AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
After two days together, they should have been used to it, but Willow’s wail could wake the dead, and Bronte twitched from her position on the couch, where she’d been sprawled out.
Laney snorted a laugh. “Maybe she’ll be a good singer when she’s older.”
Sam discreetly reached for the remote, raising the volume of the Golden Girls episode they were watching as Gem stood up.
But then Jason’s voice called down from upstairs. “Don’t move, Gemma! I got her!”
Gem plopped back down and offered Bronte a sad smile. “Happy birthday.”
Bronte only waved her fork, covered in blue icing from her cake. “There has never been a better one. I’m with my best friends, and I got the flower.”
Gem wrinkled her nose at that. Laney had bought the cake, and since it wasn’t vegan, Gem wasn’t eating it. Although she did have a very large stack of her own homemade cookies that were supposed to help her breastfeed, leaving her not completely without sweets.
But with Willow still crying upstairs, Gem pouted. “I’m sorry we aren’t out getting drunk or something,” she said, all forlorn. “I feel so old.”
“You kinda are.” Sam pointed the remote at her. “You’re a mom now.”
Bronte agreed as a twinge of jealousy settled into her bones when Jason plodded quickly down the stairs, his daughter wrapped up in a monkey print muslin blanket. He cringed at Gem while Willow cried against his shoulder. “I think she wants her mama.”
The girls all laughed, proving Sam’s point.
Jason Mitchell, Gem’s fiancé, was dressed casually in sweatpants and a T-shirt. He was a tall, muscular, preppy type and looked totally opposite of the guy Bronte imagined wild child Gem would end up with, if any at all. But here she was, in a brand-new home with a beautiful, screeching baby.
Jason passed Willow off to Gem, asking, “Do you need anything? More water?” When Gem nodded, he grabbed her gigantic aluminum water bottle before pointing to the other girls. “Ladies? Anything? More wine? Cake? Pretzels, chips?
Laney lifted her glass with a few drops of pink wine left in it. “I wouldn’t be opposed if you guys want to open another bottle.”
Sam and Bronte both looked to each other and then shrugged. Jason took that as his answer. “’Nother bottle coming up.”
Sam settled her back against the couch. “This is great.”
Laney shifted over to comb her fingers through Sam’s rose-gold hair, separating it into three groups to braid. “What is?”
“This,” she said with a gesture around the room.
“This?” Gem asked, popping out her boob to feed Willow.
A look of horror crossed Sam’s face. “No, not that. I mean…” She circled her arm again. “You built this whole family, and it’s really nice to be here.”
“I somehow convinced you three to stay in my house with my ten-week-old under the guise of Bronte’s birthday weekend, but really, it was so I could remember what the before times were like.” A ghost of a smile tugged at Gem’s lips. “Don’t lie and tell me you’re enjoying this tiny banshee,” she said, tipping her chin to her daughter.
“I’m not lying. Being in this house is like living in a sign from Target, you know?” Sam lifted her hand as if reading it on the wall. “Love lives here.”
Gem mumbled out a, “Dork,” as she tamped down a smile.
“No, it’s true.” Bronte put her plate and fork on the table. Unlike Gem, who had been raised by a single mom, and Sam, who struggled with her parents’ divorce, Bronte grew up with a great family and wonderful parents, and that made her want more of the same. As a kid, Bronte dreamed of finding her person and beginning her own family. She assumed she’d be the first out of her friends to do it, and now that she’d witnessed one of her best friends attain what she wanted, it only made Bronte’s desire for marriage and family grow.
Gem tossed Bronte a look. “We should be out celebrating, but instead…” She trailed off, adjusting her hold on Willow.
Bronte flicked the thought away. “We had our spa day and went out to dinner last night. I’m having fun with my girls here.”
Willow whimpered as if to say Me too! and the four women all laughed.
Jason reappeared from the kitchen, carrying a bottle of wine and Gem’s water bottle, which he gave to her first before refilling all their wineglasses.
“We even have our own handsome butler.” Laney lifted her wine in a salute.
