Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I follow Sophia to the spare bedroom and sit down on the bed while she goes to her room to grab me some clothes. Fifteen minutes later, I’ve changed, burrowed under the covers, and am drifting off to sleep.
My hands are full of gifts for my baby niece as I step into the inn. The familiar smells of Alice’s pies hit me as soon as I walk in. There’s a girl at the counter whom I’ve never met, which makes me sad. I feel so disconnected, even though I talk and text with my sisters every day. I visit as often as I can, but today feels different.
I’m home.
I don’t know how long I’m staying, or what happens next, but stepping inside the inn, a place that harbors so many great memories, and some painful ones, it feels right. In my heart and in my gut, I know that I made the right choice walking away from New York and everything there that I left behind.
“Hi, are you here for the shower?” the girl greets me.
“Hi, I’m Baylor.” I smile at her. “This is my best friend, Sophia.” I nod to Sophia, who is standing next to me with a much smaller load of gifts in her hands. I can’t help it. This is my first niece, so I went a little overboard.
“Oh! The New York sister. I’m Kara. It’s so nice to meet you. Everyone is in there.” She points to the double doors that close off the dining area. The doors are never shut, but it makes sense because this is a surprise baby shower, after all.
It hurts my heart that I’m the “New York sister.” There was a time I longed for that, but somewhere along the way, that’s changed. Maybe I’m the one who’s changed. Who knows, but I hate that I’m the “New York sister.” When I graduated from college and headed off into the unknown, that would have made me smile. Now, it just makes me sad. “Thank you, Kara. It’s nice to meet you.” I give her a finger wave and a smile because my hands are full, and that’s all that I can manage.
As soon as I open the door, I hear a screech. I look up to see my baby sister, Courtlynn, rushing toward me. Her smile lights up the room, and when I hear “Baylor,” I know it’s Leighton, my second youngest sister. I barely have time to place the gift bags on the floor before they’re both wrapping their arms around me in a hug.
“I missed you so much,” Leighton says, pulling away first and wiping under her eyes.
“You need to come home more. In fact, just move home. Todd can deal,” Courtlynn tells me, as she also pulls out of our embrace and wipes at her cheeks.
I laugh off her words, not wanting to get into everything right now. “I missed you both so much. This place looks great,” I tell them, taking in all the decorations.
“Thanks. Copeland’s mom, sister-in-law, and niece helped, as did Kinzie,” Leighton explains. “It was a group effort.”
“Ellie is going to love it,” I tell them.
“Copeland said they’re on their way,” Kinzie calls out. She saunters over to me and gives me a big hug. “Missed you, Bay.”
“Missed you, too,” I tell her, before rushing to take my gifts to the gift table. Sophia and I drop off our packages, and then I stand and wait for Ellison and Copeland to walk through the door.
I shift from one foot to the next, anxious to see my sister. The last time I was home was for her wedding, and I missed her. I haven’t been here for most of her pregnancy, and that’s been tough. We’re all so close, and I’ve been skipping out on being an active, present part of their lives. Not because I wanted to, but because of the distance I put between us when I ran off to New York to chase a dream I can’t even remember these days.
The door opens, and we all yell, “Surprise!”
Ellison freezes, and I watch as Copeland steps up behind her, gripping her hips to steady her. “What?” she asks, and I can hear the emotion in her voice.
Mary, Copeland’s mom, steps away from the crowd and makes her way toward them. “It’s your baby shower,” she tells Ellison, pulling her into a hug.
“Yeah, so get your behind in here!” I call out.
Ellison gasps. “Bay?” she asks, her voice cracking.
“Bring it in, big sister.” I race over to give her a hug. “Look at you.” I pull back and place my hands on her baby bump. “It’s just not the same seeing you through the phone screen. You’re glowing, Ellie.” My eyes well with tears.
“It’s so good to see you,” Ellison says, tugging me close and embracing me tightly. “It’s been ages since the wedding. That’s too long, Bay.” She sniffs and wipes her tears away.