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His eyes drop to my chest. “She prefers to drink from the source.”
I laugh loudly, and Esther takes that as her cue to get back to the dishwasher. “Like her daddy,” I say, going to him, reaching up and kissing his rough chin. “Mummy has business to see to.” What a novelty. Me seeing to business and not Danny. Legal business. I push the bottle into his limp hand and kiss Maggie’s head. “There’s more in the fridge.” Plenty, because it seems I’ve turned into a cow. “Have a lovely day.” I leave them in the kitchen.
“You’re taking Tank.”
“Standard,” I sigh, climbing the stairs. No danger, no enemies, at least none on the hunt for us, and yet I still have to take a Viking. If I wasn’t so fond of Tank, I’d complain, but he’s good company and, actually, a really useful carrier of bags.
“Rose, come on,” Danny pleads, coming after me.
“What are you so worried about?”
“I’m not worried.”
“You don’t think you can do it?” I know he can do it.
“Of course I can do it.”
I turn at the top of the stairs and face him. I don’t like his filthy look. It’s a look of defense. “Is there a problem?” I ask, head tilted, eyes lasers on him. Or something he’s not telling me?
“There’s no problem.”
“You seem a bit too worried about me, considering all the enemies are dead.”
“I’ll never stop worrying about you.”
I smile mildly. “I’ll see you both later.” Leaving Danny behind, I go to our room and take a shower. And it’s glorious. What’s not so glorious is how overgrown I am. Everywhere. I rinse the conditioner out of my hair and brush the water out of my face, dreading the thought of letting anyone near me with wax strips. God damn my husband. I step out of the stall and reach for my cell on the vanity, calling Beau.
“Why does Danny look like he wants to kill?” she asks when she answers.
“Oh, he does?” I say, smiling to myself. “I’ve missed that look on him.”
She chuckles. “Where are you?”
“In the shower.” It’s a long shot—I know my husband is passionate about it, but I’m desperate. “Do you have a razor?” Silence. It’s probably unreasonable of me, but I roll my eyes. “So I can shave,” I go on. I can’t even be annoyed that I need to explain. Because why else would I want a razor? “I don’t think I can face waxing.”
“Danny banned all razors from the house,” Beau reminds me, as if I need fucking reminding. The men around here go to the salon for trims and tidies more than the women.
This is my best friend. Breaker of rules. “I know he banned them. That wasn’t my question.” I look down at my puckering skin. Cold. “My question was, do you have one?” Beau doesn’t get waxed, I know that for certain, and I’m hedging my bets that she doesn’t use hair removal cream, so?—
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
She hangs up and I get back under the hot spray, soaping myself down—gritting my teeth while on my boobs.
“If he asks, this was nothing to do with me.” Beau appears, holding out a Gillette Venus.
“Thank you,” I gasp, plucking it out of her fingers. “You might need a new blade once I’ve finished cutting through this hedge.” I look down, wondering where the hell to start.
Beau laughs and sits on the vanity unit. “Your boobs, though, Rose.”
I shake my head, exasperated by the melons currently weighing me down and causing me so much discomfort. But I will persevere. Doc’s assured me they’ll calm down soon, and I’m living for that day. Throughout this pregnancy and birth, I’ve been truly astonished by what the female body is capable of. I never could appreciate it when I had Daniel. I was too young. Too stressed. Too scared. I look up at Beau, smiling. It’s tinged with a little sadness for me and Daniel, for missing the first ten years of his life.
“Okay?” she asks, crossing one ripped jean leg over the other, her baggy shirt fastened with one button, her Birkenstocks dangling from her toes. She looks so relaxed. The most relaxed I’ve ever seen her, and I know she isn’t faking it like she has in the past. Her demons have been crushed. Her tragic story had to get more tragic before she could truly heal, and now she’s healing. Healing and growing a baby in her belly. Of course there are Doc’s daily checkups by James’s orders. Of course he’s wrapped her in cotton wool. Of course he’s watching her like a hawk.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Since I completely ruined their wedding by going into labor, we haven’t really spent any time together. Understandable, what with Maggie only a month old and Beau being a newlywed. I miss her. “When are you going on your honeymoon?”
“Good question.” She laughs, but it dries up and she nods at my chest. “You’re leaking.”
