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“Are you ready to see more?”
“I think I need to sit down a minute.” He dropped onto the stool next to Farha as if his knees had given out. “This is all so much to take in.”
“Wait just a second. I’ve got the perfect place for you to rest.” She pulled Jake aside and asked him to set up the smaller crew in the nursery. She made a cup of herbal tea at the craft services table outside and brought it in for Farha while they waited for the okay.
“This has been such an overwhelming day. I don’t know how many more surprises I can take.” Farha sipped the herbal tea and grimaced.
“Hang in there. We’ve only got a few more rooms to see and then you and Gautam can relax all you want in your new home. At least until you bring that baby home.”
“That baby is kicking up a storm right now, likely because her mama’s heartbeat is jumping like crazy.” Farha took Sofia’s hand and pressed it to the top of her belly near her rib cage, and Fi could feel a little foot firmly pressing back.
So moved, she rubbed the little bump until it receded, forgetting that she was also rubbing another woman’s stomach. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”
“It’s okay. You got her to stop pushing. I’ll take it. Sometimes she gets stuck up under my ribs and ouch! And now, my back is killing me. I’m so done with being pregnant.” Farha laughed as she said it, but Sofia could see the strain on her face as she rubbed her back.
Sofia leaned over to talk to the baby. “Hello, little girl. I know your parents are doing all they can to get ready for your arrival. What do you say we go see your new room?” The little foot kicked again, and Sofia gave the baby a little high five. “I think that’s a yes.”
She was very glad that she had chosen a soft reclining rocking chair, because the minute Farha walked in, she collapsed into it. Instead of darting her eyes around the room as she had in the kitchen, Farha’s gaze fixed on the mural of the little girl reading that Sofia had painted on the wall. Tears filled the woman’s eyes, and Sofia’s heart swelled with pride.
“Oh! Sofia, it’s perfect.” Farha reached for Gautam’s hand, and he was quick to give it, his smile stretched from ear to ear. “Where did you get that picture? How did you know?”
Gautam placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not the only one who has design ideas. I wanted our daughter to grow up knowing where she came from and where she can go. She should see how brilliant her mum is every time she picks up a book, so she can grow up to be just like you.”
Sofia’s heart tugged. This couple was so sweet together, each so supportive of the other. With her professional hat, she was delighted to give them a house they could raise their family in. With her personal hat, she was deeply envious of that bond and wondered if she’d ever find it for herself. She sure didn’t feel it with Adrian. He didn’t support her in her chosen career. She doubted he’d ever say that she was brilliant or smart or important. It was more likely that he’d complain about her ideas being a pain to implement than offer a compliment. She sighed. Was it too much to ask to be seen for who she was and who she aspired to be? And be appreciated as is?
“Sofia?” Jake broke into her rambling thoughts. “Do you think we could talk about the rest of the room now?”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” She gathered her thoughts and put her camera-ready smile in place. “You had chosen the coral and brown color theme based on the crib you picked out and the bedding you liked. You’ll see we built the crib for you and got it all set up. You’ve got the changing table next to it that will transition into a toy caddy when the baby gets a little older. Nick and Seth, our custom builders, designed the window seat bookcase and Adrian built it in. And I made those custom coral and white cushions, so Baby Girl Shah will be cozy when she reads.” She’d been over the moon to find the fabric on clearance and thanked the Lord that her mother had insisted she learn to use a sewing machine in her youth.
“That is all lovely, Sofia, but the mural… The mural is my heart.” Farha clasped one hand on her heart and the other on her belly.
“We have a little more to do. Are you ready to see your bedroom, or do you need to rest awhile longer?”
“I think I’m done resting for quite awhile, as you said. These contractions are getting stronger, and I want to see it all before we have to head to the hospital.”
“Oh my God! You’re having the baby! We’re having a baby!” Sofia turned to the film crew. “Let’s go! You heard the woman. Go set up, so she can see her master bedroom and bath! Hurry!” She didn’t wait for Jake’s approval to hustle them along. Turning back to the expecting mother, Sofia’s hands were shaking with adrenaline. “Do you need anything? Water? More tea? An ambulance?”
Farha laughed.
“No, I’m fine. The contractions are about ten minutes apart still, so we have time to go home and get our bag and drive to the hospital.”
“You are so calm. I can’t believe you are this calm.”
Farha laid her hand over Gautam’s on her shoulder. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. I’m ready.”
“Well then, let’s go!”
Chapter 19
Standingoutside Adrian’s housewith a ridiculous grin on her face, Sofia felt like dancing. Adrenaline was still coursing through her after the day she’d had. Filming with the couple had wrapped up quickly after the announcement of the impending arrival of Baby Shah. The film crew was still there taking their panning shots of the details in the finished rooms for the “after” scenes. Farha and Gautam were at the hospital, safe and sound.
Not even bothering to change out of her camera-ready leather skirt and button-down blouse, Sofia had grabbed Frankie and gone over to the Shahs’ house with the spare key she still had from the movers. Who cared about keeping clothes clean in the excitement of a new baby? They had filled boxes with essentials from the kitchen, bathrooms, and dressers. Sofia found the stash of diapers, wipes, and baby clothes from Farha’s baby shower and packed that up, too.
They spent the late afternoon moving the young family into their new home so that when they came home from the hospital, they could have a few days of comfort before they had to do the nitty-gritty moving of everything else. Sofia had done a quick grocery run and stocked the freezer with easy to heat-and-eat meals, while Frankie organized the kitchen cabinets.
Even after all that work, she was still revved from the adrenaline of the reveal. She’d pulled it off, succeeded beyond her expectations, and had very happy clients and a show that wouldn’t fail because she’d screwed up. Now that the tension was gone, she wanted to celebrate.
She had also picked up a bottle of champagne. There was only one person she wanted to celebrate with. She couldn’t explain it, even to herself, but she needed to see Adrian. Part of it was petty—a chance to gloat and say they’d loved it. But more than that, he’d worked just as hard as she had, and he deserved to know how the reveal had gone. It had felt strange to be showing off his handiwork without him after weeks of arguing about it side by side. And then there was the part she wasn’t listening to that told her she just missed him.
