Page 19 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
I cringed. I hated talking about that day. It was so long ago, yet whenever it came up—usually by her—I was transported back like it was happening in real-time.
Her parents decided to send her to a televised weight-loss camp to help her lose weight. I was humiliated when her parents talked mine into sending me, too. At sixteen years old, to my utter embarrassment, my failure to shed the pounds was broadcasted to the world. Even now eight years later, I felt like people were judging me for what happened, just like they had that night.
I let the irritation pricking at me replace the shame I wanted to stop dwelling on. “Whitney Ursula Grant, the world does not revolve around you, and me being upset by your comment has nothing to do with what happened when we were kids.”
She flinched as I knew she would. Whitney hated it when I used her full name. I even hated that I used it, but I knew it would shut her up about my weight. Because she was obsessed with being thin, she assumed I needed to be, too.
Ashlyn was my only friend that seemed to celebrate her curves. I wondered if she ever felt like Whitney and I did on the inside.
I sighed. “Listen, I appreciate your concern. And while I’m not a size six ...” I patted her hand in front of me. “I’m healthy. I exercise a few days a week and eat right most of the time. This is just me. And no, I’ve never blamed you for what happened.”
“Okay.” The word lingered in the air, and tears clung dramatically to her lashes. “If you say so.”
“I do,” I answered firmly. It wasn’t Whitney’s fault that I’d been kicked out of the weight-loss camp. We’d never found out who sabotaged me. Looking back now, I wished I’d waited for Whitney. She’d been called to speak in the confessional booth, to recap her win, and had told me to go on ahead and she’d meet me as soon as she was done.
She smiled. It was like I was looking at my old friend again.
The waitress brought our food, and for the rest of the meal, we chatted about what we’d been up to since we last hung out. Whitney regaled me with her dating woes and how difficult it was to find the right guy in our little state.
A pang of sadness hit me when I realized how limiting having a baby would be in the dating world. While I didn’t date much before I got pregnant, it would be far more complex with an infant. Leaving Rhode Island would allow me to start over and maybe find someone who loved me and the baby.
***
WE HAD A FEW CARS OUTin front of Bits and Bobs when I got back from lunch. Two of my sisters, Heidy and Hazel, would be inside. We each took turns running the store.
I got out of my car and stretched to ease the pain in my lower back before heading to my workshop to grab items I wanted to display in the main store. I mostly posted and sold the items I restored online, but there was an occasional person who’d come in personally to see what I had.
After adding three small items to the box I filled this morning, I made my way to the back door of Bit and Bobs. Juggling the box and opening the door was more of a challenge than it used to be. Just as I managed to reach my hand for the handle, it swung outward, missing me by an inch.
“What the hell, Hazel?” I grumbled.
“I’m so sorry, Harper. You looked like you were struggling.” She held the door open for me. Her eyes were bright, and a massive smile was plastered across her face. Hazel was typically a peppy person, but right now, she looked a little crazy.
“What is up with you today?” I asked.
The door shut behind me, and she grabbed my arm, squealing, “You won’tbelievewho just showed up here about ten minutes ago.”
“Billy?” I asked.
Hazel’s cheeks flushed at the mention of her old high school boyfriend. “No! Someone way more exciting than stupid Billy Gardiner. OrWill, as he likes to be called now,” she huffed.
I giggled.Will, huh?My big sister was definitely not over her ex, at least not as much as she’d like the rest of us to believe. “Okay, then just tell me. You look like you might burst.”
“Lincoln Erickson.” His name came out on a breathy sigh.
“You’re kidding.” What was he doing at our place? Whitney was going to freak when I told her.IfI told her.
Hazel gave me a surprised look. “I wasn’t sure if you’d even know who I was talking about.”
I shrugged. “Whitney mentioned at lunch who he was.”
Hazel grabbed my arm, almost upending the box I had. She was clearly flustered because otherwise she would have taken the box out of my hands right away. Same as Dad, my sisters thought I was fragile now that I was pregnant.
We worked our way through to the front of the store, hiding behind various items and display cases. “Are we spies now?” I teased. “Why are we hiding?”
“Shhhh, I don’t want him to know we’re staring at him.” Hazel peeked around the corner of the large shelves in front of us, then pointed at me to look around the other side of the display. She placed her finger against her mouth, reminding me to be quiet.
I rolled my eyes. My family could be so dramatic.
