Page 138 of Lucky Shot
“You’d have to be the one to make the jump?” she asks, nodding like she already knows that’s true. “Would you have stayed if he asked?”
“I don’t know.” It’s a question I’ve asked myself at least a thousand times. It would be a lot to give up. I like living close to my family. I love that I’m able to watch Greer grow up and be part of her daily life. I’m close with my grandparents, who I know won’t be around forever. If I were ever to get married and have my own kids, I’d want them to have my family around too.
“You still wish he would have asked though, right?”
“Yeah.” I feel bad even admitting it. “Is that selfish?”
“No, it’s human.”
“Sometimes being human really sucks.”
She laughs, shoulders shaking with the boisterous noise that loosens something in my chest. Admitting it out loud and having her reassurance does make me feel better.
“Ooh.” She winces and presses a hand to the middle of her stomach.
“What?” I ask, concern taking hold of me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. The baby either loves or hates it when I laugh. She’s kicking the crap out of me.”
A smile spreads across my face. “Can I feel?”
She nods and moves closer. When I stretch out my hand to her bump, she guides it to the correct spot and then we wait in silence until the baby kicks again.
“That’s so weird and cool at the same time,” I tell my sister.
“It really is.”
“Hi, baby girl,” I croon to my niece. “I’m your aunt Ruby and I can’t wait to meet you so I can spoil the shit out of you.”
Olivia laughs lightly and the baby kicks a little harder.
“You’re right. Loves or hates it,” I say.
When I finally move my hand away, I look up at my sister filled with awe. “You’re remarkable.”
“Me?” She laughs then winces and rubs her belly again.
“Yeah. You’ve created this beautiful family. You’re badass at your job, and you still have time to show up for me and help me organize my life.” I wave a hand around the messy bed. “I’m supposed to be the older, wiser sister, but you are continually showing me the kind of person I want to be.”
Her eyes widen, then fill with tears, then she smiles and another small laugh escapes. “Oh my god, stop it. You’re making me cry.”
She wipes at the tears falling from her lashes.
“Sorry.” I smile back.
She waves a hand in front of her face. “Stupid pregnancy hormones.”
I pick up a dress from the clean laundry pile. I wore it the last night Nick and I went out on the boat. I wonder what he’s doing right now. Probably at home, listening to Aidan practice guitar and pretending to be annoyed with his dad.
“Okay.” Olivia swipes at a few more tears and then looks back at the suitcase with determination etched into her features. “Let’s tackle this mess before I run out of energy. I swear by eight o’clock every night I’m so tired I can’t function.”
For the next thirty minutes we work in companionable silence. Olivia folds everything and puts them into piles, and I pick out what I want to take to the convention and put the rest away in the dresser I’m using while crashing at my parents’ house.
“Last item.” Olivia hands me Nick’s jersey.
“Wow. You’re good.”
“We’re a great team. I’m organization and purpose. You’re chaos and creativity.”
