Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Olivia’s heart felt light as she walked toward the beach with Corey and his kids. She was still reeling a little from the unexpectedness of the invitation, and her emotions felt like a kite that had been launched into the sky and was now twirling around with the clouds.
She was excited to spend time with Max and Haley, and even more than that, she was eager to get to know Corey better. He seemed as though he had wanted her to come along, and she didn’t get the impression that he had simply invited her because his children had asked her to be there.
Once they reached the beach, everyone took off their shoes. The sand was hot, but they soon reached the edge of the ocean, and there the sand was cool and wet and sank pleasantly under their feet. The kids ran ahead, whooping and laughing, and Olivia and Corey continued to walk side by side, smiling at each other but not seeming to know what to say.
I like him , she thought, glancing at him as a ripple of cold ocean water ran across her feet. He’s kind, and he seems steadfast without being too stern. I think he’s got a good heart.
The wind whipped back their hair, and it smelled salty and exciting. Overhead, seagulls darted across the blue sky, letting out occasional hoarse cries. Before long, they reached the place where the starfish were. Olivia hurried forward eagerly with the kids, and sure enough, there in a shallow pool was a collection of gorgeous starfish. They were of varying shapes and colors, and some of them were moving slowly. Olivia felt a sense of awe as she gazed at the strange, beautiful creatures. The first time she had found that place she had been thrilled, but it felt even more magical to her now that the twins were there with her.
“Wow,” breathed Haley, staring down at the starfish in wonder.
“Those are so cool,” Max said. “I like that red one the best. He looks like he’s probably really old, because he’s so big.”
“That makes a lot of sense, Max,” Olivia said. “I don’t know that much about starfish, but maybe in class tomorrow we could do some research on them. We could all learn more about them together.”
“Cool!” said Max.
“I wish we could take them home with us.” Haley sighed.
“We don’t want to disturb nature, just look at it,” Olivia told her. “But it won’t disturb nature to name the starfish! What should we call that one? He looks kind of shy.”
“How about Burt?” suggested Max.
“Sure.” Olivia laughed. “What about that one? What do you think, Haley?”
“I want to name that one Miss Olivia,” said Haley.
“Wow! I never thought I would have a starfish named after me.” She winked at Haley, who grinned.
The three of them continued to name the starfish one by one, until every one of them had a name. The kids were captivated, and Olivia wished that she was more of an expert on starfish so that she could have turned the adventure into more of a learning experience.
Once all of the starfish had been named, Max seemed eager to start moving again. “Let’s go play in the water, Haley!”
“Okay!” his twin sister said, and within seconds the two of them were racing across the beach, tossing up sand behind their heels.
Laughing, Olivia watched them go. When she turned to Corey, who had been standing to the side all that time, her heart gave a lurch.
He was staring at her as if captivated. His eyes had a soft look, but he also seemed a little stunned.
“Is… is something wrong?” she stammered.
“No.” He shook his head. “Not at all. You’re just… you’re really great with kids. It’s really something.”
She smiled, crossing her arms shyly as she took some steps back toward him. “I’ve always loved kids. Ever since I stopped being one myself.” She laughed.
“Do you have any children of your own?” he asked softly.
She shook her head, her heart beating faster. Was he trying to figure out if she was single? “No, I don’t. But I absolutely want some someday. When the right partner comes along.”
He nodded, and she couldn’t read his expression. He was thinking deeply, that she could tell, but she had no idea about what. “It’s important to have a partner when raising kids,” he said finally. “Parenting can be done by one person, but it’s very hard. Especially when you’re used to working as a team with someone else.”
Her heart went out to him, and she wondered what had happened to his wife. For a moment she considered coming right out and asking him, but then decided that she didn’t want to pry. She should wait until she knew him better before asking him something like that.
“I also wanted to thank you,” he said softly, glancing at the kids as they chased each other in the shallow part of the water, “for taking Haley under your wing. I think she’s really needed a maternal figure in her life.”
Olivia nodded, her heart aching for the little girl. “Of course. I’m honestly very fond of her.”
