25. Sadie
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sadie
Page Turners smelled like home. Not my home, exactly, but the kind of home I imagined having when I was younger.
One filled with the scent of old pages and cinnamon tea, a place where the air hummed with quiet conversation and the occasional delighted squeal of someone finding the perfect book.
The bell over the door jingled as I stepped inside, and a warmth settled in my chest, as if the bookstore itself was reaching out to embrace me.
I’d always loved this place, but I had to admit, it was looking better than ever these days.
The new owner really was incredible.
Aurora stood behind the counter, bouncing baby Evie on her hip while she flipped through a book with her free hand. She glanced up at the sound of the bell, her face lighting up when she saw me.
“Hey, stranger. Haven’t seen you in a bit.” She closed the book and set it down, shifting her baby to her other arm. “How’re you feeling?”
It was the same question I’d been asked a dozen times in the past week, and yet something about the way Aurora said it made me want to answer honestly instead of brushing it off.
Maybe it was the easy way she held her child, the gentle sway of her body as if she’d been made to carry love like this.
“Better,” I admitted, stepping closer. “Still tired, but I think that has more to do with everything going on in my head than anything physical.”
She nodded like she understood completely, and maybe she did. “Yeah, that kind of exhaustion runs deeper. Tea helps. So does a really good book. Luckily, I have both.”
I smiled, letting the warmth of the space sink in. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Aurora gestured toward the back where a cozy reading nook was set up, then turned to a small side table where a pot of tea steamed. “Come sit for a bit. No rush. You know this place is magic… sometimes just being here helps.”
I followed her, sliding into the corner of the overstuffed couch as she poured two cups of tea. Evie nestled against her, gurgling happily, and I couldn’t help but stare.
“She’s getting so big.”
“I know, right?” Aurora chuckled, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s head. “I swear she changes overnight. Sometimes I blink, and she’s a whole new person. It’s terrifying and amazing at the same time.”
I let that settle over me, the weight of my own thoughts pressing harder against my chest.
“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” Aurora said, studying me carefully as she handed me my cup. “I mean, besides the obvious.”
I stiffened slightly before forcing myself to relax. “The obvious?”
“Sadie, come on.” Aurora gave me a knowing look.
“Small town, remember? People notice things. And I might not know every little detail, but I know enough. I also know what it’s like to be in your shoes.
Scared, uncertain, wondering what the hell your life is going to look like now. Not sure if Medford is even home.”
I swallowed around the sudden tightness in my throat. “And did you figure it out?”
Aurora exhaled softly, shifting Evie slightly so she could reach for her own tea. “Eventually. And it turned out better than I expected. But it took time. And a lot of freaking out.”
I let out a breathy laugh, staring into my cup. “I think I’m still in the freaking-out stage.”
“That’s allowed. The freaking-out stage can take as long as you want.”
I hesitated, glancing at her, at the way she looked at me like she genuinely cared, like she saw the tangled mess in my head and wasn’t afraid of it. “I don’t even know what I want. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
“There’s no ‘supposed to,’” Aurora said simply. “There’s just what you need, what you want, and what feels right.”
I chewed on my lip, my fingers tightening around my mug. “What if I don’t know what that is?”
She reached out, squeezing my hand lightly. “Then you take it one step at a time. And you let the people who love you help.”
The words hit me harder than I expected, knocking something loose in my chest.
Love.
The kind of love that came without conditions, without expectations.
The kind of love that had scared me for so long.
“You’re talking about Samuel, Kai, and Adam, aren’t you?” I murmured, not sure I wanted to say their names out loud, not sure what it meant to acknowledge them in this way.
Aurora smiled knowingly. “I am. Because I see the way they look at you. And if I’m not mistaken, you look at them the same way.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, staring down at the swirl of tea in my cup. “It’s complicated.”
“The best things usually are.”
I huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “You sound awfully wise for someone who’s only a couple years older than me.”
“Motherhood does that to you,” she said with a smirk. “That, and owning a bookstore. All the answers are in books, Sadie. You just have to find the right one.”
“Oh god, I wouldn’t even know what book to start with!”
Aurora hesitated before shifting Evie to her other hip. “Want to talk about it?”
I opened my mouth to deflect, to make some excuse, but when I looked at her, really looked, I saw someone who’d been through it.
Who understood.
So, I took a breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”
Aurora didn’t flinch, didn’t gasp in surprise. “That’s big.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “You could say that.”
She nodded. “How do you feel about it?”
I exhaled slowly, gathering my thoughts.
“Scared. Terrified, actually. I don’t…” My throat tightened. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be someone’s mother when I barely had one myself.”
Aurora’s expression softened. “You think that makes you unlovable?”
I flinched at how easily she saw through me, but I didn’t deny it.
She sighed, shifting her weight. “Sadie, family isn’t just blood. It’s the people who show up. And from what I hear, you’ve got three very stubborn men who aren’t going anywhere.”
I scoffed. “They’re hovering, that’s for sure.”
“Because they care. Because they want to be there for you.”
Tears burned the back of my eyes. “What if I let them in, and then I lose them?”
Aurora reached out, squeezing my hand. “What if you let them in, and they stay?”
I swallowed hard, nodding, because I didn’t have an answer for that.
Aurora’s gaze was thoughtful as she spoke. “You know, Sadie, there’s something I’ve learned since I’ve been here. Medford isn’t just a place… it’s a community. And you’re not alone in this, even if it feels like you are right now.”
She glanced down at Evie, who was happily chewing on one of her toys, then back at me.
“You’ve got your foster mom here, right? That’s a huge thing.”
“I do,” I whispered, my throat tight with emotion. “It’s just… everything’s so complicated. I don’t know how to accept a family in, I suppose.”
Aurora nodded. “I get it. I didn’t always have that either.
But I’ve learned sometimes family isn’t just the people you’re born to.
It’s the ones who choose you. And I see you with your foster mom.
I see how she’s been there for you, how she’s not going anywhere.
You’re already part of a family, Sadie. And that family doesn’t just include Hayley. ”
She gave me a pointed look, as though daring me to disagree.
“You’ve got Medford. You’ve got all of us. And, yeah, you’ve got Samuel, Kai, and Adam, too. All of them want to be there for you, to help you figure this out. But you’ve also got friends who’ve been here for years, who understand what it’s like to struggle, to build your life from the ground up.”
Her words hit me like a wave, and I swallowed hard, not sure if I was ready to accept all the love and support she was offering.
Aurora gave me a moment before smiling, a playful glint in her eyes. “Alright, enough heavy stuff. You’re coming with me and Lila to get ready for the Harvest and Hearth Festival in a couple of days.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“You heard me,” she said, her grin widening. “We’re giving you a makeover. The works.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I don’t know if that’s necessary…”
“It is. Trust me,” Aurora said, her voice firm with an undercurrent of excitement. “If you’re going to start embracing this new chapter, you need to look the part. And maybe a little pampering will help you clear your head.”
I hesitated, the idea of being the center of attention making me a little nervous. But the warmth in her eyes, the unspoken promise of support, made it impossible to say no.
“Okay,” I said softly, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Okay.”
Aurora squeezed my hand again. “One step at a time, Sadie. You’re not alone in this.”
I felt a flicker of hope.