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Jamey rounded the corner, his backpack in hand and as many toys as he could carry tucked under his arm. I glanced at my mom, sending her a stern don’t say a word look. “Ready to go, bud?”
“Ready!”
“Thanks for taking him, Mom. I might need you to watch him a little more often for the next, uh, nine months or so,” I chuckled, ruffling Jamey’s hair as he dragged his bag toward me.
“No worries, honey. I’ll take him whenever I can if Sophie needs it.”
“But I like hanging out with Sophie,” Jamey complained, his voice a little smaller.
“I know, bud.” I picked up his backpack for him, throwing the comically small bag over my shoulder. “I do, too.”
Chapter 28
Sophie
Monday
Looking after Jamey while pregnant was an entirely new experience. It put a lot of things into perspective and made me consider how I’d parent a child in the situations we got into, more so than it had when I’d just been trying. It felt more natural, more motherly, and I hoped he didn’t notice the shift.
“So, I was thinking after we finish lunch, maybe you could watch some TV while I get some work done?” I plopped his plate of food down in front of him, the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and raw baby carrots rolling around on the plate. I was already having cravings, and nuggets weren’t going to cut it for me.
Jamey’s little smile turned into a pouty face. “But I wanted to play spaceships with you.”
“We can play spaceships later on this afternoon, okay?” I offered, sliding him his little dipping bowl of ranch. “I’ve got some designs I need to make. You can always draw some up for me if you’d like. I’m sure my clients would love them.” It was a lie, but it would at least interest him.
“Okay!”
A knock at the door had me spinning around from where I stood. I glanced at the clock, it was only twelve-thirty. Hudson definitely wasn’t back yet, he’d have texted me if he was leaving early.
Jamey didn’t seem concerned in the slightest as I walked across the house, his attention fully focused on his nuggets and carrots, and I wished right about then that Hudson had given me access to his doorbell camera.
Peeking through the glass at the top of the door, I could see a mop of bright blonde hair, tied up neatly in a high bun. Feeling slightly less worried that it wasn’t a man coming to murder us both, I opened the door, surprised to find Hudson’s mother on the other side.
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Brady.” I smiled at her, taking a step back and letting her through. I suddenly wished I’d dressed nicer—I was in lounging clothes, my go-to for work and watching Jamey. My leggings and Hudson’s Harvard sweatshirt weren’t exactly the high-brow attire she went for.
“Oh, please, call me Angela,” she smiled, her eyes glancing down at my outfit and only briefly showing a flicker of disapproval. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and Jamey grinned at her with food in his mouth. “Hi, honey! You left your bear at my house so I thought I’d bring it back to you.”
“Oh, how sweet of you.” I lead her toward the kitchen, feeling far more awkward than I should have. At least when I met her the first time, Hudson was there as a buffer. “Do you want something to eat? I was about to cook something for myself but I can make you something too.”
“Oh, I’m alright, thank you.” She sat down next to Jamey on one of the high-top seats of the breakfast bar, plucking a carrot off his plate and popping it into her mouth. “I’m surprised you’re hungry,” she said, her gaze landing on me.
The fuck does that mean? I haven’t put on any weight since I saw her last. It’s way too early to show. “Oh, uh, I haven’t had breakfast yet so…”
She nodded, ruffling Jamey’s hair as he finished off his carrots and started eating the last of his nuggets. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thank you,” I grinned, shoving my bare hand devoid of any ring into the pocket of the hoodie. I hadn’t been expecting her and the ring was tucked away at home in my jewelry case upstairs. But she had seen me since we’d gotten ‘engaged’ and already congratulated me so what was she congratulating me for now?
“How are you feeling?”
I blinked at her. Did Hudson tell her I was sick or something last week? So that’s why she’d been watching Jamey? “I’m fine,” I said. “A, uh, bit better now.” Just play along. I threw in a cough for good measure.
“No morning sickness or anything?”
Fuck.
He’d told her. He’d fucking told her. Heat spread in my cheeks out of annoyance, but I played it off, covering with a light laugh as I glanced at Jamey. I hoped he didn’t know what morning sickness meant. “I’ve had a bit, but not too badly. I’m sure it’ll hit me eventually.”
“Probably. I’m so excited for you two, though. I hope you know that.”
