Page 59 of Stay With Me (Griffin’s Den #2)
Epilouge
Luna- Seven Weeks Later
Laughter fills the diner as we help Abby redecorate.
She’s officially the owner and has updated the name and had the local construction company come in and change the layout a little. I look over at Am helping Jess with a book she’s reading, and I smile.
It’s been almost three months since everything that happened with The Family, and every day, we take a step forward, even if it’s a baby step. Jess and I were in therapy three times a week for about a month, and even with that, it took me two months to be able to go to a store.
The first time I went with Amelia, I panicked when she turned the corner without me.
Jess is still battling the guilt of what happened.
We’re helping her work through it and making sure she knows that while she might have given them information, if it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else.
She started school officially and is excelling in every subject. She even had a friend over the other day, and I’m so proud of the progress she’s made.
“This place looks great! You made just enough changes to update it but kept the bones so that it doesn’t look completely different,” Pam says as she finishes painting her section.
Abby wipes her brow, careful not to get paint on her face. “That was my goal. I love Ken, but this place needed a refresh, and this is the best time to do it.” She looks around us. “I couldn’t have done any of this without all of your guys’ help.”
“There is nowhere we would rather be. Are you feeling any better?” I ask.
We had to reschedule girls’ night this past weekend because she wasn’t feeling well.
“Yeah, it seems to come and go. I think it’s stress from everything with the diner,” she says.
“I believe it. I thought I was sick when I signed up to take my GED classes,” I admit.
I feel arms wrap around my waist. “You are going to do great,” Noah says and kisses the side of my head.
“We shall see. I’ve never had a formal education, and with my birth certificate, I can do things I’ve always wanted to do.” I squeeze his arms that are across my stomach.
“Speaking of things you want to do. Are we still on for continuing your driving lessons?” Abs says.
“Yeah. I’m kind of excited.” I grin.
“Perfect. It’ll be a blast. Also, thank you so much for helping me with my website. I’m excited to be able to offer catering and order pickups when we reopen.”
“That is going to open a revenue option a lot don’t offer here. We might be a small town still, but we’re growing. I heard a former MMA fighter is opening a huge training facility on the border of the tri-county area. Which will bring huge crowds down this way,” Am says.
“Really? That’s going to be a huge hit,” Pam adds.
“When do you start your GED classes, Luna?” Carter asks, coming in the front door with more paint for the bathrooms.
“I’ll be doing it in a hybrid format and start next week online,” I tell him.
“She’s going to knock it out of the park,” Noah says.
“You have to say that.” I roll my eyes.
“I don’t have to say anything. I’m just speaking the truth.” He turns my head and gives me a quick kiss. “I’m going to go help Luke hang some of the art now.”
“Sam said he’ll be here in five,” Luke hollers.
“You should just tell him he doesn’t have to come. We have plenty of help.” Abby huffs.
I look at Pam and Am, who both shrug. We know something is going on between them, but we can’t tell if they like each other and are just acting like they don’t. Or if they don’t like each other, and if that’s the case, what happened.
“I tried a couple of new bread recipes for you all to try,” Abby says as she washes her hands and walks over to the warming station she has set up next to the oven.
She grabs the bread and sets some out on plates for us. We all take a bite, but before anyone can say anything, Abby’s head whips to the side, and her jaw drops.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” She turns and bolts to the bathroom.
We all turn to the picture window at the front of the storefront, and Sam is walking by with his arm slung around Martha’s shoulder. He stares right into the diner.
Off to my side, Pam mutters, “What the fuck?”
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Luke yells behind us.
I get off my stool and go to the bathroom with Pam and Am close on my heels. When we get to the door, I lightly knock before walking in.
Abby is sitting next to the toilet, wiping her mouth as she flushes.
“I’m going to ask you a question, but you don’t have to answer,” Pam says. “Could you be pregnant?”
My eyes go wide, bouncing between Pam and Abby.
“No way. I have an IUD,” she says.
“They aren’t one hundred percent. They’re known to move on occasion. When was your last period?” Amelia asks as she sits on the ground in front of Abby.
Pam kneels next to Am as Abby shakes her head. “I don’t know. Right before the remodel started?”
“So, at least five or six weeks. You need to take a test. Because while it could be stress, a lot of these symptoms could also mean you’re pregnant and not sick with a bug.” Pam grabs Abby’s hand.
I sit next to her, and she rests her head on my shoulder as tears start to fall down her face. “Regardless of what it is, you aren’t alone. We have your back.”
“I can’t be pregnant,” Abby whispers.
“I’m going to kick the guys out and go buy a test from the next town over. I’ll be back in twenty,” Am says as she stands and walks out of the bathroom.
“I’m going to go get you some water and some of that bomb-ass bread you made and set it up at a booth, so once the guys leave, you can come back out,” Pam says and follows Am.
“What am I going to do?” she whispers.
“If you are, then get ready to be spoiled because you know it’ll happen, but let’s see what the test says first.” I stroke her arm.
“How can I run the diner and have a baby?”
“Well, the beauty of having bomb-ass friends is that we’ll help babysit. You don’t have to answer my next question, okay?.?.?.”
“You don’t have to ask. I know what the question is, and the answer is yes, if I am, it’s his.”
We sit there in silence, her response hanging between us.
“Well, one step at a time, yeah?” I say.
“Yeah. Okay,” she says as we wait to get the all clear that we can come out of the bathroom.