Page 85 of Salvation
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” I ask, thankful my voice doesn’t betray me.
MJ thinks about it for a minute and then shakes her head, her red hair falling into her eyes. “I think people expect me to say a girl, but I really hope it’s a boy. I want to name him after my brother.”
Her eyes tell her sadness, and she gives me an embarrassed smile when she realizes I noticed. Reaching out, I gather her hand in mine and squeeze, letting her know she has no reason to be embarrassed. Not with me. Even though we weren’t good friends, I remember Langston. He had more drive than any person I know, and if he’d been given a chance, he would have done big things with his life.
“I think that would be a beautiful tribute.”
“Yeah,” she says, blinking rapidly so her tears don’t fall. “I think so, too.”
She takes her time gathering herself, and I let her, content to sit in silence with her.
With a deep breath, MJ claps her hands, pulling herself together. “Anyway, I actually came over here for something other than trauma dumping on you. Lily and I have started this thing where we send the boys off to do whatever it is they do, and we give ourselves a spa day at my house. We’d really like it if you would join us. We’d love to get to know you better.”
“Because I’m—” I stop, unsure how to form the words for what Campbell and I are doing. We aren’t dating, but we aren’t not dating either. And that’s confusing, “doing whatever I am with Campbell?”
MJ shakes her head. “No, because Lily spoke highly about you since she met you, and that’s rare for her. This invitation has nothing to do with Campbell and everything to do with you.”
Warmth spreads through my chest when I realize she’s telling the truth. “Yeah,” I say, clearing my throat so I can try again more confidently. “Yeah, I’d love to be a part of it.”
“Great,” she says, standing and reaching for my hand to squeeze it like I had hers. “I’ll get with you about a day, and we’ll figure out something that works for both of us.”
She gives my hand one more squeeze before dropping it to return to her husband, who is watching her with a drink in his hand, waiting for her to return to him. It’s sweet the way they are drawn to each other. Before she makes it to him, though, she turns her back toward me and says, “Oh, yeah. I was also supposed to tell you that Della Rae is looking for you. She’s in the kitchen.”
Without wasting another second, she spins back toward Hayes and sprints to where he is standing. She jumps into hisarms, and he catches her gently, careful of her bump. I watch as he kisses her lips and then leans down to do the same to her belly. I swallow and look away when the bitterness threatens to bubble up again.
Rising from my seat, I pick up the cup MJ brought for me, taking it with me on my search for Della Rae. My heart beats frantically as I draw closer to the house. We haven’t spoken since that day in the driveway.
The sliding glass door is already open, leading to Della Rae’s spacious kitchen. She’s at the sink washing a cup when I walk in, and when she hears me coming, she turns her head over her shoulder and smiles. It’s the same smile she gave me when she found me sneaking into Campbell’s room. Comforting. Happy. Safe.
“Hi, Ivy, I was just about to come look for you. I have something for you.”
“You do?” I ask, my brows dipping down.
Della Rae answers me with a conspiratorial wink and walks over to the cabinet beside the refrigerator. She rummages through things for a minute before pulling out a plate covered in aluminum foil. Without removing the foil, I already know what it is.
“I do. I knew you wouldn’t get any if I didn’t hide them from those boys out there. Grown men, and they still eat me out of house and home.” She chuckles. From the way Della Rae talks about them, it’s clear she’s fond of Campbell’s friends, and I’m glad because if they have her approval, it means they really are good men. “Besides, I made these special for you.”
My gaze flicks up to hers to find her staring at me softly. Tears fill my eyes when I realize she’s talking about me. I’m her girl.
“Thank you, Della Rae.”
I’m thanking her for so much more than the cookies, but the sparkle in her eyes says she already knows that.
“Anytime, sugar,” she says, handing me the plate and bopping my nose. “Take a seat, and I’ll pour us some milk to go with them.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I grin, always willing to sit and talk with her over cookies and milk.
I do as she says, carrying the plate to the table while she grabs the milk. Once we are both settled in, she wastes no time getting to business. “So, my son tells me you are no longer engaged.”
The cookie I’d just taken a bite of gets stuck in my throat as Della Rae gives me a knowing grin and takes a sip of her milk.
“Uh—no. I’m not,” I say once I finally get the cookie down.
“Good. I never thought he was good for you anyway.” She says it so matter-of-factly that I can’t stop my laughter from slipping out.
“You never even met him.”
Her eyes twinkle when she sets her cup down and looks me in the eye. “I didn’t have to. He wasn’t my son.”
