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Theo gives me a warm smile. “She’s okay, I promise. Her last OB-GYN checkup was great. She’s taking all kinds of vitamins, and her co-workers are helping her a lot. It’s the stress I’m worried about. The sadness, too. Guys, she is just so sad and scared all the time. I don’t know how it will impact the pregnancy going forward, but I do know she needs the four of you by her side, whether she’s ready to admit it or not.”
“We’re not letting her fight what’s coming alone,” Levi declares.
The confidence in his voice tells me we are absolutely doing this. This is the confirmation I’ve been waiting for. I would’ve done it on my own if I had to, but I do know each of them would’ve regretted not coming through for her later down the line. We started this together, and we’re going to bring it to a conclusion together. Stella fell in love with the four of us.
And the four of us need to shed every sliver of doubt left to fight for her.
I’ll be damned if I will allow that prick Elijah to hound her like this. He had his chance and pissed it away. It’s our turn now.
27
Stella
My baby bump is becoming more prominent, though it’s nothing my diner uniform can’t hide. All I need to do is tie the apron higher around my waist. For the time being, it works. My ankles don’t take as kindly to spending so many hours standing anymore, but Melissa makes sure I take as many breaks as possible throughout every shift. I owe this girl so many drinks and lunches for everything she’s done for me so far.
The diner is getting busier in the evenings, now that warmer weather is just around the corner. It smells like boba tea and vanilla lattes, cinnamon cherry glaze cakes and pecan apricot pie resting comfortably beneath glass displays. Sam, our exceptional cook, saves me extra pieces every evening and hands them to me in boxes before I go home, so I’ve got that going for me. It’s a silver lining, one of few these days.
Weekends are still my favorites, though. I get the morning shifts, and although we see more folks coming through the door as soon as we open, the work volume is still pretty relaxed, which allows me to take it easy. If it stays this way, I can work right up until I deliver and put away as much money as I can before I have to take time off for the baby. It's a scary prospect, but I’ve been assured I have a job to go back to after the baby is born.
My boss has told me I can even bring the baby in with me if I need to. Melissa is looking forward to keeping an eye on the little one while I wait tables. It’s not the kind of life I wanted for myself, but it’s the best I can do. Not a moment goes by that I don’t second guess the path I’ve chosen, that I don’t think about Isaac and the guys. I have plenty of doubt in my aching heart, yet as the weeks go by, I do get a sense of clarity.
“Are you driving yourself home?” Melissa asks as we’re getting closer to the end of a rather slow Saturday shift.
I nod once as I refill the coffee machine with fresh beans from a sealed bag. The smell alone is enough to drive me nuts, but I’ll have to wait until the baby is born to once again enjoy a proper coffee. “Yes. I drove because of the rain this morning. But it’s okay, the rest of the week is supposed to be warmer and sunnier.”
“Hey, I can always come pick you up when the weather gets nasty,” she says. “It’ll save you some bucks on that tank.”
“Melissa, haven’t you done enough for me?” I ask gratefully, smiling.
“It’s nothing, seriously. I live three blocks down from you, anyway. It’s not like I have to cross the whole city to get you.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know.”
Sam calls out from the kitchen. “Hey, Stella! Do you want some apricot pie for the kids? I just baked a fresh batch, I can save you some.”
“Thanks, Sam,” I reply with a soft smile. “But let me pay for it.”
“All I need is your smile, kiddo. That’s the best currency I can think of,” he chuckles and disappears behind the kitchen door again.
In his mid-fifties and a newly minted grandfather himself, Sam spent most of his youth working under prominent chefs down in New York. He even ran a 2-star Michelin restaurant of his own in Manhattan before he closed it and moved back to Portland. According to him, nothing he cooked made sense. He missed home too much, along with its simpler, more familiar comforts. To be fair, hiring him has turned the diner into one of the more popular places in downtown Portland.
We have so many loyal and returning customers because of him. His pies are phenomenal. His cakes are to die for. And the plainest scrambled eggs taste like heaven on one’s tongue when Sam’s working in the kitchen. But what makes him truly amazing as a human being is his kindness and generosity. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who twisted our boss’s arm into keeping me on the books to give me legal rights to a proper maternity leave. Melissa sure seems to think so.
“His apricot pie is the greatest,” she swoons, taking a deep breath as the delicious fragrance starts sneaking into the dining room. “My God, if he weren’t already married, I’d marry him myself. Five times over.”
I laugh lightly. “Lucas loves the apricot pie, too. Every time I come home, as soon as he sees me coming through the door, he asks for it.”
“Soon enough, he’ll tar and feather you if you don’t come home with a slice. And wait until the cherry pies start coming out of the oven,” Melissa chuckles, then pauses to look outside. “Man, that rain is making me want to curl up with a thick blanket and a good book. It’ll get warmer and sunnier soon enough, but until then I guess we still have to put up with these nasty bouts of rain.”
“We’re almost there, honey,” I reply, checking my watch. “Speaking of, I need to skedaddle.”
“Don’t forget your pie.”
“Like I ever could.”
I get in my car and give the engine a few minutes to properly warm up. Noah’s mechanic may have brought this old thing back from the dead, but it’s still an ancient beast that needs proper time to be drivable.
The pie is safely stored in a box in the backseat, filling the whole car with its spectacular aroma. I’m practically drooling as I pull out into the main street and make my way home. The rain is getting heavier, but at least the wipers work fast enough to keep me driving safely through thickening traffic. Melissa is right. Summer needs to get here.
