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Chapter Twenty-One
It tooka little while for Gabby to calm down enough for Holly to do anything. She stood there, in the middle of the park, and just held her daughter. If Gabby had needed her to stand there all night and hug her, then that was what Holly was going to do.
But, her tears finally subsided. She still shook and the look in her eyes told her the tears could return at any moment. The middle of a busy park wasn't the best place for them to try to figure this all out, Holly decided, and after a few more moments to make sure Gabby was a bit more stable, they headed out.
Holly didn't want to go back to the inn just yet. There was too much going on there right now, and Holly wanted to be able to give Gabby her complete focus for a bit longer. Instead, she decided to take her to Mel's cabana bar. It wasn't the most private of locations, but if they could snag a table in the back, they would have enough privacy to talk without everyone in the world overhearing.
That would have to do for now.
Thankfully, it was between lunch and dinner when they arrived, so the place wasn't very busy at all. The hostess seemed surprised they wanted a table inside rather than one of the ones out on the beach. While there was a handful of people outside enjoying a late lunch or early dinner, there was next to no one sitting inside.
This was perfect for them as it gave Holly and Gabby some time to talk before the crowds started showing up.
"I still can't believe this happened," Gabby said, her hands resting on her stomach. "I mean, I guess I can. It's not like we were being super careful or anything like that. We're engaged, you know? And I mean, eventually, I wanted to have kids with him. It's just... now..."
Holly nodded her understanding. Having kids in the future was one thing. Getting a sudden surprise, right in the middle of the world, being topsy-turvy was a completely different scenario. And while she had no doubt Gabby and Lucas would make amazing parents, she understood her daughter's fears.
"Lucas isn't like your father," Holly said, choosing her words carefully. "I've seen the way he treats you. The way he talks to you. Your father was never abusive or anything, but he never doted on me the way Lucas dotes on you."
Gabby blinked for a moment and then smiled just a bit. Her eyes clouded over, and Holly knew she was lost in a memory. Probably some romantic gesture Lucas had done for her at some point.
Now that Holly thought about it, how often had Will done romantic things for her? Ones he had done just to surprise her or make her happy, without anyone else around to give him brownie points? Maybe it was just the lingering resentment, but try as she might, she couldn't think of a single time.
"Has Lucas ever once done anything to make you think you can't trust him? Even the smallest thing?" Holly asked. She could think of a number of things Will had done over the years. Nothing that would outright raise red flags, but all together and with the power of hindsight, there were clues all throughout their relationship.
Gabby pursed her lips as she considered the question. She thought about it for a long while, and Holly sat patiently, not wanting to rush her daughter. "No," she said at last. "He's always been an open book. I mean, I don't hover over him or anything, but he never really hides anything from me. I know the password to his phone, not that I ever check it. Same with his laptop."
"You think your father ever gave me the passwords to anything that wasn't directly related to my work at the company? Not that I ever asked for them. Back then, I hadn't ever had a reason to. But he would have never volunteered that information. If Lucas did, then that should tell you something right there."
"Yeah," Gabby said quietly as she nodded. Once again, she was lost in thought. This was all so much for her to process and come to terms with. It was going to take time for her to truly figure out how she felt about everything, instead of just letting her emotions run rampant.
But Gabby had something to look forward to. She may not have realized it just yet, but that tiny baby growing inside her would change her life. Babies were something special. They gave you this sense of hope and positivity that Holly had never been able to replicate in the years since she'd had hers.
Heck, just knowing she had a grandbaby on the way sparked something inside of Holly. She had been slowly figuring things out and piecing herself back together. But now... Now she had something new and exciting to look forward to.
She remembered the time she had spent with her granddaughter Rachel as a baby, how looking into her big, beady eyes had filled her with so much joy and excitement. God, how had she let that get away from her? That right there should have been the pivotal moment in her life. But it hadn't been. She had gone right back to work, burying herself neck-deep in it.
"You can do this, Gabby. You and Lucas are going to be amazing parents. And he's going to be an amazing husband." Holly reached across the table and took her daughter's hands in hers. She squeezed them tight and locked eyes with Gabby, not breaking eye contact for even a moment. "I have more regrets about my past than I can count. But, you know what? I've got even more moments that I wouldn't trade for the world. Like you and Sean."
Gabby stared at her for a moment and then blinked away the tears that had started to form. She nodded and smiled, a real smile, for the first time since she had arrived in the Keys.
Just like everything else, her problems weren't going to be solved in an instant. But they had time, and together they would figure it all out.
"Well, well, well," a voice said from across the restaurant. Holly looked up to see a grinning Melissa heading toward them. "First, I don't see you for years at a time, and now I've seen you three times in a week. The world really must be coming to an end."
Holly grinned and stood, hugging Mel when she walked over. "Nah, it's just finally starting to right itself out. Mel, this is my daughter, Gabby."
"Wow, she's the spitting image of her mother." Mel winked at her and gave Gabby a quick hug. "What brings you to our tiny little town? I hope you're not planning on whisking your mother back to Miami already. She just got here."
Gabby and Holly exchanged a look. That was one of the benefits of them being so much alike. They didn't always need words to communicate with each other. Gabby gave her mother a slight smile and a nod, answering her silent question.
"Well, if you must know, Gabby drove all the way down here to give me the good news. She's pregnant with her first child."
Melissa's eyes went wide. Her mouth hung open, and she looked very much like the air had just been knocked from her lungs. "Oh, my God! What wonderful news," she said, her voice echoing across the restaurant. Holly hadn't realized just how long they had been there. A small group of people had trickled into the place, mostly older locals who wanted dinner before it became a zoo with tourists.
"That's gotta be the best thing I've heard all day!" Melissa pulled Gabby into another hug, squeezing her tight. Holly's best friend was bouncing up and down with excitement, making Holly laugh. "I think that calls for a little celebration. I'll be right back!"
Neither of them had a chance to inquire what Melissa meant by that before the woman disappeared back into the kitchen. They looked at each other for a moment, and then both burst out laughing. They wore matching grins now and at least for a little while, all of their worries and stress had been put on the back burner.
