Page 40 of Captiva Book Club

Sarah smiled, squeezing Emma’s hand. “And now you’re having a baby.”

Emma laughed. “I often wonder how long I’m going to be in this state of shock. I swear, right up until the birth, I’m going to be like…I’m a mother? What?”

Sarah laughed, and then leaned back on the sofa. “It’s amazing how life changes in the blink of an eye, isn’t it? One minute we’re college roommates worrying about exams, and the next, you’re planning a life in Tuscany with a baby on the way, and I’m married with three children.”

Emma leaned back and slipped her arm under Sarah’s.

“We’re blessed, Sarah. We’re truly blessed.”

They spent the rest of the morning talking about everything and nothing, their conversation flowing effortlessly, as it always had. Emma felt a deep sense of contentment. Her life had taken many unexpected turns, but here, with her best friend by her side and a new life growing inside her, she knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.

And Tuscany? That dream would come in time. For now, she was happy to simply be home.

It wasn’t long after Emma left that Sarah realized she had one more thing on her to-do list. She sent Ciara a text, asking her to stop by when she had a minute.

Since Ciara was already on her way home from the Outreach Center, she stopped by Sarah’s to see what was so important.

“Hey girl. What’s up?” Ciara asked when Sarah opened the door.

“I’m sorry to sound so mysterious, but I completely forgot that I needed to talk to you before Trevor got home. Also, I don’t want to have this conversation at Christmas.”

“Okay, what’s going on?”

“Trevor keeps asking me if I’ve talked to you about this, and I keep forgetting. You know how he’s starting his new job in January?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, he’s got a great idea about trying to get his new company to work with the Outreach Center to find people in need of affordable housing. He said he wants to talk to the mayor about this. Since the Outreach Center deals with many homeless, Trevor plans to talk to Steven about the two joining forces.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Ciara said.

“You do? I thought I’d have to convince you.”

“My only concern is that you and I both know how long it takes to get anything done in this state. I’d love to snap my fingers and magically make this happen, but…”

“You and Trevor both. I sometimes think he’s not looking at the big picture. I told him that it’s not going to be that easy, but his head is in the clouds with so much excitement, I’m not sure he’s hearing me.”

“So,” Ciara said, folding her arms as she leaned back in her chair, “what’s the next step? Have you and Trevor talked about how you’re going to approach this?”

Sarah sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s just it. Trevor’s already planning to dive in headfirst. I love his enthusiasm—it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him—but sometimes I worry he’s setting himself up for disappointment. I don’t know, maybe I’m the problem. Where he sees possibilities, I see roadblocks.”

Ciara laughed, “That’s you, all right. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. Think of it this way, you two have a balanced marriage when it comes to perspective. If you both were the same, either nothing would get done, or you’d both blow up everything you tried. You’d keep getting up after life knocked you down, but neither of you would stop and plan to not fall down in the first place.”

Sarah laughed at Ciara’s way of explaining her situation.

“Boy, do you have our number. Very well put, but what do we do about it?”

“You need to look at your relationship dynamic in a positive way. You’re Trevor’s grounding force. He’s the dreamer, and you’re the one who helps turn those dreams into reality.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way. I need to make sure he knows that I’m with him on this, but that we also need to be smart about it.”

“And you will,” Ciara assured her. “Keep in mind that the kind of change Trevor’s talking about doesn’t happen overnight. But if he’s willing to put in the work, and if he can get the right people on board, there’s no reason why this couldn’t be successful.”

Sarah’s expression softened, the weight of her worries beginning to lift. “I think you’re right. I just need to remind myself and Trevor that this is a marathon, not a sprint, as we try to push through his idea.”

“Sarah, let me ask you something. What do you think about Trevor involving you in his work? That’s a special thing. I’m going to help, of course, but he came to you to help him with this. Your part-time job at the Outreach Center could evolve into another full-time career without you realizing it. I know you wanted to be home with your children, and that’s why you’ve chosen part-time work, but what Trevor suggests isn’t part-time.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Sarah answered.

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