“She is a sweetheart, but—well, sometimes she gets overwhelmed with everything and has outbursts. I’ve been having a really difficult time with her, because I haven’t known how to handle that.” He frowned, looking out across the ocean. She could tell that this was something that he’d been worried about for a long time. “It’s hard to get her to come out of her shell. Sometimes she tells me about the things that upset her as she’s getting upset, but then other times, all at once she’ll have a meltdown and I won’t know why.” He sighed. “It’s hard to understand what she needs when she gets upset. And then sometimes she’ll tell me about something she needs, we’ll solve it, and then she’ll have an outburst anyway.”
“Kids can be hard.” She spoke gently, watching his face carefully as he continued to frown into the distance. “Their feelings often don’t make sense—and a lot of the time, their feelings don’t even make sense to them. Everything is more intense for them because they’re still getting used to the world. And kids like Haley, who are extra sensitive, can have a harder time coping.”
He nodded. “She is extra sensitive. And sometimes, that’s a wonderful thing. She notices things that no one else does.”
Olivia beamed at him, seeing his love for his daughter in his eyes. “And she has such a wonderful gift for making art. That comes from her sensitivity as well.”
He smiled back at her. “You’re right. And I love her and I wouldn’t change a thing about her, but… well, I wish it was easier for me to understand her and give her what she needs.”
“Some kids just need a little extra patience, and an adult in their lives who will take the time to really listen to them.”
He chuckled softly. “You seem to be the kid whisperer. You should write a book.”
She threw her head back laughing. “I don’t know about that. But I do think I’m meant to work with kids.” She smiled to herself, remembering how she’d finally reached that decision. “After college, I decided not to pursue my degree. I just kind of bounced around for a while, unsure of what to do with my life. I was a server for a while, which was fun, but not what I wanted to do forever. My aunt Marsha really helped me find my direction. I’d kind of always had a vague sense that it was my calling to work with kids, but she’s the one who helped me really see that consciously and believe that it was okay to make that a career. I’m so happy with my job now. Every day that I’m there, I just feel so passionate about the work. It’s so rewarding. I love spending time with the kids and helping them grow.”
She realized that she’d been rambling a little, but Corey was smiling at her, clearly interested in what she’d been saying.
“Thanks for coming out with us today,” he said softly. “It’s been great having you here.”
For a moment, they shared a smile.
“I’d be happy to show you three around town anytime,” she said, realizing she might be sounding over-eager again and not caring. “Anywhere you want to go.”
Alissa shuffled up the front walk of her and Dane’s house, feeling exhausted. Ahead of her, Dane was opening the front door. He’d been hovering over her ever since they left the office together that afternoon, wanting to make sure she was all right. As soon as they’d gotten out of the car, he’d hurried ahead to the front door, as if he was intent on pulling out a chair for her the moment they got inside.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her as they stepped inside the house. “You look a little pale.”
“I don’t feel great,” she admitted. “Maybe I did go back to the office a little too soon.”
He winced. “Please don’t overwork yourself, Alissa.”
She shook her head and sat down in the kitchen chair that he had in fact pulled out for her. “I was really happy to go back to work today. I love feeling productive.”
“I know, but maybe you went back too soon.” He started massaging her shoulders.
She grunted gratefully in response, feeling some of her tension melt away. “Maybe you’re right.” She sighed. “I do feel kind of crappy and rundown today. At least, I started feeling like that about halfway through the day.”
They heard clumping sounds, and a moment later, Johanna stepped into the kitchen, still walking on her crutches. “Welcome home, you two.” She smiled affectionately at them.
“Hey, Mom.” Dane went over to her and gave her a hug. “How was your day?”
“Oh, fine, fine. It was lonely here without Alissa.” She winked at Alissa, who grinned back at her.
“Did you watch the first two seasons of our show yet?”
Johanna shook her head. “Not all of it. I’m about halfway through the first season. But I love it. Do you remember the episode where they remodel that old mansion in New Orleans? That was absolutely fabulous.”
Alissa and Johanna were soon chatting excitedly about their favorite show, and Dane left them to it, grinning. They’d all meal-prepped together as best they could at the beginning of that week—which had been fairly difficult with two injured chefs —and he set to work throwing together an alfredo pasta with homemade meatballs and a salad on the side.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Alissa said to him when her conversation with Johanna reached a lull. “Do you want us to help you with that?”
He shook his head cheerfully, smiling. “You two injured ones sit there comfortably. I’ve got this.”
