“I still say that’s your best work ever. You could demand whatever price you wanted for that,” Filly said.
“But some things aren’t up for sale, are they, son?” Arty asked.
Emma nodded and thought that a person’s heart wasn’t for sale, but it could be given away.
“You got that right,” Josh answered. “It will always be mine until I die, and then maybe I’ll pass it down to whichever of my children appreciates good art.”
“Does that mean we’re going to get grandchildren someday?” Filly’s eyes twinkled.
“One never knows what the future might hold,” Emma answered. “Just a little over a month ago, I was stuck in a fancy institution with no hope in sight. Today I have money that I don’t even have to touch because I’ve made enough with two of my paintings to pay rent and live right here for a few more weeks.”
Suddenly she realized that she definitely wanted children, and she wanted Josh to be the father. Together, and with Filly’s and Arty’s help, they would figure out how to be good parents.
You are such a child. You didn’t even think about protection when you were romping around on the bed last night with a guy that couldn’t be worse suited to you. Victoria’s voice was clear as a bell in her head. You’ve never been able to think things through. You’ll always pull stupid stunts if I’m not there to take care of you.
“Go away,” Emma whispered.
“What?” Josh asked.
“I was fighting with my mother,” Emma confessed.
“Who won?” Arty asked.
“I guess I did, because I don’t care what she thinks of me anymore,” Emma admitted.
“Good girl,” Filly said. “Now, Josh, take that gorgeous piece of art back to your trailer and bring out your laptop so me and Em can get busy buying what we need for the wedding. I’ve been putting aside money just in case Sophie would let us have her wedding here, and I can’t wait to get things ordered.”
Emma glanced down at her flat stomach. Was there a baby in there? The idea excited her—something that was a part of both her and Josh. Someone that would be hers to raise, hopefully to grow up healthy, both physically and mentally. But how would Josh feel about that? Children arriving all of a sudden when they’d only just started a relationship?
She was still worrying with that idea when supper was over that evening. Josh stayed on her back porch with her for a while, but when it got close to bedtime, he kissed her on the forehead and told her good night. She added a new worry to the list—did he think they were moving too fast or had all the wedding preparations that afternoon spooked him?
After a long, warm shower, she got dressed in a pair of pajama pants that Sophie had left behind and a faded nightshirt and crawled into her twin bed. She’d forgotten to turn the light off and had to get up to do that. On her way to the switch, she stopped and read the plaque again. “Face-to-face with endless obstacles,” she said out loud. “Well, Josh, this is an obstacle that we need to face and talk about, and the longer we put it off, the bigger it will get.” She crammed her feet down into the pair of boots that Sophie had left for her, took a deep breath, and marched from her back porch to his. Evidently, Coco couldn’t decide if she wanted in or out, because the glass door was open. As Emma entered, Coco raised her head up from the sofa where she’d been curled up sleeping and meowed.
“Sorry, girl,” Emma whispered. “I’ll pet you in the morning. I’m on a mission right now.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she covered the distance down the short hallway.
Mercy! You’ve gotten brazen. She could hear Sophie giggling in her head.
I know what I want, and I’m not letting fear hold me back, she agreed with a nod of her head as she opened Josh’s bedroom door.
The light was still on, and Josh was lying on his back staring at her picture. He didn’t smile when he realized she was standing in the door.
“We need to talk.” She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry about last night,” Josh said.
“I’m not a bit sorry, so why are you?” she asked.
“I didn’t think about protection. I was so wrapped up