Page 52 of Beyond Oblivion

“Ray, I’m fine. Please don’t make this about me.”

“You don’t have to smile the entire happy hour. I know you’re happy for me. I also know you’re processing a million things right now.”

I took a deep breath and relaxed. She had no idea how comforting her words were.

“So, tell me all the details, and don’t leave anything out.”

“Three months in. Wes is over the moon. He’s such a softy.”

“How long do you think Kody will cry when he hears the news?”

Raegan leaned in. “He should’ve thought about that before he gambled away our savings account. I loved him, but my future husband wouldnever.”

I shook my head. “I’d have killed Trenton. Just think, if you hadn’t broken up with him and taken that job in Lake Forest, you would’ve never been in that coffee shop to meet Wes.”

“He’s six foot six, with all the charm of a professional athlete and that smile? Couldn’t miss him.”

“You could if you still lived in Eakins. The Chicago Cubs don’t frequent here.”

“True.” She looked down the street, lost in her thoughts.

“And now look at you, a happily married suburban housewife and mother, all because you made space to get what you deserve.”

She smiled at me. “We both did pretty well for two bartenders getting yelled at by obnoxious college kids every weekend.”

“We sure did.”

We munched on the burrata and giggled about stories, old and new, watching people be seated, enjoy their time on the patio, and then pay their checks and leave, their tables cleared and new people seated to start the process over. The hanging lights seemed to glow brighter as the sun set, and just as the conversation in our little corner began to wind down, my husband rushed over and grabbed a chair from a neighboring empty table, sitting with a huff and a smile. He smelled freshly showered, wearing a clean sage-colored T-shirt and his favorite jeans.

“You made it!” Raegan said, standing to hug him.

He stood quickly and then sat down again, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “What’d I miss?”

“Everything,” Raegan said, grinning. “Tell him,” she said, knowing it would be easier coming from me.

“Ray’s knocked up,” I blurted out.

His eyes danced between us, checking my expression more than once. Raegan had planned it perfectly. I’d had time to process so Trenton didn’t have to worry how best to comfort me. “No way, really? That’s awesome. Congrats, Ray!”

“And one more thing that I wanted to say when you got here… Wes and I want you two to be his or her godparents.”

My eyes welled with tears, and no matter how hard I tried to hold them back, they cascaded down my cheeks. I hugged myself, leaning into Trenton who squeezed me against his side. “Oh, my God, Ray. Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Trenton looked at me and I nodded, and he returned his attention to Raegan. “Hell yeah. I mean, of course. We’re honored, Raegan.”

She grabbed each of our hands. “Thank you. Wes wanted to be here, but he just couldn’t get away and I couldn’t wait.”

“Agh!” I stood.

Trenton and Raegan did, too, and the three of us hugged. “Who else would we ask but my best friend and a Maddox brother? No baby will be as loved or protected as this one.”

“Truth,” I said as she released me. I wiped the happy tears from my cheeks.

Trenton was still holding me to his side, all smiles.

Chapter Twelve

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