Page 58 of In Her Shadow

“Yeah, I felt it.” I laugh, feeling tears prickle my eyes at the same time.

“I told you she likes it when you touch her; knowing her daddy’s close makes her feel safe.” Her words make my chest warm as I stare back at the beautifully formed bump I’m cradling in my hands, and wait to feel my little girl again.

ELOISE

ELEVEN WEEKS LATER

“Look at you, baby mama.” Katelyn comes bursting into the living room, immediately rubbing her hand over the giant orb that's now my stomach.

“Katelyn.” Ren looks up from his laptop to acknowledge her.

“Ren, always a pleasure.” She smiles back at him sarcastically as she wriggles her ass between us on the couch.

“It was like trying to break out of jail, getting in here…Where’s Uncle Fester?” She looks around the room as if she expects to see him.

“Probably in his office,” I answer, curious as to why she would care. Stefan may be an attractive older man, but he’s way older than she is.

“You should have said you were coming; I could have told them at the gate to expect you, and Mary could have prepared us something for lunch,” I explain, shifting myself into a more comfortable position.

“Can you hear yourself right now? How is this your life?” Katelyn laughs, and when I think about how fast I’ve adapted to having housestaff and security, I’m actually a little ashamed ofmyself. “Forget all that. I’ve come here to discuss something very important… Your baby shower.” She pats my leg before reaching into her oversized handbag and pulling out a folder.

“I don’t think I’m gonna have one,” I tell her, watching her face turn to disappointed shock.

“And why not?”

“It just seems like a whole lot of fuss, and I’m just happy with how things are.”

“Ren, are you hearing this?” She turns her head to him, hoping for some backup.

“I’m hearing it, Katelyn.” He says in a monotone voice, continuing to go through his emails. Just lately, he’s taken a lot of responsibility off his uncle's shoulders, and I’m not sure if Stefan is happy about giving up the control.

“Tell her she needs to have a shower.” Katelyn nudges him.

“A what?” He looks up from his screen.

“Sorry, I forgot I was talking to someone who has no sense of boundaries. A shower is a party, something you getinvitedto.” She speaks slowly.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” I warn her, Ren takes a lot of Katelyn’s shit because he knows how important she is to me, but one of these days I know he’s going to snap.

“He knows I’m just messing with him.” She nudges him again, and when he leans his head forward to look at me, I know that snap is getting close to coming.

“Ren, a shower is a party, one where we celebrate this journey.” Katelyn uses her palm to wave the air around my tummy, though the way her nose screws up tells me she doesn’t see the appeal in it. “People bring gifts. We play games, and I spend lots of your money to ensure the photographs are Insta-worthy,” she tells him brightly.

“Insta what?” Ren frowns at her, looking even more confused.

“Never mind, just let the godmother take care of it.” She turns her focus back to me.

“So, color themes. We could go with pink, but right now the color of the season is?—”

“I don’t want a shower,” I interrupt her, wondering where all this has come from.

“Give me one good reason why not?” she pouts.

“Because who would come? You're my only friend in the world.” I may laugh at how pathetic it is, but I'm not ashamed. Katelyn may be a little in your face and not have much of a filter, but she’s not once, in my life, let me down.

“That's not true, what about that woman who sits beside you at work and the receptionist who fancies Ren?”

Ren takes another glance away from his laptop to let me know how disturbed he is by that.

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