Page 158 of Not Another Yesterday
“I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, it’s okay, Ran. I’m sorry for bringing it up.” He sounds sincere. “I don’t want to upset you.”
“You’re not upsetting me, Dad. It’s…” I rake my hand through my hair. “Ugh. I don’t know. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“No problem,” he says gently.
We fall silent again. And just eat.
When we finish eating, my dad pays for the food and we climb back into the SUV to continue the drive to Camden. We talk only occasionally, the conversations light and forgettable. I try to close my eyes again, but I’m too restless now. The closer we get, the more tightly wound I feel.
“So, it looks like he owns a building supply store in town,” my dad says as we drive through downtown Camden. “I figured we’d check there first. A little more inconspicuous than sitting outside someone’s house for hours,” he adds with a chuckle.
“Probably,” I say, but my voice is tight. The nerves are pressing in on me now.
Camden’s a nice town, from what I can tell. Actually, “nice” probably doesn’t do it justice. It’s pretty. Picture-perfect, even. There’s that small-town postcard vibe: people walking along the sidewalks, popping into cafés and shops, enjoying the warm weather and the sunshine. It’s pleasant, but not stifling like back in the city. We’re already melting in New York, and I thank Shane every damn day that he had the good sense to find us an apartment with actual A/C instead of just cheap coolers. Total lifesaver.
The streets are lined with storefronts—flower shops, bakeries, boutiques. I focus on them as we drive, trying to anchor myself to the details instead of the pressure cinching my throat shut.
“How’s Cat doing?” my dad asks, clearly trying to make conversation. Maybe distract me.
I turn to look at him. “Pretty good. She’s getting some of her energy back. She was completely wiped for a while, but she’s been feeling a little better lately.”
He nods. “Penny was the same way during her first trimester. The second one was easier. But the third…” he chuckles. “That felt like it lasted nine months all on its own. Especially for her.”
“I bet,” I murmur. “I have to admit, I never really thought much about what women actually go through during pregnancy. But then Cat started telling me about the symptoms, and now, just watching her deal with all of it…”
“They’re pretty badass,” my dad says, nodding.
“Yeah. And she does it all looking fucking stunning,” I say without hesitation.
He smiles. “You really love her, huh?”
“Love isn’t a strong enough word,” I say. “Worship is probably more accurate.”
He chuckles. “Sounds about right. When’s her next doctor’s appointment?”
“Thursday.” I glance out the window again, but I’m not really seeing anything now. “I still can’t believe we’re having a baby,” I say,shaking my head. “It’s so damn surreal. I honestly thought she was joking when she first told me. Ihopedshe was… but then I looked at her face… and I justknewshe wasn’t.”
I can still picture that exact moment. Her wide eyes. The way her voice trembled just slightly. The way everything shifted in an instant. “Talk about an oh-shit moment,” I mumble.
“I know what that feels like,” my dad says with a nod, his expression tightening.
Just then, he slows the car and eases into a parking spot across the street from what looks like a hardware store.
“Alright,” he says, peering out the driver’s side window, “that’s the place.”
I unbuckle and lean forward to get a better look. The store sits at the corner, front painted a dark navy blue. The black door has a small glass pane with anOpensign dangling in the center. It’s nothing flashy. Just another neighborhood supply store.
But my pulse starts pounding anyway.
“So, what do we do?” I ask him.
“Reconnaissance,” my dad says, eyes still trained on the building.
“I’m sorry, what?”
He chuckles. “We observe and surveil to obtain information.”
