Page 33 of Wylder Ranch
Haven’s brows shoot up again. “Her room?”
“You both have one, but you can use them as you want,” I blurt. “I didn’t know how much you brought with you.”
“A bag.” She laughs, and once again, I feel like an idiot.
I don’t tell her I know my mother will be around with an entire wardrobe of clothes for Everly as soon as she can. In fact, I’m surprised she’s not already here, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Leading her up the stairs, I take her to the first room on the left. It looks directly out onto the back garden and the fields beyond. Now that the trees are bare of leaves, the church is visible, but once spring arrives, you can barely see the steeple.
The bells are still loud enough to wake the dead, however, whatever the season.
“This is you. It’s the room Clementine calls girly, so I thought you’d like it.” I laugh awkwardly while Haven slowly walks around the room, running her fingers along the white cotton duvet of the king-sized bed, the chaise lounge, and the cot for Everly.
The room suits her. Which is such a stupid thought, but it does. It’s not flowery and there’s no pink, but the pale green walls and white borders give me a sense of calm I’ve always liked. There’s a softness to it, just like Haven.
Truthfully, I had nothing to do with the decoratingof this house. My mother’s interior designer attempted to wow me with fabric and paint swatches, along with wallpaper samples, which I had no interest in. And when I failed to elicit the level of enthusiasm she was looking for, my sister took over after I left the country on a business trip.
Could have been a lot worse, I say.
“Alex, this is beautiful. Thank you. . . and a crib. I’ll enjoy having a bed to myself again.” She smiles and sits on the chaise lounge.
“Um. . .” I point at another door. “Actually, there’s an adjoining bathroom, which goes through to Everly’s room.”
“Oh, okay.” Haven stands, and we walk through.
This morning, this bathroom was bare, but now it’s filled with tiny baby soaps lined in a row that Clementine brought over earlier, stacked pink washcloths, and a little towel that will make Everly look like a bunny rabbit.
But it’s her room that’s seen the biggest change. I haven’t been here since James’s team was emptying it earlier, and it feels so much bigger now that it’s not filled with workers.
Gone is the king-sized bed, replaced with a large cot over which hangs a mobile of baby animals. There’s a changing table filled with nappies, wipes, and baby creams, again courtesy of my sister, along with a sofa covered in a dozen cushions all in varying shades of pink.
The bookshelf is stacked with books, and next to it sits a large rocking chair. It all reminds me of Max’s nursery at Burlington when he was a baby. I remember when Hendricks first told us his girlfriend was pregnant, showing us the sonogram photos and how nervous he was. Those sonogram pictures still hang in a frame onMax’s bedroom wall.
Out of nowhere, my throat tightens. Seeing everything like this, I realize how much I’ve missed out on.
I have to work to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t have time to get it decorated or anything, but I rush ordered what I could.” I offer a casual shrug and watch the giant stuffed panda flop over in the corner. “And stole anything from Max he’d outgrown,” I add with a laugh, but Haven’s not laughing.
If anything, her expression is one of disbelief.
“Alex, it’s incredible. Thank you.”
“It’s a quick fix. We can find something more permanent when we have time.”
“No, this is more than enough.”
Everly’s still fussing when Haven crosses to the rocking chair and eases into it. The other day, when she fed her, she was covered in a massive jumper, and it wasn’t so obvious, but not today. I know nothing about breastfeeding except that it’s private.
I spin around and thumb toward the door. “I can. . .”
Everly’s cries become louder until the room is silent again, except for the sound of her hungry eating. I’m almost at the door when Haven calls out.
“No, it’s okay. You don’t need to leave.”
Awkwardly shuffling on my feet because I don’t want to overcrowd her, I take a seat on the sofa. I don’t want Haven to feel like I’m staring, but I also can’t take my eyes away as I revel in the moment and the past ninety-six hours. How much has changed. How muchIhave changed.
There’s a new Burlington.
“I haven’t asked. What’s Everly’s full name? Or is itjust Everly?”
