Page 60 of Salvation (Clover-Hills #1)
Blake
I ’ve just finished stringing up a sign above the coffee bar when I catch the tail end of Wyatt and Whitney’s standoff.
He dropped off lunch for us, and they’ve been bickering for the past half hour about God knows what.
I just began listening in when his voice turned frustrated, and a tad louder than I’d ever heard.
For someone so well-reserved, Whitney sure does get under his skin.
I can’t tell if they’re about to start brawling… or make out?
“I think I, of all people, deserve to know-"
He’s cut off when Ana pops up behind him, smacking him right upside the back of the head.“I know I didn’t raise you to talk to a woman like that!”
“Mom!” Wyatt’s hand flies to the back of his head, face lighting up. Despite whatever they may have been arguing about, and the fact that she’s hysterically giggling into her hand, Whitney doesn’t hesitate to come to his rescue with a teasing jab. “He’s awfully broody, isn’t he?”
“You think that’s bad?” Ana scoffs. “You should’ve seen his dad after a long day.”
“I’m right here.” Wyatt grumbles, but they ignore him.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” She places a hand on top of Ana’s.
The way Ana smiles at her…it has me blinking in surprise. I know that look all too well. She gives her a meek smile, letting her eyes drop to Whitney’s belly. “When are you due?”
“April.” Whitney replies.
She reaches up, unclasping the chain dangling around her neck, the very one that holds her wedding band, and nods toward Whitney’s bump. “Do you mind?”
At Whitney’s confusion, Wyatt scratches the back of his head. “It’s an old wives' tale. If the ring moves in circles, it’s a girl. If it swings back and forth, it’s a boy.”
His mom nods along eagerly. “Worked on both of my pregnancies.”
Whitney holds Wyatt’s gaze for a moment longer than considered normal, then concedes with a nod.
We watch as Ana holds the wedding ring over her belly.
At first, it looks like it may just swing vertically, but then it slowly morphs into a circle and stays swinging.
“That means it’s a girl?” Whitney questions, biting her lip nervously.
Ana nods, beaming. Tears and what looks to be a little bit of hope fills Whitney’s eyes. Maybe at the idea of repairing what she didn’t have the gift of growing up. At getting a chance of being a loving, and present mom to a little girl, when she so desperately deserved one herself.
I jump as Wyatt abruptly stands from his seat and leaves without another word, swinging the door open rather aggressively and bidding none of us goodbye.
Ana sighs at her son’s rude departure, and I intervene with an exaggerated groan, hoping to break some of the tension and heighten Whitney’s spirits. “Dear god, I hope so. I already started buying pink outfits and bows.”
We all giggle, both women giving me a thankful smile.
“But fair warning, they might be even sassier than boys. Blake was a menace from the day she was born,” Ana adds. I roll my eyes, but the quip warms my heart. Ana has always been my mom just as much as my own.
“Were you scared?” Whitney asks, “When you found out?”
Ana widens her eyes comically. “Terrified.”
“Really?”
She hums. “I was in denial for a few weeks. But I had an amazing support system. Something I suspect you do as well.” Her eyes bounce to mine. “The first few weeks, hell, the first few years, will be hard. But you’ll do just fine. You grow as they grow.”
Whitney leans forward to squeeze her hand. “Thank you.”
We all fall into random chatter about the boys and me as kids, the festival, and anything else that makes for good gossip.
Ana is just leaving to ‘go check on her asshole of a son’ when the doors swing open again.
“Got the cookies!” Elain shouts, stepping through the coffee shop doors.
Wesley and Elain oversaw dropping the cookies off so that I could help Whitney setup.
She’s been ecstatic to help, even more so to check out her very first Clover-Hills festival.
My mom’s meeting her soon, so they can walk around together.
The two have grown rather fond of each other.
“I like the scarecrow.” Elain adds as she sets down the first tray. The scarecrow that Whitney and I put together has a skeleton head and hands. A witch’s hat and a set of headphones adorn its skull. And it’s holding a cardboard coffee cup. It’s so stupid that it’s adorable.
Whitney comes around from where she’s at behind the counter, her face brightens when she sees the assortment of cookies. "They look great! Thank you again for helping out with them.”
"It was no problem.” I say with a wave of my hand.
She leans in to get a better look, laying a hand on her belly, “Awe, you even drizzled a little honey on top. How fancy!”
My skin involuntarily flushes at the word honey, which earns me an odd look from Elain, and another one from Whitney that says you’ll be telling me about that later. I doubt it. That one’s going into the deepest vault imaginable.
“Shit!” Whitney cries, slapping a hand over her face. “I forgot to grab more sugar since we ran out yesterday. This baby brain is going to be the death of me.”
“You know what? I have some at the house from all the baking." I say, already turning toward the door. "I’ll just run there and grab it. It’ll take me like ten minutes.”
“Really?” She sighs, letting her shoulders slump. “You’re the best.”
“I know.” I sing. “Be back in a bit!”