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She nods, shyly. “Yeah. It’s been a few weeks now.”
“Holy shit,” I say in surprise as I lean back in my chair. “I’m really sorry.”
She waves me off with a scoff. “Don’t be. I’m better off without him. It took me this long to realize he’ll never grow up.”
“Still. Shit.”
Winnie chuckles dismally. “I know. But it’s fine. I’ll be just fine. My parents are planning on moving back in a few months to help with the baby and the shop.”
Winnie tells me her parents turned the floral shop over to her when she turned twenty and they have been traveling ever since. They will come home for a few months at a time, but for the last ten years, they have been quite the world travelers.
“That’s good. You’ll need the support.”
“You will too,” she says and smiles warmly. “We can go through all this pregnancy stuff, together, you know?”
I smile and nod at Winnie. “I would love that, Winnie.”
“So let’s do that. Let’s do pregnancy yoga and shop together!” she says excitedly as she throws her arms out wide, accidentally hitting an unsuspecting waiter as he walks by and causing me to snort over my iced tea.
She blushes. “Oops. Sorry!” she calls after the young man, sending us both into a fit of giggles.
* * *
Winnie follows behind me as we enter through the emergency room doors. I swallow down the panic that threatens to emerge as I think about the last time I was here.
My eyes hit Bunny’s first and vomit hits the back of my tongue. I haven’t seen her since that day in the cabin. I swallow down the nausea as she smiles at me sadly. She pushes out of Flame’s lap, stepping over to us. Winnie sidesteps around Bunny and takes the empty seat next to Flame as Bunny engulfs me in a hug.
“You don’t have to say a word.” Bunny squeezes her tiny arms around my neck. “You have become one of my best friends, Pebbles.”
Tears spill over my eyelids as I wrap my arms around Bunny’s waist.
“I love you, Pebbles, and I am so sorry for what happened to you.”
I choke on a sob as Bunny squeezes me tighter.
“Please don’t hate me,” Bunny snivels.
I shake my head against hers, hoping to all hell she doesn’t truly think I could ever hate her.
“Shh, you don’t have to say anything. Not until you’re ready.” Bunny pulls away from me, wiping my eyes with her thumbs. She softly smiles and, taking me by the hand, leads me the rest of the way into the waiting area the rest of the family is in.
Despite Maria sitting in his lap, rubbing his leg in a calming manner, Tank looks worried. The sight causes dread to settle in my gut. Tank doesn’t get scared, or even worried for that matter, so the fact that he is visibly rattled is alarming.
Ghost and Ringer sit side by side next to Bones who is holding a silently crying Maggie in his arms. The rest of the guys surround the older members with solemn faces.
Bunny settles herself back in Flame’s lap as Trigger pushes himself out of his chair and makes his way over to me.
I truly look into his eyes for what feels like the first time in forever.
He smiles sadly at me, pointing to two empty chairs in the corner.
I silently follow him, taking the seat closest to the door.
“I’m going to take you home as soon as we hear something.”
I drop my eyes to his tattooed hands, rubbing against his jeans.
“He was riding home from the shop to get lunch. We aren’t sure if he was run off the road or if he had a heart attack or what. We just know that it isn’t good.”
