10. Chapter 10
She’s speechless, but her green eyes are ablaze with annoyance, and they’re burning a hole right through me. I’m definitely playing with fire. Before I get scorched, I hand her the phone, whisper good night, and walk away. I’m half expecting her to throw something at me, but I make it inside the store unscathed. She’s mad as hell. So why am I smiling?
At six o’clock, I hit the snooze button, thinking I’ll get up in five minutes and go for a long run before work. When I turn over in bed, the phone starts ringing.
I answer the phone immediately when I see that it’s Adam.
“Adam?” I say groggily.
“Sorry to wake you, Brother,” he begins,” Katie’s in labor. We’ve been in the hospital since two o’clock this morning. Loren’s with Tori at the house. I have a couple of things scheduled for this morning at the office.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, “I’ll take care of everything.”
“That’ll be great,” Adam says, “Listen, Loren has several interviews at the studio today, so she can’t keep Tori all day. She’s going to drop her off at daycare this morning. Can you pick her up this afternoon after you get Holly and drop her off at the studio? My in-laws are on their way to the hospital now.”
“Yes, absolutely,” I say. “If Loren is swamped at the studio, I’ll keep Tori. Now go back to your wife. I can’t wait to meet baby Jon.”
I end the call and smile because I know what Adam and Katherine had to go through to get their happily ever after. I bet they would both say it was all worth it.
Adam is not only my foster brother; he’s been my best friend for many years. Once he graduated from college, we both ended up in Cortland and started working together on some of his side projects. I found that I enjoyed the work, but more than that, I enjoyed working alongside him.
A few weeks after Adam’s return to Cold Spring, he called me and let me know he and Katherine had started a relationship. I wasn’t surprised. He had been in love with Katherine for years. I knew it, Julie knew it, and for sure, Katherine’s father knew it.
After his call, I looked over at Julie, who was a few months pregnant and sitting next to me on the couch, rubbing her tiny baby bump. “I knew it was just a matter of time,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
About five years before that call, Adam had come home after visiting the Linders, and something was different. We knew he loved Jon’s family like a son and a brother would, but that night, there was a different quality to his words about Katherine. We sensed that his love for her was growing differently than his love for the other sisters. With each passing year, we saw how his face would light up, and his eyes would twinkle every time he talked about Katherine.
Julie and I would sit and listen to him recounting Katherine’s latest achievements and what she was up to. He didn’t sound like a proud sibling; he sounded like a man in love with a woman he could never have. We knew that Katherine was not a fan of Adam, but we were wrong. Love was growing in Katherine’s heart, too, even if she didn’t realize it or want to admit it.
For fourteen years, Jon kept Katherine and Adam connected by sharing with each of them what the other was doing. There were accomplishments, failures, highs and lows, new relationships, and the ensuing breakups. They got to know each other through the man who knew them best.
When they met again, the sparks flew, the anger ebbed, forgiveness was granted, and love blossomed. They were married six months later. Now, they’re getting ready to welcome their second child, and I’m ready to meet my first nephew.
I skip my run and go to Mom and Dad’s early so I can sit and have breakfast with Holly before taking her to school. As soon as I sit down, Mom pours me a cup of coffee, and five minutes later, she gives me two thick slices of French toast swimming in maple syrup and topped with sliced strawberries. I promise myself to run six miles after work tonight.
When Holly enters the kitchen, she’s wearing a pretty cream-colored dress and a bright pink cardigan mom bought her in Mexico. Her hair is braided and wrapped into two soft buns, Princess Leia style. Loose tendrils are framing her pretty face. She looks more like Julie every day.
After dropping Holly off at school, I go to the office and get to work. Even though there’s plenty to do, the day seems to move in slow motion. Probably because I know once the day is over, I’ll get to see Loren again.
I leave the office at three o’clock, and after picking up the girls, we go through the drive-through at Starbucks and order some cold drinks and snacks. When I park the car, I immediately notice that I’m nervous. I hope she’s not still mad at me about last night.
As soon as I open the door, I can see Loren sitting at a table in deep conversation with a man I don’t recognize. No one else is in the studio. The girls run in, and before I can stop them, they’re both wrapping their arms around Loren.
Loren hugs them back and, addressing the man, she says, “Excuse me.” She gets up and motions for me to approach her. “Would you mind taking the girls to the kitchen down the hall?” she asks.
“We know where it is, Daddy,” says Holly, grabbing me by the hand.
I smile at Loren and let the girls guide me to the kitchen in the back of the studio. I take two containers out of the bag and place them along with the drinks on the table. I sit next to the girls and watch them eat their snacks of fruit, cheese, and crackers. I find myself listening intently to the conversation taking place in the front of the small studio. Based on the questions and answers I can hear; Loren is conducting an interview. About ten minutes later, the door chime signals the young man’s departure.
I turn my attention back to the girls, who are polishing off the last couple of bites. I hear the phone ring a few times before Loren answers it. I can only hear her side of the conversation. From what I can gather, she’s talking to Sharon. Her voice is loud and excited. Is she crying or laughing? Or both? Something’s happened. I get up to check on her, and when I reach the door, Loren slams right into me. Before I can utter a word in protest, she wraps her arms around me in a big bear hug.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” I hear myself say. She ends the embrace and looks up at me. She’s smiling, and her eyes are full of tears and joy. “The baby is here!” She says between laughing and crying before hugging me again. This time, I wrap my arms around her and pull her in close, her slender body fitting perfectly against mine. Her sweet scent is both calming and intoxicating. I don’t let go, and neither does she. After a few seconds, she lets go, and I realize I miss her already.
“Jonathan David Morgan was born at two forty-two p.m. He’s seven pounds, thirteen ounces, and 21 inches long. He’s perfect!”
She walks over to the girls, who are both looking at us, their little faces questioning and confused. They don’t understand what’s happening.
“Tori,” Loren begins, “Are you ready to meet your little brother?”
“Yes!” Tori answers excitedly.
“Grandma called and said I should take you now to meet him.”
“Who’s your grandma?” Holly asks, looking at Loren.
“No, not my grandma,” Loren responds,” Tori’s grandma, Sharon. Sharon is my mommy.”
Holly looks down at her hand, still holding a grape, and says, “My mommy lives in heaven. I don’t get to see her. I have a picture of her in my room, though. Do you want to see it?”
“I would love to see it, Sweetie,” Loren says, looking up at me.
“Daddy, can Loren come over to see Mommy’s picture?” My heart aches as I smile and nod yes to my little girl.
“Loren can come by later or maybe tomorrow. Today, she’s going to take Tori to the hospital so she can meet her new baby brother.
“Adam wants you and Holly to meet your new nephew,” Loren says.
For the next half hour, I help Loren wipe down tables and chairs. We put over a dozen pieces in the kilns. She picks up the kitchen while I wipe down the bathroom and give it a quick mop. I sweep the floors and empty the trash bins while she fills paint containers and sets up tables for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the girls are engaged in a deep conversation about baby Jon and the difference between blonde hair and black hair.
When we all walk out the door, Loren locks it and takes Tori by the hand.
“I’m going to the house,” she says, “I need to pick up a little gift I got for Jon. We’ll meet you at the hospital?”
I nod yes and smile, wanting to say so much more. Like how beautiful she looks when she’s happy. How the gold around her pupils gets darker when she’s excited. How her sweet scent drives me insane. How when she hugged me, I wanted to hold her in my arms forever. But I say nothing, realizing for the hundredth time just how much out of my league this woman is.