Page 133 of Mended Hearts

“But now I’m sitting here, drinking your weird stinky-sock tea, wondering if I’m about to raise a babyandbabysit a billionaire man-child prone to emotional whiplash. How does a morning start with him begging me to be okay—andendwith him proposing?Andtelling me to move in?”

“They usually go hand in hand.”

“Hardy-har-har.Focus, Mom.”

“I am focused, honey.”

“I always wanted to wait. To hold out for the kind of love you and Daddy have. Or Rhy and Brex. Even Jameson found Noel when no one expected it.”

“And none of those stories came tied up in a perfect little bow, did they? What love story have you ever read, or watched, or heard, where the path was an easy road? Life’s messy. So love is messy. The stories that matter are the ones where people choose each other. Over and over. Especially when it’s hard.Especiallywhen they’re scared. Theystay.” She gave me a look I felt in my gut. “Sounds to me like you’re not the only one who’s scared.”

“He’s not the one about to grow a human, or be poked and prodded like a science experiment.”

“No. But he is the one about to watch the woman he loves risk her life and body to bring his baby into the world. You said he panicked? I think he looked at you, saw all the ways he could lose you, and jumped before he could stop himself.”

I nodded slowly. The lump in my throat made it hard to do much else.

“Only you can listen to your instincts on something this big,” she said. “But I know you’ll figure it out.”

“Howdo you know?”

“Because you’ve never needed the world to make sense before charging in, Leighton.”

“I’m reckless.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you’re just brave. You’ve always known what you wanted, baby. Don’t stop now just because the stakes are higher.”

“What if I wasn’t supposed to conceive because I won’t be a good mom?” The words cracked free before I could stop them. “What if Ollie realized I was a mistake?”

Her face softened—but her voice turned steel. “Leighton Alexandra,” she said firmly. “You—and this baby—are not a mistake. I believe every baby comes exactly when they’re meant to. Jeanne gave me purpose when your dad was just a grunt on the boat. When I was alone in that terrible little apartment by the marina with no money to go anywhere. Rhyett balanced her out. Jameson made me laugh when I needed it most. And you and Kaia? You brought your siblings together. They all rallied around you.”

She squeezed my hand. “Maybe you and Ollie would’ve stayed too stubborn. Too loyal to Alice, to the family, to everyone else. Maybe this little miracle decided to give you a push toward the love story you didn’t even know you needed.”

I shifted, fidgeting with my phone before deciding against it and reaching for my tea instead.

Mama just smiled and stood, brushing her hands off on her dress.

“I’m all for letting men sweat when they put their feet in their mouths, but don’t make him suffer too long, okay? If you’re in—make sure he knows it.”

“How do I know what to say?”

“You’ll figure it out.” She winked. “And when all else fails… fight naked.”

* * *

By the timeChristmas Eve arrived on Thursday, my parents’ house was full to the brim. All of my siblings—except Elora (for obvious reasons) and Jeanne—had crammed into every nook and cranny. Brex and Rhyett even put a couple of them up, so we weren’t literally spilling off the furniture. Not that that would be new to any of us. Not that any of us would mind.

To my surprise, Ollie hadn’t called since Monday, and I wasn’t sure if that should make me panicked or grateful. We’d texted a few times to check in, to say we missed each other, but the metaphorical elephant? Alive and well.

I still didn’t know what I’d say if he called.

But God, I missed him. From the moment I woke up to the second I closed my eyes, I missed him. His laugh. His smile. The way he looked at his kids. The feel of his hand in mine. All of it. And the more time I had to process his steady descent into “we should get married,” the more my mother’s words began to coat his panic in soft edges instead of sharp ones.

I woke to baby Quinn’s giggles—only now amplified by the roar of chatter that meant the Rhodes house was at full capacity.

Paxton, Jameson, Rhyett, and Axel were playing some kind of cutthroat card game at the kitchen table.

Brex and Noel—Jameson’s fiancée—were curled up on the couch with coffees, a sleeping Emma, and a dog pile of Kaia and Hadlee.

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