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“Yeah,” my sister spits out, eyes narrow. “’Oh’. Do you want to explain to me why she was in Fingers & Toes?”
“What?” I ask, my mind racing. Putting the financial report down, I turn my full attention to her. I might not know where exactly this is going yet, but I can guess. Blair wouldn’t have said anything to Vanessa, but Vanessa is sharp. And intuitive. She’d know with a glance…
“The boutique. Thebabyboutique, Nick. I went down to donate a bunch of the girls’ baby clothes that I dug out of storage and Blair was in there looking at newborn clothing. Something tells me you might know why.”
I can feel my face slowly darken with color, which doesn’t happen often. As a kid, it used to be a dead giveaway to Vanessa that I was lying, or getting ready to. Now she watches me closely, her arms across her chest.
I open my mouth, then close it. Shake my head.
“No, you don’t know?” Her tone changes from one of frustration to one of curiosity. “Or… no, you can’t tell me?”
I nod, feeling a flood of relief. It’s ridiculous at my age to be playing charades with my sister, but I promised Blair I wouldn’t say anything.
“If I guess, you have to tell me,” she says.
Fair is fair. “Okay.”
“I think Blair is pregnant. Probably a month or two, at least. And based on that information, and the little I know about Blair, I think it’s safe to say the baby is probably yours.”
Relief comes flooding in. At least Vanessa knows now and I can tell her about all the feelings I’m having about this. I put my head in my hands and half-laugh, half-cry, though tears don’t come.
“Are you okay?” Vanessa asks tentatively.
“Yeah. I am, I just… ugh. I just found out recently. The night of the networking event actually.”
Vanessa looks surprised. “That night? You had no idea before?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t ask her, but I don’t think she knew too long before I did. She got sick—fainted—and I brought her to the hospital. That’s how I found out.”
Vanessa sits back heavily, taking it all in. “I know I shouldn’t really ask this, but it’s definitely yours?”
A slow smile spreads across my face. I could make a few tasteless jokes, but don’t. Instead, I say, “Blair doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who gets around. Actually, I had the impression that our… situation is the first situation she’s had in a while.” I shrug. “If she’s anything like me, it was just to let off steam. And then, working together…”
Vanessa makes a face and I trail off, laughing. “Sorry. I don’t know what to say. I find her irresistible.”
My sister returns the smile, enjoying the conversation now that everything is out in the open. “I didn’t ask her when I saw her, of course. I wanted to talk to you first. So… are you excited?”
My smile wavers and falls a little. “I am. I was. I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
I sigh, the weight of reality back on my shoulders.
“I don’t think she wants me involved, Vanessa. Actually, I know she doesn’t. She specifically requested that I leave her, and the baby, alone once our work with the firm is completed.”
A frown twists Vanessa’s features. “What?” She sounds incredulous. “She can’t mean that.” She gets up and starts to stretch out her back. “No… that doesn’t make sense. Something is off. Have you tried to talk to her about it?”
“Of course, Vanessa! I’d give anything—” I choke on the words, unable to express just how badly I want this future that I’ve gotten a taste of. Blair, a baby, a family. Not being alone in this massive house. Not working so hard for a career that I never signed up for with only monetary rewards . But then, when have I ever been allowed the things I truly want?
“I’ve asked her but she’s really vague about it. Maybe it’s for the best.”
She scoffs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Remember Callie?”
Her face goes blank at the mention of my ex. When we broke it off—when I broke it off—Vanessa was upset for months. She didn’t understand why I’d done it, and she was dealing with Greg’s death, so I didn’t want to add the details of the breakup to her burden. It took a little over a year before I told her what happened. How Dad caught Callie in our files, adding up accounts, and figuring out how much I was worth.
“You can’t be serious,” Vanessa says.
