Happily This Christmas (Happily Inc #6) - Susan Mallery Page 0,50
in it over their first Christmas.
That had been a hard time—she’d been so scared. Not just about him but about how she was going to keep him in diapers and herself in food. She’d been too young, too poor and too alone to manage, but she had. How would it be different now?
The question surprised her. Why did it matter? She wasn’t having more children. She was done with that. Hunter was fourteen and she...
She was only thirty-four, she reminded herself. A lot of women hadn’t even started having kids at that age. She was healthy—there was no reason to think she couldn’t get pregnant and have a baby. She certainly had financial resources and a support network beyond what she could have dreamed about the first time around.
Funny how she’d made all kinds of rules for herself when it came to romantic relationships, but she’d never thought about having more kids. Not seriously. But as she turned the idea over in her head, she realized that it wasn’t totally crazy. She liked children. She liked being a mother. She would prefer to have a man in her life, but even if she didn’t she would be fine.
The unexpected line of thought had her shaking her head. She decided to let the idea sit for a while. Later, she would take it out and see how she felt, but for now she still had decorations to get through.
Over the next hour she examined the tree skirt, the silk poinsettias she used to make a display in a fireplace and did a battery count for her flameless candles. She was just putting the last bin back on the shelf when Joylyn wandered into the garage and waved a greeting.
“Hi,” Wynn said. “I’m getting ready for holiday decorating. I like to go through everything to make sure it’s all in good condition, then Hunter and I will start putting things out tonight. What’s going on with you?”
“Not much.” She sighed as she spoke.
Wynn started toward the door to the house. “Come on,” she said. “I made lemonade yesterday, and there’s some coffee cake from breakfast. We’ll be more comfortable in the kitchen.”
Joylyn followed her. Wynn pushed the button to close the garage door, then collected glasses and dessert plates. When everything was prepared, she sat across from Joylyn.
“You feeling all right?” she asked.
The young mother-to-be nodded. “Physically it’s all what it’s been. My back hurts, I can’t see my feet. You know—normal.”
“Considering how pregnant you are, yes.”
Joylyn picked at her piece of coffee cake. “It’s just everything is different. My friends stopped by yesterday.”
“Were they the ones driving that great old Mustang? It was a sweet ride.”
Joylyn pressed her lips together. “They drank all day and hung out by the pool. It’s like we have nothing in common. They’re interested in having fun and getting laid, and I’m just not into that. Not anymore.”
“You chose a different path.”
“Was it the right one?” Joylyn looked at her, tears trembling on her lower lashes. “Did I make a mistake?”
Wynn had a feeling the question was a lot more about feeling lonely than any serious introspection.
“Are you sorry you married Chandler?”
“What? No! Of course not. I love him. I’m not sorry we’re married.” She put a hand on her belly. “I wish I hadn’t gotten pregnant when I did, but we were always going to have kids. It’s just everyone’s having fun but me.”
“You do have more responsibility than your friends. But you’re also more settled. While they’re still trying to figure out their lives, you know where you’re going.”
“You’re right.” Joylyn sipped her lemonade. “I wouldn’t want to be dating. I’m glad I found Chandler when I did. We’re right together. I guess I’m lonely.”
“That makes sense. Your husband is deployed, your friends are all somewhere else. You have your dad, but no real girlfriend support system.”
Joylyn nodded glumly. “I should have stayed on base. If Chandler gets deployed again, I’m staying close to the other Marine wives.”
“So you have a plan.”
Joylyn looked at her. “How did you handle having Hunter on your own? I think about my son being born and it terrifies me. I have no idea what to do or how to take care of him. I mean I have younger brothers and I remember when they were babies, but that’s different. My mom was there. This time I’ll be the mom.”
“You do what you have to do. It is terrifying. The first fever, the first time he gets a cold.