Page 59 of The One

“Ben thinks it’s funny to say that now. That’s why he’s laughing. What do you really think of your baby sister, Ben?”

“Excited,” Ben said. “But no dolls.”

She laughed. “That’s cute.”

“We’re making progress.”

“Speaking of progress,” Gillian said. She might as well help her mother out. “After the holiday, what do you think about that baby shower? Or did your mother already start to plan it?”

“She did,” Whitney said. “She was going to talk to you guys after the holidays. I don’t want anything too big. I mean it could get out of hand with the number of people I know and the working relationships we’ve got.”

“You should have what you want,” she said. She was starting to feel that way about her life finally.

“I should,” Whitney said. “And I want pizza and you’re deflecting. I want to talk about your new man.”

So much for that tactic. “Not much to say.”

“Didn’t I hear that he was wonderful and fabulous or something like that?” Whitney asked, winking.

“You did. He makes me so happy. We talk. Like adults. I know what is going on in his life and he knows what is going on with mine.”

“That’s great,” her mother said. “You mentioned you were going to stay at his house next month and watch his dog. You don’t think that is pushing things too fast again?”

“Leslie,” Whitney said. “I would have had Trey move in after a month. I think it’s different when you’re older. I never said anything to Trey because I felt we had to go slow after the way things ended before. But what I learned was that being older you know what you want more. You’re not afraid to voice it and put it out there right away. I get the feeling Gillian has done that, right?”

God, she loved her sister-in-law. “Where have you been in my life for the past several years?” she asked, laughing. “Yes to all those things. We aren’t rushing, but we talk. Staying one night to watch George isn’t much. I’m there overnight all the time now.”

Her mother lifted an eyebrow. “All the time?”

“On the weekends. Just Saturday. But he asked me to keep some clothes there with the weather changing. I go one night during the week but don’t normally stay. I might stay tomorrow and Saturday though.”

“You do what makes you happy, Gillian. Not what everyone else thinks.”

“I’m trying,” she said. “I am.”

“Then that is all anyone can ask for,” her mother said. “So let’s turn to Christmas. Are you going to spend it with Rick?”

“We haven’t talked about it specifically yet. I think it’s going to depend on what Robin and Brian are doing and when. Rick mentioned that his parents would come to Colonie rather than them going to Glens Falls. I guess that happened last year too so that Robin wasn’t traveling with the baby.”

“Trey is off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year,” Whitney said. “I’ll find out what is going on with Ryan and Shannon. I think I heard Dylan had to work Christmas Day so they might be doing Christmas Eve then, which would have me doing Christmas Day at my house and having Zoe come too.”

Zoe Randal was Shannon’s sister and was married to Dylan who was a state trooper. Not only that, but Zoe worked for Whitney at Butler Construction so it was family in more ways than one.

“I’m open for whatever,” Gillian said. “I’m sure Rick and I will spend time together, but it doesn’t mean we will do it at each other’s houses.”

She wanted to but wasn’t going to push that. Not because her mother told her not to rush but because in the past that was always an argument between her and Mike.

He wanted to spend more time with his family than hers even though she was willing to split it evenly. She gave in more when she shouldn’t have. Just like so many other things in her life.

This was going back to her not giving in and doing things on her own then.

She wasn’t giving up time with her family anymore if someone she was with couldn’t compromise.

“Something tells me we’ll see him at some point,” Whitney said. “He seems pretty laid back.”

“He is,” she said. “It’s nice to be with someone like that.”

“Did he care you were here tonight?” her mother asked.

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