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She longed for those innocent years when everything seemed to go their way, when trying to get pregnant was fun, not reduced to an anxious endeavor, fraught with insecurity.
She glanced around her garden, taking it all in, remembering each shrub and plant she’d lovingly planted. She must not dwell on the past weeks, but instead let her garden and its serenity soothe her.
What she needed was to get her hands dirty, feel the soil on her fingers and enjoy the results of her hard work. She walked the stone pathway leading to the rear of the garden, then opened the wooden shed and went in to the dark, moist space in search of her gloves, a spade and a rake.
The first area in serious need of her attention was the herb garden. The rosemary had developed long scraggly branches and the cilantro was suffering from lack of water. Getting into a rhythm of digging and weeding, the smell of the earth and the wind sighing in the maple tree over her head, relaxed her.
She’d been working diligently, feeling the sense of accomplishment she always felt as she cleaned up and weeded a garden area, when she glanced at her watch.
Two hours? Aidan would be here soon with Emma and Lisa. She didn’t want to be around when they arrived. It would be too difficult to face him when she was still so uncertain about everything. And this was not the time to see him with his child. A small surge of anger struck when she realized he probably expected her to be here, to have filled the fridge with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Scooping up her tools, she headed to the shed. Just then, she spotted the rabbit hopping in front of the trumpet creeper, a climbing shrub that clearly needed to be trimmed—but not today. Today she had to get back to her brother’s condo.
Thankfully, she left without encountering Aidan. She was relieved, even though a small part of her wished they could meet. She missed their conversations about their everyday activities, the little things that happened that contributed to the story of their lives. She missed coming home to him after being out somewhere. She missed hearing him singing off-key in the shower, the way he towel-dried his curly hair.
Getting out of her gardening clothes, she took a quick shower and washed her hair, then settled in to read. Finally, she tossed aside the latest quilting magazine, wishing she’d stopped long enough at the house to grab her sewing machine so she could put together the quilting pieces she’d meticulously cut out last month. Surveying the space, the austere maleness of her brother’s condo, she faced the truth. She was bored and lonely and wanted to see Aidan.
* * *
MEANWHILE, IN SPARTANBURG, Aidan and Lisa loaded his rental car, then placed Emma’s car seat in the back. “Thanks for all your help,” he said, trying to wedge the trunk of the SUV closed. “I had no idea how much gear a child needed. And that car seat was complicated to install.”
“Get used to it,” Lisa said, laughing as she turned toward the house. “I’ll put Emma in the seat for you.”
“Thanks,” he said as he checked for the keys and linked his cell phone to the online security system. He had to call Lucas as soon as he could. Working in Deidre’s office was okay, but not the same as being where he had everything—files and paperwork—at his fingertips. Thanks to Lucas and one of the other engineers, he’d managed to put out a few fires, but a lot of work was still pending.
He’d make some phone calls on the drive while Emma slept. At least, he assumed she would sleep. Who wouldn’t sleep after waking up at four in the morning? He wished he could sleep, but there wasn’t a chance until he got home.
Emma and Lisa came out of the house, Emma hugging her black bear. He opened the back door. “In here, sweetie,” he said, feeling upbeat and ready to take his daughter home where she belonged.
