Page 51 of The Road Back to Us

“Thank you,” she replied, taking another deep breath as I saw something flicker across her face before she pushed it away. “That’s not all.”

I tilted my head to the side, studying her as she seemed to squirm under my gaze.

“I knew that it would be difficult to launch my own brand, so I’ve been reaching out to other brands to see if anyone might want to collaborate. It’s a risky move, and I hate not having full control over my line, but I also had to accept that I don’t have the reach I need to be successful on my own.”

I nodded, letting her know I was listening because I didn’t know what to say. I knew it would be hard for her, especially with living in Willow Falls and not having the same resources she once had in New York.

“Well, one of the brands that I reached out to responded, and they’re interested in working with me. They currently have a men’s sports apparel line and are interested in expanding to include women's and children's products. I sent them a handful of mock-ups that I had created so they could see what my line looks like, and they think it’s a perfect fit.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you, baby.”

I noticed the blush that tinted Lyric’s cheeks as she turned away from the kids, still not used to my terms of endearment being used in front of them. It had been a choppy few months of trying to get her used to everyone knowing that we were officially together again, but she was trying.

“Thank you. It was a pretty big shock because I didn’t think anyone would be willing to take a chance on me. Thankfully, I had worked with their VP of marketing several times when I worked for Laroque, so she was familiar with who I was and what I could do.”

I walked the few steps over to her and pulled her into my arms, giving her the biggest hug I could without hurting her or the babies.

“You’re going to do amazing things, my love,” I whispered in her ear. “You’ve busted your ass so much to get this line created, and all of that hard work is paying off. I’m so damn lucky to get to be here to watch you get everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

Right as I said the words, one of the babies kicked, confirming what I said was true.

Forty-Five

Lyric

“Watch, watch, watch,” I said excitedly as I balanced the plate on my stomach and pulled my hands away while Chloe stared in fascination.

Just as expected, one of the babies rolled, forcing the plate to move as Chloe’s eyes got bigger.

“Wasn’t that cool?” I asked, loving her beautiful expressions as she processed it.

She nodded, looking up at me with a wide grin on her face.

“Do you want to feel them move?”

She nodded again, this time curling up beside me on the couch as I guided her tiny hand to where they were the most active. I sucked in a breath, ignoring the pain as I got kicked in the rib again, and focused on helping her feel it.

Chloe had been excited when we first told her that I was pregnant, but as my due date got closer, we found her getting a little jealous. I knew it was important that she know that the twins were not going to replace her and that she would always be loved and cared for. I had spent the past few weeks doing more stuff with her while Ben and Kara were at school.

The summer flew by, and I found myself thankful for the cooler weather because being pregnant in sweltering heat made me grumpier than I expected. It had taken a while to bond with the babies and to accept that nothing had happened. While I knew there was still no guarantee life wouldn’t screw us over at some point, I had finally learned to stop dwelling on it after I started the third trimester and everything seemed to be going well.

We sat on the couch playing with the babies until Sherry came to take over with Chloe for a bit, so I could get some work done. I waddled out to my new office and opened the door, smiling every time I stepped inside because I still couldn’t believe this was real.

I sat down and turned on my computer, taking a sip of my chamomile tea while I waited. I loved how easy the days felt and that I didn’t have the constant pressure of working for someone else. So far, the collaboration with Fitastic was going well, and things seemed to be moving along in the right direction. It was hard to believe that something I had wanted for so long was finally coming to fruition—well, technically several things.

I clicked an email open and had started to read it when my phone rang. Recognizing the school's phone number, I picked it up and swiped my finger across the screen to answer it.

“Hello,” I said, pressing the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Hi, I’m looking for Lyric Coleman,” a woman said on the other side.

“Yes, this is she.”

“This is Jan, calling from the health office at school. Kara was hit in the face with a baseball during PE. I’ve attempted to stop the bleeding, but I’m concerned that her nose might be broken.”

“Oh my gosh,” I gasped, clutching my hand to my heart. “Is she okay?”

“Overall, yes, she appears to be. I would strongly recommend taking her in to the clinic to get checked out, though, just in case.”