Page 133 of The Kidnapped

“Me?” Eden asked, surprised.

“One for you; one for your mom.”

“Cool,” Eden said. “What do I do with them now?”

Raleigh laughed and stood.

“Come on. Let’s put them in water while Hollis gets dinner ready.”

They walked into the kitchen, where Raleigh got a stool for Eden and showed her how she trimmed the flowers. Eden wasn’t old enough to use the adult scissors, so she just watched and asked questions. Hollis put out the food she’d picked up on the table and listened as Raleigh explained things.

“Mom, can we go out to the garden after dinner?” Eden asked.

“It’ll be too late,” Raleigh replied. “Tomorrow.”

“No, it won’t. We have lights.” Eden turned around on her stool and faced Hollis. “Mom, can we, please? I want to check the tomatoes.”

In that moment, Hollis realized that Eden was talking to her. Raleigh must have had the same realization because she stopped trimming and turned around. They both looked at one another as if silently asking each other what to do about this new development.

“Mommy Hollis?” Raleigh asked her.

Hollis nearly melted inside, and she nodded at Raleigh mostly, but Eden took that as a yes that they’d go out to the garden later, so they did. Raleigh and Hollis sat on a bench they’d bought at a garage sale and watched as Eden diligently checked the growing vegetables.

“Is it okay?” Raleigh asked, resting her head on Hollis’s shoulder.

“More than okay,” she replied, kissing the top of Raleigh’s head. “I was just thinking earlier about how I love how inquisitive she is and how much I wish I’d been around when she was born.”

“She just cried and pooped a lot, mostly,” Raleigh replied.

Hollis laughed and then said, “You did it all on your own.”

“Yeah.”

“Would you maybe want to do it with me this time?”

Raleigh lifted her head and looked at Hollis as if she had not been expecting that question.

“Or not,” Hollis added quickly.

“You want to have a baby?” Raleigh checked.

“I was thinking about it, yeah.”

“Really?” Raleigh said softly.

Hollis nodded.

“Babe, are you sure? We’re not exactly young, and we have a lot going on.”

“I know. It’s okay if it doesn’t happen. Hearing her call me that tonight for the first time, though, just made me feel like I love being part of this with you. I think I’d like to do it from the beginning.”

Raleigh smiled wide and nodded at her.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, but…”

“Oh, there’s a but?” Hollis teased.

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