Page 123 of Pregnant in Plaid
Getting everything into the truck takes twenty minutes and strategic Tetris-level packing. The furniture boxes are strapped down in the bed. The smaller items fill the cab until there's barely room for us to sit.
"This seemed more manageable in the store," Gage says.
"Everything seems manageable until you're actually doing it."
We drive back to Ashwood Falls in silence, both of us processing what we've just done. When we pull up to my cabin, Tessa's truck is there. She and Patrice must have come back from the hospital.
Perfect. Witnesses to our shopping disaster.
Tessa appears on the porch, takes one look at the truck, and starts laughing.
"Oh my god. What did you do?"
"We went shopping," I say defensively.
"Shopping? You went to war with a baby store and lost."
Patrice joins her on the porch. Her eyes widen as she sees the overflowing truck. "Trace. How much did you buy?"
"Everything on your list."
"My list was a suggestion, not a mandate."
"You said Brooklyn needs things!"
"Not all the things in the entire store!"
Gage climbs out of the truck. "In our defense, we didn't know what she'd like, so we got options."
"Options?" Patrice's voice climbs an octave. "How many bottles did you buy?"
"Twenty."
"Twenty bottles? She only has one mouth!"
"Different styles!" I protest. "Different nipple flows! The sales lady said?—"
"The sales lady saw two panicked men and went for commission," Tessa interrupts, still laughing. "This is amazing. Gage, help me unload this disaster."
It takes an hour to get everything inside. The cabin living room looks like a Baby World warehouse exploded. Boxes everywhere. Bags of tiny clothes. Bottles lined up on the counter like we're running a dairy operation.
Patrice just stands in the middle of it all, hands on her hips. "We're never going to use all this."
"Returns?" I suggest hopefully.
"Most of it's opened. You two are keeping it." But she's smiling. Actually smiling. "Although I appreciate the enthusiasm. And the panic buying."
"We tried our best," Gage says.
"You tried something," Tessa agrees. "Not sure it was your best."
After the women leave to go back to the hospital for evening visiting hours, Gage and I stare at the pile of unassembled furniture in my living room.
"We should probably put this together," I say.
"Now?"
"Brooklyn comes home in a few days. She needs somewhere to sleep."
