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“I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay,” Amber replied. “I’ll put this in there as well, okay?”

“Yes, yes, of course, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to open it all now,” Amber said. “You’re probably working. But I,we, Phil and I wanted to say congratulations. I have another load to take out to Maggie later.”

“Amber, this is sweet. I don’t even know what to say. But it wasn’t necessary.”

“I enjoyed buying baby things.”

They looked at the gifts.Oh, all right.“Would you like coffee? I’ll open some if you’ll stay a bit.”

She nodded, smiling. “I’d like that.”

Amber followed Katrina out to the beautiful kitchen, watching her moving around, her belly so cute. Then she noticed the t-shirt and barked out a laugh. “The shirt! I bought that for Dave and he wouldn’t wear it!”

Katrina stretched it to look at the graphic. “Ha! I love it. Po-Po. I’m getting so fat I have nothing big to wear around the house.”

“I’m glad you’re getting some use out of it.”

Offering creamer and sugar to Amber, Katrina picked up her own cup, trying to be pleasant.

“I was just preparing to take a break and have coffee, so perfect timing.” She walked back into the dining room, wanting to get the ordeal over with. “What should I open first?”

“This,” Amber said, reaching for a large bag.

It contained the cutest little boy’s outfits, several of them, with shoes and hats and matching bibs. Amber had purchased everything they’d need for the baby, even things that felt a little inappropriate because of their cost, like a fancy breast pump and a monitor system.

“I figured if you have this stuff already, I’ll take it back and get you what you need. I wanted to do it. I can’t describe it, but I felt compelled.”

There seemed to be no response to that so she changed the subject.

“We really don’t have much yet. Would you like to see the nursery?”

“I’d love to,” she replied, following Katrina to the back of the cottage. “This place is really special.”

“Thank you. I felt that, too, when I first saw it.”

Amber oohed and aahed over the nursery. No mention was made of the designer. They returned to the dining room where Katrina spent the next twenty minutes opening the rest of the gifts while Amber drank coffee.

“We don’t need anything now, thanks to your generosity. Dave will be grateful, too.”

His name reverberated.Dave.

“My pleasure,” Amber finally said, taking her cup back to the kitchen. “Best wishes, Katrina. And congratulations.”

They made a few more minutes of small talk, then Amber left, the driver still in the driveway, waiting for her.

“Goodbye,” Katrina called out, grateful that Amber didn’t linger.

The visit was about as awkward as it could get. After she watched the car pull away, she locked the door and returned to the dining room to look at the gifts. She got out her phone and took pictures of the piles of boxes and bags and sent it Dave.

From my new friend, Amber Greely, who stopped by for coffee this morning, she said in a text.

Then she copied everything and sent it to Maggie, with an additional sentence,and she’s coming to your place today with the same gifts, only in pink.

In seconds, her phone beeped. It was Maggie. “I guess we don’t need baby showers now.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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