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“Stop leaving us in suspense. What did Heath say? How did you tell him?” Gina, the eldest Vincente sister, propped her elbows on the kitchen table and peered at Bella.
“Can you let me get my oatmeal going first?” Bella asked, stirring the oatmeal with hot water and a dash of milk and cinnamon.
Abby looked at her watch and let out a sigh. “I’m going to be late for work if you don’t get on with it.” She took a spoonful of blackberries and added them to the strawberries and blueberries in her bowl.
Bella rolled her eyes and sat down. “You guys are the most impatient people I’ve ever known.” Bella took a spoonful of oatmeal, blew on it and then put it in her mouth. Her hunger these days was a bit over the top. When she woke up in the morning she felt like a ravenous grizzly bear. Her sisters could wait until she had a little oatmeal resting in her stomach.
Sophia rubbed her hands together. “Dish the dirt, Bella.”
Bella shook her head. “He showed up here the other night. It was his birthday actually.”
“So he didn’t know anything until he showed up here?” Gina asked.
“No, he didn’t,” Bella answered. “Once I opened up the door and invited him in, he saw my stomach and realized immediately I was pregnant. I would say he was more shocked than anything.”
“So if he didn’t know anything about the baby, why did he come o
ver?” Abby asked, her brow creased with confusion.
Bella ducked her head and focused on stirring her oatmeal. “From what I can gather, he was going to make a plea for us to get back together.”
Gasps rang out at the table. Bella swung her gaze around the table. She could see the surprise etched on their faces.
“After all this time?” Sophia asked. “Wow.”
Gina let out an indelicate snort. “Humph. Kind of nervy especially after he dumped you like a hot potato.”
Bella bristled. “I wouldn’t exactly describe it like that. He was trying to spare me from having to deal with his PTSD.”
Her sisters exchanged loaded glances.
“What? Why are you guys looking at each other like that?” Bella asked, trying to keep a lid on her irritation. As the youngest, her three sisters always treated her as if she didn’t know as much as they did and it irritated her to no end.
“It’s just that…you always defend him,” Abby said in a soft voice.
“I don’t!” Bella said. “But I need you to understand he’s not a bad person.”
Sophia let out a sigh. “We don’t think he’s bad, Bella, but we’re protective of you. You’re our sister and he hurt you. We’ve hated seeing you so broken up about it. You’ve had to go through the last five months of upheaval and illness without him standing by your side.”
“How is that his fault? He didn’t know I was expecting or that I was so sick,” Bella said in a raised voice.
“So are you back together?” Gina asked. “It’s obvious you’re still in love with him.”
“We are not back together,” Bella said. “Heath has made a lot of strides in the last five months. He’s dealing with his PTSD, which is wonderful, but there are still major hurdles between us. With all that being said, Heath plans to be a part of this child’s life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every child deserves to have two parents in their lives, even if they aren’t together. I want to make sure that this baby has a great support system from the get-go.”
“You’re right,” Abby conceded. “You need to do what is in the best interest of your child.”
“So…are you?” Sophia pressed.
“Am I what?” Bella asked.
Sophia locked eyes with Bella. “Still in love with Heath?”
Once again, all eyes were trained on Bella. She squirmed in her seat, then let out a little sigh. What was the point in hiding her feelings from her sisters? They were all so close she was certain they could see it written all over her face.
“I never stopped loving him,” she admitted. “I doubt I ever will.”
“Then why aren’t you back together?” Sophia asked. “Now that you’re….umm pregnant, it makes total sense.”
