Page 70 of Pick Me This Time

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DAPHNE

My mom, Eric, and I went to visit Jake, Rachel, and Elizabeth just as soon as we got the text saying that they were at home and settled. I smiled when Jake opened the door for us. “Hey, Daddy. Congratulations again.”

“Thanks.” He let us in. “She’s in our room. You can go ahead.”

I let out a soft squeal, rushing around him to find my friend and her baby in the bedroom.

“Hello, you guys,” I cooed gently, striding around the bed to sit down by Rachel’s feet. “How are we doing?”

“We’re so good,” she replied quietly, looking like the very picture of serenity where she sat in the center of their bed, her back against their padded headboard and her blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail.

She cradled Elizabeth against her chest, only the baby’s little face sticking out with the way she was swaddled. Rachel smiled at her before lifting her gaze to mine. “I can’t believe she’s ours.”

“I’m still struggling to process it too,” I said, giving my friend a quick onceover for any signs of stress or panic, but I didn’t find anything.

Once Jake had finally arrived, the birth had gone exactly according to their birth plan, right down to the playlist Rachel had meticulously put together. She hadn’t put on any makeup, but she looked gorgeous all the same, her blue eyes bright and happy, and her cheeks slightly flushed.

I leaned in a little closer, grinning at the tiny, sleeping little girl in her arms. She had Rachel’s long eyelashes, but her dad’s oval-shaped face. A tuft of dark hair sat on her head, little curls wisping out from underneath the fluffy pink beanie she was wearing.

“Are you sure Jake’s the dad?” I joked. “Where did all that dark hair come from?”

Rachel giggled softly. “I’m not sure, but they’ve told me it won’t last long. Apparently, she’ll lose all this in time, so we’ll have to see.”

Before we could talk more, my mother came into the room, her fingers coming up to cover her mouth as she hovered in the doorway. Her eyes were smiling, her gaze locked on the baby in Rachel’s arms.

“Congratulations, gorgeous girl. She’s beautiful. Just like her parents. May I come in?”

“Of course,” Rachel said immediately, patting the vacant space on the other side of the bed. “Lizzy would love to meet you.”

Mom crossed the room immediately, making her way around the crib and various other bits of baby paraphernalia to come and join us on the bed. An open bag of diapers lay on the floor, Rachel’s hospital suitcase still sitting in the corner.

All sorts of wipes and creams covered her nightstand, and there was a jug of water and a half-full glass there as well. As Mom sat down, she took it all in, then another smile spread on her lips. “Oh, how I miss these days. The nights really are long, but the years are so short.”

Rachel returned her soft smile. “I’ve heard that. I guess we’re about to find out.”

“I’ll let my mom dote on you for a while and bring you some fresh water,” I said, standing up and taking the nearly empty jug to the kitchen with me.

Eric and Jake were in there, making coffee while they talked. I walked in at the exact part of the conversation I’d rather have missed. “… so involved the other night. I couldn’t believe it when he walked into the diner.”

“Yeah, man. I just called to find out if you were still at the bakery, but the next thing I knew, he was on his way out and insisting on covering the next towns while I searched around here. It felt a little like the old days, you know? When we were a team who would do anything for each other.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Jake said. “I always thought he was going to end up marrying Fiona and having a bunch of kids himself. Back in the day, my bet would’ve been that max five years after graduation, they would’ve been the first of us getting married. Just as soon as they would’ve been able to afford it after college.”

Frankly, I’d thought the same thing, but it still didn’t feel great hearing it from them. Especially not given recent events. Neither of them paid much attention to me as I refilled the jug.

Eric nodded his agreement with Jake’s statement, chuckling as he thought it over. “I hated the thought of him being with her forever, because I figured that meant we were stuck with her too, but you’re right. I thought the exact same thing.”

“Well, I guess it might still happen,” Jake said. “Fiona’s in town for the reunion, so you never know. Maybe they’ll rekindle that old flame.”

Suddenly, there was an ache in my chest and I felt terrible. As soon as the jug was full, I took it back to Rachel’s bedroom and begged off. “I have to get going. We just wanted to pop in to welcome you home and everything, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”

My friend frowned slightly, as if she knew there was more to it, but then she glanced at my mother, not asking while she was in the room. “I’ll call you later. Thanks for stopping by, Daph.”

“I’ll stay for a few more minutes,” my mom said.

I nodded, smiling as I backed away. “I thought you might. See you later, Mom.”