Page 88 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

One month into the marriage, she discovered she was pregnant. And even though it was unexpected, the thought of a baby made her happy. She revealed the news to Gavin over a quiet dinner in their apartment.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted as he pushed his plate back.

He stared at her for a long moment before he smoothed her hair from her face. “Babe... Are you feeling okay?”

“Just a little fatigued sometimes.”

“I thought you were dragging a bit.” He stared into her eyes, his gaze growing intense.

Please be okay with this. Please don’t be mad.

Finally he gave a slow nod, and his lips turned up at the corners. “All right then. I guess we’re going to be parents.”

Laurel studied his face, attempting to see beyond the joyful expression to any resentment he might be burying. “You’re not mad?”

He leaned forward and set the gentlest of kisses on her lips. “How could I be mad, Jenkins? You’re carrying our baby.”

The coming weeks were full of work and laughter and newlywed excitement. On weekends they stayed up too late watching movies, soaking in the hot tub, and making love in their queen-size bed. He often set his hand on her growing stomach, dreamed with her about their future, and got in mock arguments about ridiculous baby names.

But slowly, small issues creeped up. Gavin seemed to expect her to handle all the home-related chores even though she worked outside the home too. He didn’t cook at all and she wasn’t much of one either, so they ate takeout until they grew tired of it. The division of chores was a sore point with Laurel, but something prevented her from complaining. Instead she took the inequity with the grace of a martyr.

“You have to talk to him, Laurel,” Mallory had said one day when they were visiting in Riverbend on a weekend. “It’s not fair for him to put all the chores on you.”

“I don’t really mind. He does work more hours than I do.”

“You do mind. And he can’t fix it unless he knows something’s wrong.”

“It’s how he was raised—his mom did all the household chores and his dad took care of the exterior stuff.” Besides, she shouldn’t complain. She had a safe, warm home and all the food she could eat.

“You live in an apartment—there is no exterior stuff!”

“I’m kind of enjoying cooking now anyway—I’ve started growing my own herbs and experimenting with them.”

But Mallory was right. Laurel needed to say something. So she began dropping hints. And when Gavin didn’t pick up on those hints, she grew more frustrated. She should be more direct, but the thought of conflict filled her with fear.

Everything else was great. Gavin took such good care of her in other ways: bringing flowers home regularly, drawing her a bath after a long day, telling her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. She shouldn’t make waves.

As spring bled into summer and the days grew longer, his work hours increased. He got a promotion and suddenly most nights there was nobody to cook for. Most nights Laurel made do with cereal suppers. She got off at five, and Gavin didn’t come home till dark, around nine o’clock—she had plenty of time for laundry and grocery shopping now.

Each night the hours between supper and his return stretched ahead like a runway. And when he finally did come home, he was too exhausted to join her in the hot tub or draw her a bath. He wanted a shower and bed.

Laurel tried to tell herself he was just tired. That he was as goal focused as she was and trying to make a path for himself at Burgundy Construction. But those excuses felt empty during the long evening hours. She felt soalone.

None of her college friends lived in Asheville anymore, and being the boss at work hadn’t endeared her to her coworkers who were mostly high schoolers anyway.

It would get better in the fall when the days grew shorter again.

But as September eased by, Gavin continued coming homearound nine even though it was dark much earlier. Paperwork at the office, he’d said.

Was there a woman at work? He’d mentioned a couple of female coworkers, but Laurel had yet to meet anyone from the office.

So one night she surprised him with supper. He was alone in the office and, just as he’d said, doing paperwork at his desk. He welcomed her with a beaming smile, but as soon as they’d consumed the roast beef sandwiches, she could tell he was eager to get back to work. So she left.

She tried bringing him supper a few more times but eventually she stopped. She must be lacking in some way. Did he find her boring now? Was he falling out of love with her? He still sent flowers and said she was beautiful. Still professed his love and enjoyed the little kicks coming from her womb.

It would get better after the baby arrived.

Late in the fall Jesse Lee Robinson was born in the middle of the night after a twelve-hour labor, and it was love at first sight for Laurel. Gavin, too, seemed spellbound by that little red, wrinkled face and cap of dark-brown hair.

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