Page 3 of Love Like Ours

“Yes,” Avery answered.

Just hearing her sister-in-law’s voice soothed her.

“I don’t want to get off the phone with you,” she said as she stepped onto the escalator.

“Then don’t. I’m here,” Avery said.

“How are you?” Sophia asked out of the blue. “How’s the baby?”

“We’re doing fine,” Avery said, her tone getting softer.

Sophia could just imagine her rubbing her belly, and she smiled. Then she tripped slightly, which brought her back to reality, and more tears threatened to fall.

“What happens now?” Sophia asked.

“Now you come home, and we take each day together.”

A little over an hour later, Sophia found herself sitting in first class, heading home. The hum of the plane’s engines and the comforting weight of the blanket across her lap did little to quiet the whirlwind of emotions inside her. She sipped her water, staring out the window at the clouds below, her mind racing as the miles between her and the city disappeared.

Ten hours later, after a layover in Denver, she stepped off the plane in Portland. When she spotted her brother waiting near baggage claim, she walked straight into his arms. He hugged her tightly, his strong, steady presence grounding her in a way nothing else could.

“Welcome home, Soph,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

The three-hour drive back to Pride stretched on longer than usual, thanks to the crawling early-morning traffic on Portland’s congested streets. The familiar landmarks they passed barely registered, as her exhaustion and the weight of why she was returning home pressed heavily on her.

When the truck finally crested the hill overlooking the town, the foggy morning air carried with it the distinct scent of saltwater and pine. Lucas pulled into the driveway of his home, and Sophia stepped out, the cool dampness clinging to her skin as she took in the view of Pride’s coastline nestled beneath the mist.

Avery met her at the front porch, her face lighting up with a welcoming smile. Sophia hugged her tightly, the warmth of her sister-in-law’s embrace easing some of the tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“It’s good to have you back,” Avery said softly, pulling back to look at her. Her sister-in-law’s large belly had her smiling. She looked healthy and happy, even through the difficult times.

Sophia managed a small smile, but words failed her. Instead, she let the moment settle, the smell of the ocean mingling with the faint aroma of coffee wafting from the house.

Once inside, Lucas showed her to the guest room, a space she knew so well it felt like an extension of her own home. The fresh air, the comforting hum of family voices in the background, and the familiar rhythm of the waves breaking in the distance brought her a sense of calm she hadn’t felt in months.

But as she curled up on the bed later, the quiet gave way to everything she’d been holding back. Tears she’d hoped had dried up began to flow freely again. The grief, the exhaustion, the relief of being back where she belonged—they all came crashing down at once.

Sophia hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing into the soft comforter as wave after wave of emotion poured out. Eventually, the tears slowed, her body exhausted. Sleep found her, pulling her under in a way that could only happen at home.

When she woke, it was dark outside again. She heard someone moving around in the kitchen downstairs and, after washing her face and using the bathroom, she headed downstairs to face what came next.

The only way she made it through the next hours and days was because of Avery’s and Lucas’s strength and support.

Avery helped her find a company that would go into the one-room apartment in the city that she’d called home and box up her things to be shipped to her.

She hated to cancel the rest of her classes, but she knew in her gut and heart that it was for the best. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d be able to focus on classes. Not now. Maybe never.

One morning, a week after they’d buried their mother in the cemetery on the hill that overlooked the town, her brother suggested that she move back into her and her mother’s home.

She hesitated.

Then it clicked that the guest room she was staying in was most likely the one they were going to be turning into the baby’s nursery. There were already a few boxes of baby items stacked in the corner of the room.

“Oh, sure,” she said, feeling stupid. Of course he and Avery wanted their privacy—needed it—before her niece or nephew arrived. “I’ll pack up and leave after breakfast.”

Lucas reached across the table and took her hand in his. “There is no rush.”

“You’re trying to get ready for the baby.” She felt her eyes start to water and shook her head to clear the dark thoughts. “Besides, I need to figure out what I’m going to do next. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to keep the house.”