Page 78 of Where We Call Home

This car wasn’t just metal and bolts. It was my dad’s legacy, our project, something meant to beoursuntil the end. Trusting one other person to work on it had been hard enough.

Rhodes placed his hands gently on my arms. The moment his touch reached me, my eyes closed, and I drew in a shaky breath.

“First,” he said softly, “I need you to take a deep breath and count to five.”

I obeyed, inhaling deeply, holding the breath, and exhaling slowly on his count.

“Second,” he continued, his voice calm and steady, “Gus isn’t going to be back in time for your appointment. He’s out until next week. I wanted to see if I could fix it so you wouldn’t have to wait.”

When he put it like that...

“I think I know what the problem is,” Rhodes added, “but it’s not safe to drive right now. I’ll take you wherever you need to go, and I’ll make sure she’s running by the end of the week.”

His tone was gentle yet firm, leaving no room for doubt.

The tension in my shoulders eased, and I could finally see past my panic.

“Okay,” I whispered, the word a mantra to ground myself. “Okay.”

“We’ll go to your appointment today. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it, and then we can swing by the store to pick up a few things for the nursery. How does that sound?”

Rhodes’s hands lingered on my arms, steady and reassuring, waiting to make sure I was okay before letting go.

“That sounds good,” I replied, nodding more than necessary, my throat tight as I swallowed hard.

He gently turned me toward the house, his hand guiding me from the small of my back.

“We’ve got time to eat before we leave. What can I make?”

I took a deep breath, counted to five, and exhaled—just as Rhodes had coached me earlier. It helped, though I was still wound tighter than a spring.

“I can’t eat until after my appointment,” I said, my stomach growling in protest. I had to fast beforehand, but his mention of food made the hunger kick in full force.

“Well, then you’ve got all day to decide what you want.”

Rhodes pulled me closer, tucking me under his arm as we climbed the porch steps.

I felt a pang of guilt for how I’d reacted. Seeing Rhodes working on the car had sent me spiraling into fight-or-flight mode, and I chose to fight. The loss of control, the panic—it was unlike me, but it had overwhelmed me in the moment.

It wasn’t until I was buckled into the passenger seat of Rhodes’ truck that I realized we were heading to my baby’s appointmenttogether.Strangely, the thought didn’t unsettle me as much as I’d expected.

My leg bounced uncontrollably as we sat in the waiting room. The same faded wallpaper and faint antiseptic smell filled the space, triggering memories. This was the first time I’d come to an appointment with someone, and it left me feeling a bit off-kilter.

I’d choked down the sugary drink they made you take nearly an hour ago, and I was ready to be done with this. I was proud of myself for getting my blood drawn earlier all alone, but my nerves ramped up the longer we waited, more of an opportunity for people to see us here.

I’d made Rhodes stay behind when I checked in. The last thing I needed was the receptionist getting the wrong idea and turning future visits into awkward encounters.

“I feel like I’m having déjà vu,” Rhodes whispered in my ear. “Pretty sure this place looked exactly the same when I was a kid.”

“The wallpaper hasn’t changed?” I asked, arching a brow.

“Nope. Neither has that weird clown picture over there.” He nodded toward a particularly unsettling photo on the wall.

A laugh escaped me, easing the tension in my chest.

An older woman seated in front of us turned, her gaze piercing. When I finally met her eyes, she smiled warmly and closed her magazine.

“Aren’t you two just adorable?” she gushed. “I wish my daughter had someone to go with her. I’ve had to be there every step of the way.”

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