant, but there’s something about seeing it with your own two eyes that brings it into stark reality.
With the black and white pictures in hand, I make my way to my car.
The guys offered multiple times to come with me to the appointment, but I was adamant about doing this on my own. None of them were very happy about it, especially Grayson.
I almost expected him to show up here, even when I asked him not to.
I’m not trying to keep them away from anything related to the baby. I just don’t need anyone here with me for this. I c an do all of this on my own.
I sigh, climbing into my car. I know I need to talk to the guys and tell them about the appointment, but right now there’s only one place I want to go.
“Gram, it’s me,” I call out as I walk into her living room.
I don’t think I’ve ever knocked on her door when I’ve come over. If I did, she would just roll her eyes and holler about making her come to the door.
I generally have no idea what I’m walking into because my grandma is as unpredictable as they come. I shake my head, remembering last year when I walked in on her trying to follow along with a twerking tutorial on YouTube.
“In the kitchen,” she yells.
Walking through the small house, I find her standing at the counter, kneading some dough.
I’m pretty sure this woman is where my love for bread came from. I honestly don’t know if she’s ever bought a loaf of bread from the grocery store.
I can’t even fathom how many times I’ve watched or helped her make some type of bread.
I plop down in one of her kitchen chairs, not in the headspace to help her right now.
“What’s on your mind?” she asks.
“Can’t I just be here to talk to you? To say hi?”
“You act like I don’t know you. What’s going on?” she says, glancing at me over her shoulder as she continues to work the dough.
“Fine.” I sigh. “You’re right.”
“Always am,” she says, chuckling at the cabinets.
I could go into some examples of how she is most definitely not right all the time, but this isn’t the time. I am here to tell her something, and that would only derail me from why I’m actually here.
I’m nervous to tell her because this is a big deal, but I’m not as nervous as I have been with other people. Gram is one of the most accepting people I know.
I honestly would be shocked if she was bothered by anything I’m going to tell her.
“Stop thinking and just tell me already,” she huffs out, placing the dough into a greased pan.
“I’m pregnant.”
She turns around to face me. Her hands, held out in front of her, are still covered in flour.
“Is this a happy thing or no?” she asks. Her face is warm but void of any outward emotion.
“Confusing but happy,” I tell her.
A smile spreads across her face. “Well, congratulations then, sweetheart. I’m happy for you.”
I can’t help but laugh because with her, it really is that simple.
“Aren’t you going to pepper me with questions?”
She grabs a towel, wiping her hands off. “Like I said earlier, I know you. You came over here wanting to spill about everything, so I’m just saving my vocal cords. You’re going to sing like a canary whether I ask you or not.”
Geez…
“I don’t know who the father is,” I blurt out.
“So, my granddaughter has been doing a little musical beds recently,” she says, her eyes alight with amusement. “Good for you.”
She gasps. Her eyes widen. “Oh my god. You’ve been doing the horizontal tango with all three of those firefighters.”
Where does she come up with these sayings?
She shakes her head. “No wonder Martha and I couldn’t figure out which one of them you were dating. You decided not to choose.” Her head tilts to the side. “Aren’t there books out there about that sort of thing?”
Good lord.
“Yes, Gram. I was hooking up with all three of them.”
“At the same time?” she asks.
“I’m not answering that,” I tell her on a nervous laugh.
Her smile spreads. “You just did.”
I bury my face in my hands, groaning.
“So, do they know?” she asks.
I nod, my face still covered by my hands.
“And?”
I let my hands fall to my lap. “They were great. They said they’d support me no matter what I want to do.”
“They’re good guys,” she says.
I nod because they are.
“Why did you say you were hooking up, as in past tense?”
I lean back further into the wooden chair. “Because I told them I need to just be friends with them, nothing more. It was getting to be too much, and I can do it without them.”
She reaches forward, pulling one of my hands into hers.
“Just because you can do it on your own doesn’t mean you should .
” Her weathered fingers squeeze my hand.
“It’s okay to let people help you, Sienna.
I don’t know where you got this notion that you’re only allowed to help others.
You deserve to have people helping you, fighting for you. ”