Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“He’ll love that.” Especially since I would be cutting into my free time with him by working this job.
“Good. It’s settled then. You can be my new mommy’s assistant, right, bubba?” she asked, petting his big head.
“Come on, Tuna,” I called, patting my leg. “Wanna take a ride in the car?” I asked, using one of his favorite words. “And get a pup cup?”
That had him looking at me.
“And a cookie?” I added.
Finally, he bounced off the couch.
“Sure. Sure. Trade us for some whipped cream and a treat,” Willa said, giving him a smile. “See you tomorrow,” she added to me as I hooked his leash to his collar.
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
There was no reason I should have been so excited about a demo job.
But there was an anticipation thrumming in my veins as I walked to my van.
It followed me through the rest of my day.
And when I woke up the next morning?
Yep, it was just stronger.
CHAPTER FIVE
Willa
“Well, I hated that,” I told Adelaide as I clipped her car seat into its cradle. She hadn’t exactly enjoyed it, either, no matter how many times she was oohed and aahed over. “But I only have one more of these to deal with. You have lots of check-ups in your future. I know,” I agreed when she whimpered. “Oh, you have big feelings about it.”
With a little sigh, I gave up my hopes of being able to get moving and climbed in the back seat with her, locking the doors, then freeing her from her car seat and pressing her to my chest, hoping a feeding would keep her calm enough that I could run an errand or two.
Now that I was out, I wasn’t sure why I’d been putting it off. It felt good. Normal. I felt more like a human being again, the invasive exam aside.
Sure, an argument could be made for the fact that Adelaide was a… demanding baby. Long trips out with her would likely be overwhelming for her, stressful for me, and mildly annoying to anyone around who had to listen to her scream. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t head out for an occasional cup of (decaf, ugh) coffee. Or grab some essentials instead of ordering them. Hell, even just drive around and listen to music.
“Right? We don’t have to be complete shut-ins, do we?”
Suddenly, I could see ourselves a few months from now when I wasn’t as worried about germs and her immunity, when it was a little warmer out, and we could get all pretty and go out shopping or for brunches, to walk around the local park to look at the koi ponds, or the farm to look at all the animals.
When I first learned I was going at this parenting thing solo, I’d worried that my world would constrict, would force my whole life to revolve around my house.
Looking back, that was just the depression and anxiety working hand-in-hand to make me think that the life I loved was over.
It wasn’t.
It had just gained a little sidekick to be there with me.
There were plenty of moms who still went out, had a social life, and traveled, just with their kid in tow. Which, I decided, was even more amazing because you got to see all these new things through their fresh eyes.
“I’m going to give you the world, baby girl,” I told her as I shifted her up onto my shoulder to burp her. “We just have to learn to navigate this all together, right?”
Milk-drunk, I managed to get Adelaide back into her carrier and strapped in. She didn’t even stir when I closed the doors and turned the car over.
From there, I placed two orders for pick-up, then drove for a few blissful moments, just soaking up the town I loved so much, soaking up the memories associated with all the places.
Including the coffee shop my cousins and I frequented, where I parked on the corner and called.
“She’s Bean Around,” the woman answered.
“Hey, Jazzy, it’s Willa. I placed an order on the app. Is there any chance you can run it out to me?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“If you have a precious little baby I can make stupid faces at.”
“I do.”
“Then I will be right out.”
“Thanks, Jazz.”
That was another perk of a town you’d lived in all your life, with places you’d gone to often enough to be known. People went above and beyond for you.
A couple of minutes later, Jazzy burst out the door with her tanned skin and lilac hair.
I’d only ordered two coffees.
But she’d brought a pastry box out with her too.
“Don’t worry,” she said as she hopped in the backseat. “I’m not going to touch her. This is a ‘look only’ visit.”
She passed the coffees and box up to me before leaning over to look in the car seat. “Oh, Willa. She’s a little angel.”