Page 117 of The One for Me
“No need to thank me, sweetheart. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see you smile.”
* * *
“It’s so romantic,” Syd says as she clasps her hands to her chest.
“Connor and I haven’t gone anywhere. We didn’t even get a honeymoon.”
I look at Ellie with a brow raised. “You were pregnant.”
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to be whisked away.”
I laugh and pop another cookie into my mouth.
Syd shrugs. “I didn’t get one either. But we got married in city hall with no one even aware of it. And, truly, I was already swollen and uncomfortable.”
“Well, this isn’t a honeymoon,” I remind them.
It’s a trip. A vacation with an ulterior motive, but . . . I’m not going to look the gift horse in the mouth.
“Could be . . .”
I glare at Syd. “It’s not. It’s . . .”
“It’s Christmas.” Ellie nudges me. “Magical things happen around this time of year. I know you’re fighting it, but can you honestly say you don’t want to find a way?”
Of all the people in this town, I thought she would be the one on my side. “You have a child who is about the same age as Austin. How would you handle it?”
Ellie lifts Bethanne in her arms a bit higher and pats her butt. “I would follow my heart.”
Yeah, that’s super easy to do.
I tell her. “My heart doesn’t give Austin stability.”
“He needs love too,” she adds on.
“I love him.”
Syd’s hand rests on my arm. “No one is saying you don’t. You also love Sean, and Sean loves you and Austin. There’s no break in the chain. I’m not telling you to move there, I’m just telling you to think of what you stand to lose if you don’t.”
I lean back, grabbing another cookie and stuffing my mouth with it. All of this is so hard. I feel as though I’m sacrificing Austin’s security just to be happy—again.
He may never know that I’m his birth mother, and I’ve accepted that, but I never want him to question my devotion to him.
Ellie clears her throat. “Anyway, let’s talk about now. No need to get ahead of ourselves.”
The porch door swings open. “Well, if this isn’t the prettiest group of women ever assembled.”
“Jacob!” Syd yells and rushes forward. “You made it! I was so worried.”
“Please, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m a superhero.”
I get to my feet. “Or a super idiot.”
He grins. “That too.” Jacob’s flight was delayed, and we weren’t sure that he’d make it in, but I’m so glad he did. He pulls me to his chest and squeezes. “I’m so sorry about your brother, Shrimpy. I didn’t know Jasper all that well, but what I did know, I respected.”
I hold him a bit tighter. “Thanks, Jacob.”
“Any time.”