“I think we should make brownies for him for dessert,” Alissa whispered to Johanna, making her voice loud enough for Dane to hear on purpose. “I’ve got a box mix around here somewhere.”
Johanna winked and nodded as Dane chuckled, and Alissa grinned, reflecting that she couldn’t believe she’d just suggested making box mix brownies with her mother-in-law.
Soon dinner was ready, and they sat down comfortably at the kitchen table to eat it together. The food was delicious, and Alissa ate it hungrily—until about halfway through the meal, when all at once she started to feel violently nauseous.
“I… I’ll be right back,” she said hurriedly, and raced to the nearest bathroom. Once she was inside, she fought back the urge to vomit, taking deep breaths. She knew that peppermint helped sooth nausea, and she and Dane kept a vial of peppermint essential oil in the medicine cabinet. She took some deep inhales of that and drank a little water out of the faucet. After a while, the nausea started to subside, and she slowly left the bathroom, tottering a little in her intensified fatigue.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Dane asked, approaching her in the hallway. She realized that he had been waiting for her outside of the bathroom.
She nodded, offering him a wobbly smile. “Yeah, I think I might have gotten some food poisoning or something. I got super nauseous all of a sudden.”
“Oh no.” He wrapped an arm around her, frowning in concern. “Maybe the meatballs went bad somehow? I’ll throw the rest of the meal away.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know—I took a long time to drink my latte today, maybe it spoiled sitting out on my desk that long.”
He pressed his lips together. “All the same, I’d rather be cautious.”
They stepped back into the kitchen, where Johanna was watching for them in concern.
“Are you all right, Alissa?” she asked.
“I think I’m just not feeling well,” Alissa said, sitting back down in her chair. The nausea was continuing to fade, and that was a relief. She smiled weakly. “I’ve felt tired and a little nauseous on and off these past few days. It’s probably just fatigue.”
Johanna’s eyebrows lifted in a shrewd expression. “Or you’re pregnant.”
Alissa’s jaw dropped. “I…” she stammered. The idea swept over her in a rush, making her heart beat faster. She turned to Dane, her eyes wide. “I don’t know…”
She realized in a flash that it was more than possible, it was probable, based on her monthly calendar. It was something she hadn’t been thinking much about in the midst of everything else, but all at once she realized just how likely it was that she was pregnant.
Dane looked thunderstruck—and even though he wasn’t smiling yet, Alissa could see a glow of excitement in his eyes.
“I’m going to go get a test,” he said, standing up and hurrying toward the back door. He tugged on his shoes. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Alissa laughed, finding his speed endearing. She and Johanna exchanged a warm smile as he dashed out the door.
As they waited, Alissa continued to sniff the peppermint essential oil and take deep breaths. She felt as though her heart was dancing around in her chest. She wanted so much for the test to be positive. Johanna didn’t talk much, but Alissa could practically see the excitement humming under her mother-in-law’s skin.
Dane arrived back at the house a few minutes later, looking frazzled and dreamy-eyed. He handed Alissa the test, and she hurried off to the bathroom to take it.
“One more minute, and we’ll know,” she said, stepping out of the bathroom. The test was resting on the edge of the bathroom sink, and she didn’t want to stare at it by herself anymore. She wanted Dane and Johanna to look at it with her.
Dane hurried into the bathroom and she went back inside with him. Johanna followed them, and the three of them stood there together, staring at the test.
A second pink line appeared in the test window. Alissa’s heart leapt up, and beside her, Dane let out a whoop and folded her tightly into his arms—being careful to keep her injured arm out of the embrace.
“Oh my,” Johanna gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh my. This is such wonderful news. I cannot wait to meet this baby.”
“We can’t wait for you to meet her either, Mom,” Dane said, reaching out and squeezing his mother’s shoulder.
“I’ll have to come visit a lot,” Johanna said wistfully, “if that’s all right.”
“Of course,” Alissa assured her warmly, stepping up to her mother-in-law and giving her a hug. “You’re welcome to come visit us anytime.”
She could see the longing in Johanna’s eyes when she heard the words.
She’s happy here, Alissa thought, and now that we’re going to have a baby, there’s a whole new reason why I think she’d be happier living here.
She beamed at her mother-in-law and inwardly resolved to do what she could to convince Johanna to move to Blueberry Bay.