Page 94 of You Were Invited
“I’m happy for you. That’s all I’ll say.”
Annie bit her lip and smiled. “Thanks.”
Peter nodded and smiled back.
When they entered her room, Molly lit up.
“Hi, it’s so good to see you,” Annie said, leaning over the bed and gingerly hugging Molly. “Beautiful mama.”
“I’m a mess!” Molly cried with a laugh.
Annie kissed her friend’s head before she sat down on the bed. She did her best to ignore the various beeps and boops from the machinery Molly was hooked up to. “You just learned you’re having a baby! You’re just fine.”
Peter sat down at Molly’s elbow and held his wife’s hand. “The news sorta hit us like a ton of bricks, but we couldn’t be happier.”
Even though they were war torn and wearied, they were glowing. Radiant. They’d finally received another chance at the precious gift they’d wanted for so long. After all they’d been through, they deserved every minute of joy.
Annie felt her lip tremble.
“I’m so excited for you guys.”
“Time to get into nesting mode again,” Peter chuckled.
Annie winced slightly. Her friends needed all their space to themselves.
Molly touched Annie’s arm. “I know this is a bit of a surprise…”
“It’s okay. Not a total surprise. You have been trying, after all, and it was inevitable.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve got my eye on an apartment.” She hadn’t quite picked one out specifically, but the time to choose was now. Procrastination would only make adjusting to her new life harder.
“I assume you and Julian are okay with the distance,” Peter remarked, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ll be locked into a lease.”
And Julian owns his house. And his whole life is in Northgold…Annie thought. Julianhadsigned on for long-distance.But with his dad getting out soon…?The little thought teased, but she immediately dismissed it.He shouldn’t run away from his problems. He’s worked hard for what he has in Northgold.
“You can rent the cabin,” Molly blurted, glancing up at Peter.
“Rent?” He thought for a moment. “Yeah, of course.”
Annie blinked. “I can’t justtakeyour cabin.”
Molly smiled. “We’ve tossed the idea around a little before now. You should be close to Julian.”
“I don’t know how much traveling we’ll be up for this summer anyways,” Peter agreed.
Annie worried her hands, thinking of how rough Molly’s first trimester might be. “But won’t you need my help?”
“Petey will be so incredibly, disgustingly doting that it’ll make me sick. We’ve got plenty of hands from happy, anxious grandparents.”
After the miscarriage, Annie had promised herself that she’d stick by her friends, rooting them on every minute of their journey, regardless of how hard it would be. Did they really not need her after all?
Peter said, “Annie, you’re not leaving us forever.”
Molly nodded sleepily. The dark circles under her eyes grew more pronounced. “I know distant communication doesn’t replace in-person visits… but the last thing I want is for you to either be my live-in nurse, or depressed in an apartment alone. You’ve cooked. You’ve cleaned. You helped me not go stir-crazy this year.” Molly laughed to herself. “My well-being isn’t your responsibility, but you’ve earned every bit of a bright future.”
Of course, Annie wanted to stay near her friends, but Molly’s points were undeniable. Her life was her own, and she needed nobody’s permission to live it. Nobody chaining her to their ankle. Nobody sowing chaos and doubt.
“You’d be watching the cabin for us,” Peter said, breaking into her thoughts. “It’d be a big favor.”
The corners of Annie’s mouth turned up. “You’re sure–”
