Page 28 of A Game-Changing Christmas

Chapter Eight

“Ican’t believe it’s snowing.”

Standing in the windowpane at Macy’s department store, Claudia bit her lip in frustration. The week had gone by so swiftly it was no wonder she’d forgotten to check on today’s weather. It was one of the busiest times of the year for S & M Financial Advisors, so working with clients had taken a front seat over everything she’d planned.

After deciding to surprise Jaden with news of their pregnancy, withholding the information from her girls was becoming a challenge. Whenever they were together at lunch or work, Claudia just wanted to shout it out loud, but she bit her tongue and held it in.

Jaden had to be the first to know. Then, together, they would surprise their entire family. It must have been fate that Camilla, Allison, and Bri entered Rumi’s at the time they did because now Claudia was happy about her decision.

With that being the case, Claudia’s idea to create a sexy atmosphere with dinner by the fireplace had gotten lost in the shuffle of the week. At the end of her days, the only thing she could bear to do was nothing.

“Today was supposed to be different,” she whispered to herself.

“What?”

Claudia glanced down at her mother Adeline Stevens, who sat resting on a bench, also in front of the window.

“Nothing, I was mumbling to myself.”

“Makes no sense to do that when I’m sitting right here with my hearing still intact.”

Claudia smirked. Her mother was a firecracker and seemed to get more quick-tempered by the day.

“I was only reminding myself that I had things to get done today without the threat of this weather.”

Flurries showered the city of Chicago, and though beautiful, it put Claudia in a dilemma.

“Well, did you check the weather beforehand?”

“No.”

“Hmph. Seems like your slipping then, and when you start doing that it’s because something or someone else’s got your attention. Who or what is it?”

Claudia unknowingly slid her palm over her belly as she stared through the window to the white covered streets.

“Whatever it is has us stuck at the mall now, and Im’ma be hungry in a minute.” Adeline pursed her lips and huffed. “I’m not going anywhere in that snow either. Just in case you were considering it.”

As if to make her point, Adeline lifted her cane and sat it across the belted puffer jacket that lay across her lap.

Claudia sighed then removed her smartphone and retrieved today’s forecast. Her eyes scurried over the prediction.

Chicago, IL

Monday

Heavy Snow Showers

31 °F| °C

Precipitation:80%

Humidity:0%

Wind:40 mph

Claudia whispereda curse underneath her breath. It would be snowing all day, which meant the flurries would only get thicker and possibly stick to the ground.

Claudia’s nostrils flared as she sighed. “If we get what we came for and leave, maybe we can make it home before the roads become icy.”

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