Page 49 of Burden to Bear

“Thanks, Brock. I appreciate that.” We strolled along for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, and that’s when Mia shared, “I love this neighborhood.”

“What?”

I glanced down and saw her looking up at me, still smiling. “This neighborhood is wonderful. I attempted to do my due diligence before I bought my house, but you still never know what you’re going to get. Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had one instance where I truly regretted buying my home. And now that the weather is getting nice, I’m excited to spend more time outdoors.”

“You’ll especially love it in the middle of the summer when we have the neighborhood block party,” I told her.

“Block party?”

The curiosity in her tone was adorable. Clearly, nobody else in the neighborhood had mentioned it to her, and I knew she’d at least had a handful of conversations with Janel throughout the winter, particularly when most everyone in the neighborhood was outside shoveling.

“Yes, I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it yet. On the 4th of July every year, we do a block party. If I recall correctly, they start sending out the details and sign-up sheets at the beginning of May. You’ll have the opportunity to select what you’d like to contribute—if anything—and everyone just has a great time.”

Mia stopped moving, forcing me to come to a stop. When I shot her a curious look, she asked, “Are you serious?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“That sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait,” she bubbled. “Who’s in charge of organizing everything?”

“It changes every year, so it’s never the same person handling all of it. Three people, or couples, from different homes are signed up each year to manage it for the following year.”

“Wow. I love this place even more now.”

I smiled at her, recalling how she’d shared last night how much she enjoyed parties and making new friends. This was going to be the perfect opportunity for her to do more of that. “Charter Oak is a great town, and this neighborhood has got to be the best in it.”

“I agree.” Mia turned to start our walk again, but she hadn’t taken more than two steps when she stopped, bent over slightly, and placed her hand on her stomach. “Oh my God.”

Instantly, I was concerned. “Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby?”

Mia remained in that position a moment longer before she righted herself and lifted her gaze to mine. She held my stare for just a second or two before her eyes widened in shock. The next thing I knew, tears had filled her eyes.

“Mia, what’s wrong?”

Her bottom lip quivered, and the sight of it made my gut twist painfully. I was about to lift her into my arms to carry her home when she rasped, “I think I just felt the baby move.”

“What?”

She nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. “It felt… it felt like a tiny flutter. I felt it twice. Oh my God.”

The tension eased out of my shoulders, and I released the breath I’d been holding. “I thought something was wrong.”

Mia swiped at her cheeks and lamented, “I’m sorry. I’ve never felt that before, and it caught me off guard. Oh, wow, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.”

I wanted nothing more than to wrap this woman in my arms, kiss her dizzy, and celebrate this moment with her the way I thought she deserved. But I couldn’t. So, I did the only thing I thought I could do and placed a hand on her shoulder. After giving her a squeeze, I smiled and said, “I’m honored I could be here to watch you experience that.”

She bit her lip, more tears welling in her eyes, and replied, “I’m glad I wasn’t alone. Thank you for being willing to join me on this walk.”

“Anytime.”

Mia took a moment to collect herself, swiping at her cheeks several more times. “Are you okay to keep walking?”

“I am if you are.”

She nodded. “Just a few more minutes before we turn around. I want to hear all about what I can expect at this block party.”

So, that’s exactly what we did.

Mia and I continued our walk for a few more minutes before we turned around to head back to our homes. As we did, I told her about last year’s block party. And in the back of my mind, I was secretly hoping that by the time this year’s party rolled around, Mia and I might be able to attend it together as more than just friends.

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