“It was my plate, Mom.”
“I don’t care.”
I laugh as the Masons continue razzing each other. Oliver wraps his arm around Siggy and kisses her cheek.
The vibe in this room is what I want in life.
My gaze falls to Rosie. Someday, little girl, I’ll find this for us.
As if she can hear my thoughts, she looks up at me. “’Mere.”
I walk over to her. “How are you doing?”
“Good. They’re loud,” Rosie says.
“Yes, they are.”
Rosie scoots around and rests the back of her head on my chest. I swipe the hair off her forehead and kiss the top of her head.
“Jaxi,” Siggy says, coming around the counter. “While they’re occupied, could I show you what we brought? Just in case you don’t want something or have questions?”
“Sure.”
“Can I come?” Rosie asks.
“You sure can,” I say, picking her up and putting her on the floor.
Rosie takes my hand immediately. It causes the breath in my chest to hold.
I normally feel really alone in situations like this. I think I stick out like a sore thumb. But having a child need me, be mine, is something that I always expected would be a joy.
I never realized just how different it would really make things.
When the house empties this evening, Rosie will be here. If Boone tells us we’re screwing up his life, Rosie and I will leave. If I find myself in another shitty apartment in the city with a douchebag of a landlord, I won’t sit alone at night while I cry into my ramen. And while I don’t know what Rosie has been through in her life, she’ll always have me.
She looks up at me and smiles.
That feels really, really nice.
The three of us walk down the hallway and into a bedroom on the right. I helped Boone carry a bunch of boxes and suitcases and totes from this room into the garage earlier. It’s a decent-sized room with a big window overlooking the driveway. Once we opened the blinds, the room was bathed in sunlight.
“That box is a toddler bed with removable rails so you can still use it as she gets older,” she says, pointing at a long box against the back wall. “There’s a dresser to match.” She moves into the room and looks around. “We got a couple of lamps and a bookcase. And books, of course. And a few stuffed animals because I wasn’t sure what she loved.”
“Is this for me?” Rosie looks up at Siggy. “Will this be where I sleep?”
Siggy kneels. “Do you like it here?”
Rosie nods.
“We wanted you to feel happy here, so we got you some fun things for your room,” Siggy tells her. “A big girl like you should have her own big girl bed.”
“I slept on the couch at my mommy’s house. Mommy and Kurt slept in the bed.”
I twist my lips and close my eyes.
“Well, now you’ll have your own bed,” Siggy says softly. “Right across the hall from Boone and Jaxi.”
My eyes fly open. Thank God Siggy isn’t looking at me.
My heartbeat races at the thought of sleeping arrangements for me. I hadn’t thought of this. Of course, I’ll sleep on the sofa, but why does Siggy think I’ll sleep with Boone? What did he tell her?
My insides wither.
“Hey, Mom,” Wade says from the doorway. “There’s a lady here from Halcyon. Ellie, I think? She said you have an order of children’s clothes that she’s delivering, and I don’t know what to tell her.”
Siggy stands. “Ah, yes. I’ll take care of that.” She slips out the door, her heels clicking on the tile down the hallway.
Wade turns to follow her. Rosie lunges forward.
“Can I see your watch?” she asks him.
He looks at me, his brow furrowed. “Sure.” He stretches his arm out for Rosie. She touches the face. “I like it.”
“Thanks,” he says.
He pulls his arm back. “I’m Wade.”
“I’m Rosie.” Rosie steps toward him.
He looks down at her like a caged animal. She smiles up and moves right along with him.
“Well, okay then …” Wade tries to sidestep her and fails.
“Okay then,” Rosie repeats, sticking right with him.
Wade backs out into the hall, looking at me warily. I just laugh.
“Hey,” Rosie says to him.
“Um, hey, what?” Wade says back.
“Do you like dogs?”
“I guess.”
“I like dogs,” she says as they disappear from my sight.
The moment I’m alone, the adrenaline from meeting everyone is stripped from me. My body aches with stress, and suddenly, the weight of the past few days sits ripely on my heart.
I run a hand down my face as I try to talk myself down from the proverbial ledge.
This is going to be fine. You can trust them. Take things one day at a time.
I walk to the window and look outside. The afternoon is bright and sunny. Children play on the sidewalk. Beautiful houses and fabulous cars line the street.