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Ivy certainly wasn’t speaking. Why would she? It wasn’t like there was anything to say.
I tossed out the towels and gave her a bright smile. “Guess I’ll just go grab a water and those mints—” My gaze dropped to the jacket’s pretty embroidered pocket, now stained. “Oh, no. Oh, God. What did I do?” My throat closed off as the words clogged there, my pseudo-happiness draining away.
“It’s just wet. Just water. Here, honey.” Ivy hurried around me to the sink to blot another towel and returned to clean up the spot.
All I could do was watch her. And sniffle like an idiot.
“I’m not a crier.”
“Of course you’re not. Here we go. See? Water just splashed it when you wiped your face. All clear.” She showed me the towel and then threw it in the bin. “And even better…” She pried a halfway flattened box of Chiclets gum out of her pocket. “My baby loves these. I mean, Rhi. She’s not a baby anymore.”
I smiled mistily as she shook two into my palm. “She’ll always be your baby. And she’s small yet.”
“She is, and she will be, yeah. My husband is in denial she’s growing up. He can’t believe she’s potty training. I told him that’s likely going to be a multi-year process, so he doesn’t have to worry. His little girl is still little.” She laughed uneasily. “I’m babbling. Sorry. Bad habit.”
“You’re sweet.” I popped the gum into my mouth and chewed until the lingering taste from being sick faded.
“Here, why don’t you lean on me a bit and we’ll go in back, sit down on that fabulous settee Kin keeps making noises about moving into stock but never will? It’s nice and comfortable.”
I let her lead me out of the bathroom. Right then, I didn’t trust my legs to keep me upright. It wasn’t entirely due to my physical…condition either. The white noise buzzing in my ears and mad hummingbird wings flapping in my belly from nerves weren’t helping matters.
We hurried into the back room, and I collapsed on the settee in relief. Until my head spun and I had to bend over again to get my wind back.
Ivy rubbed my shoulder. “Maybe you should see a doctor? Just in case.”
“No. No doctor yet.” I knew what I had, and it didn’t require a prescription.
“Okay.” She sat next to me, still rubbing. “Then do you want me to call someone? Like Ryan? She’s your bestie, right?”
I straightened again and shook my head. Miracle of all miracles, it didn’t fly off my shoulders and land in the planter in the corner.
“She’s not your bestie?”
“She is, but that love business is keeping her busy.”
“Not too busy for her best friend. Besides, she needs to come up for air and sustenance sometimes. Trust me, I know.”
“Well, you’re in a long distance relationship a lot of the year, right? That keeps everything fresh.”
“Fresh, maybe, but it’s really freaking hard when your kid wants her father and you can’t give her that simple thing.”
“No, but there’s FaceTime. And she has you.” I gripped her hand and gave her knuckles a quick rub.
She exhaled and then pasted on a smile of her own. “We aren’t talking about me right now, but nice try.”
I shrugged innocently.
“What about Caleb?”
Like a switch had been flipped, I heard his voice in my head.
“Some women have one thing in mind.”
That wasn’t me. At all. And I wasn’t used to asking for help, even if he shared this responsibility as much as I did. Imagining what his face would look like when I told him just made me want to put it off forever.
“No. No way.”
Ivy’s face softened. “He’s probably still at school. He always sticks around for any kids who need help with homework or if they want to talk.”
