The ones now on clear display for her mother.
Fuck. Me.
“Ba!”
I turned around like a robot, a grimace fixed on my face. Grace stood in the patio doorway, Henry on her hip. Her eyebrows were raised, but there was a smile twitching on her lips. “I’d say welcome to parenthood, Sam. But it looks like you’re already well in the thick of it.”
CHAPTER 35
Isn’t This Wonderful
ELLIE
Idon’t think anything could have prepared me for the scene I found when I came up the stairs that morning: Sam, trying to feed Henry in his high chair, but laughing so hard he was holding his stomach. Sitting across the table from?—
“Mom?”
Both of them turned to me.
“Ellie-belle!” Mom jumped up from the table and ran over to me, enveloping me in a giant hug. It felt so good being in my mom’s arms.
But I was still so confused.
After realizing Sam was upstairs with Henry, I did a much-needed morning pump since I’d missed last night’s. Then I’d taken a leisurely shower, which I spent trying to sort out the wild jumble of things in my head. I’d been preparing several different scenarios for how to talk with Sam about last night, and kept vacillating from one extreme (it was a one-time thing we couldn’t repeat) to the other (we needed to do that a bunch more. ASAP). I knew there were a bunch of options in between, but I hadn’t landed on anything that felt right, and the water had started running cold.
Now, to see my mom here? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’d told Mom about Sam, but only up to the point where he was helping out with Henry.
“What are you doing here?” I managed when she finally released me.
“It’s Tommy’s birthday next week, isn’t it? I’ve never missed a single one.”
My heart clenched. She was right. She’d always been there for Tommy. Every year, no matter how busy she was.
“Yeah but you’re on the other side of the country now, Mom. I never expected you to keep that up.”
“Honey. We’d talked about me coming to visit. So why not now? Besides, I wanted to see how you’re getting along. And maybe have a chance to meet Sam.” She gave a pointed look to Sam, who got up to take the bags of milk I’d forgotten I was holding.
“Freezer?” he asked.
I nodded, blushing slightly.
He smiled and did it like this was something he did every day.
I gave Henry a kiss, but he didn’t seem to be interested in me picking him up for once, so I sat down at the table.
“It looks to me like things are going well between you two?” Mom said, waggling her brows.
Oh my God. How much did she know? Briefly I was seized with panic as I considered Sam might have told Mom we’d slept together last night. Not that Mom was traditional or anything—not by a long stretch. But that would be weird, right?
“I told her a little about what happened with Tommy yesterday,” Sam said from the kitchen, apparently reading my mind. “I hope that’s okay.” He came back in with the coffee press and filled my mug, sliding the cream and sugar my way before subtly pointing his chin at the couch.
The blankets were still there, though Sam had folded them neatly and stacked the pillow I’d given him on top.
I relaxed slightly. He’d needed an explanation for why he’d stayed over. He hadn’t even had to lie.
“That was very kind of you, Sam,” Mom said. “Not everyone would have offered to do that.”
Sam sat down next to Henry again. “Tommy’s a good kid. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know him as I get to know Henry.”
