of an idea whisked through me. For the moment, I set it aside.
“You’ll be terrific, Alice. You’ll see.” Eyes filled with doubt met mine, but she didn’t argue, just pulled her hand free.
“Wow. I’m really going to have a baby.” Alice shook her head, as if clearing cobwebs, and her body rippled with a shiver. “You don’t seem nearly as surprised as I feel. How can you be so calm?”
“I don’t know,” I said again. Probably, though, it was because of everything I’d experienced lately. Once you knew ghosts and magic were real, there wasn’t much left to surprise you.
Quietly, we picked at our lunch, neither of us in the mood for further conversation. When we went our separate ways, me to work, Alice to start looking for doctors, I hugged her as tightly as I could.
“I love you. I’ll stop by later tonight,” I murmured. And then, I watched as she shuffled to her car, head down, looking about as lonely and pitiful as a person could get.
Me? I just wanted to make her world a better place.
Nate and I stood at the last furniture store on my list. We’d been shopping for a good part of the day, and I’d already found almost everything I needed. Now, I was after the perfect couch.
“What about this one?” Nate asked, plopping down on a bright orange one similar to my parents’ Naugahyde version but in leather.“Orange leather? Not in this lifetime. I kind of like that one, though.” I pointed to a soft camel-colored sofa against the back wall of the furniture shop.
“I thought you wanted color.”
“I do. But not orange.”
“Well, let’s go take a peek, then.”
As soon as I sat on it, I knew it was the one. Envisioning morning coffee and the newspaper, afternoon novels, and evenings curled up with a blanket, I nodded in satisfaction. “This is it. I love it.” Glancing at the price tag, I winced. Today was taking a huge bite out of my wallet. But after a year of mourning, it was worth it.
“What else do you need?”
“Aren’t you getting tired of this? I can come back another day.” He’d tolerated my wandering from store to store like a champ, but I didn’t want to push it. You know, that whole men and shopping thing.
But then he surprised me. “I’m having a good time. Besides, it’s cool I’m helping you. What’s next?”
My stomach twirled at the affection in his gaze. A little secret here: I was falling hard and fast. God help me. Biting my lip, I said, “Actually, that about sums it up. Other than a few pictures, maybe.”
“Didn’t you say your sister was an artist? You should have her paint you something.”
“She’s stressed right now. Maybe later.” I’d seen Alice several times since that day at the restaurant, and she seemed to be doing better. She wasn’t her old self. Not yet. But I was happy to see her moving forward. Even better? She hadn’t contacted Troy yet. Thank God.
After I purchased and arranged for delivery of the couch, we headed out into the early evening. Excitement at all the changes in my life put a bounce into my step. Within a few short weeks, my apartment would be furnished, painted, and decorated. I couldn’t wait.
And me and Nate? Things were good. I didn’t allow myself to question if maybe—just maybe—they were too good. That question? I wasn’t ready to answer it. So I didn’t.
Procrastination? Maybe. Denial? Probably. What ever you wanted to call it, I was in it up to my eyeballs. Again, I let the worries slide away. At the moment, the only thing I wanted to concentrate on was the evening ahead of me.
After Nate unlocked the door to our building, I followed him in. We still hadn’t had mind-blowing, crazy, hot, make-my-knees-melt sex, but I planned on remedying that situation as soon as possible.
“Want to come in?” I knew Grandma Verda was at Vinny’s, so I had the place to myself. At least for a few hours.
“I was hoping you’d come to my place. I have the night off.” He brushed a kiss across my lips. Soft. Sweet. But with the promise of more.
“I didn’t think you’d ever ask. Let me go in and leave a note for Grandma, and I’ll be right over.”
Fifteen minutes later, I waited for Nate to answer my knock. Only he didn’t. He couldn’t have changed his mind already. Could he? I knocked again and waited some more. Still no answer. Maybe