Chapter 9 #2
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. And if that’s true, it’s up to him to tell you how he feels.
But I wouldn’t worry about it, Hazel. I have a feeling they’re just a couple of random incidents that don’t really mean anything.
” He gave his sister a sideways hug. “I’m always here to talk if you want, but I think you have no reason to worry about anything.
I don’t think Jacob wouldn’t want you to decorate your house the way you want to.
He loves you, and I’m sure he wants you to decorate in a way that makes you feel happy. ”
I would let Noelle do anything she wanted to in most instances , he thought, feeling a glow of love for his girlfriend.
Even if it was putting up pink pony wallpaper.
I love her so much, and I want her to be able to do the things that make her happy.
I know Jacob feels the same way about Hazel.
I think that’s just how it is when you’re in love with someone.
“Okay.” She smiled at him. “Thanks, Dean. I’ll do my best to put it out of my mind. What was that ring you wanted to show me?”
He grinned and pointed into the display case. “That one right there. With the sapphires and the diamonds alternating. Isn’t it nice?”
“So pretty. Do you think that’s the one?”
Dean hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. “Almost, but not quite. I think when I see the right ring, it’s just going to click for me.”
“And this from the guy who was about to buy her a massive square cut.”
He laughed. “Hey, I realized what you meant as soon as I got in here. We’re going to find a ring that looks like it’s the kind of ring Noelle would dream about.”
Hazel winked at him. “He learns so fast.”
Dean bowed, laughing, and he and his twin continued to look around the jewelry store.
Although there were many elegant, delicate rings that he thought Noelle would like, he didn’t feel as though any of them were the perfect ring.
He was about to give up, thinking that he might try to buy a ring online instead, when he saw it.
It had a thin golden band that swirled delicately near the center, creating shapes that were almost like hearts.
In the center of the ring was a teardrop-shaped diamond with two small circular pink diamonds on either side.
He felt a click inside his chest as soon as he saw it, and he knew that was the right ring.
It seemed to have Noelle written all over it.
Hazel stepped up beside him and looked over his shoulder. “That’s it,” she said, sounding certain. “That one on the end with the pink diamonds. That’s Noelle’s ring.”
Dean turned to her with a grin. “Now I’m extra sure. I thought it was perfect too.”
Hazel gave him a high-five, and Dean felt a kind of shuddering joy.
He was still a little nervous about the whole thing, but at the same time he felt more excited than he’d ever been in his life.
His heart fluttered at the thought of proposing to Noelle, and he knew he wanted to make the moment as special as the ring in front of him was.
I want it to be the kind of proposal she deserves, he thought. Something perfect. Like this ring.
“Have you made a selection?” the salesclerk asked with a smile.
Dean and Hazel looked at each other and grinned.
“Yes,” Dean said, feeling his heart fill with resolve and happiness. “I have.”
Alexis wandered through her living room, picking up objects as if she was gathering berries in the woods somewhere.
Her arms were laden with a collection of sweaters, baby toys, coffee mugs, pens, and empty yogurt containers.
In the past, she’d kept her house very clean, since she felt less stressed if her space was uncluttered.
Now, however, her home always looked as though there had been some wild party in it the night before.
A party hosted by a baby who had a lot of giraffe-themed toys.
She chuckled as she picked up her favorite purple scrunchie from behind the couch.
“I was wondering where you were,” she said.
She carried her stash of items into the kitchen, where she laid them all out on the kitchen table and started to sort through what was trash and what needed to be put away.
She noted an empty peanut butter jar with a grin and remembered when she’d sat on the couch and finished it with an oversized spoon.
She realized the spoon must still be in the living room somewhere, since it wasn’t with the other items she’d collected.
Humming to herself, she went back out into the living room to investigate. She peered under the couch but found only a couple of empty candy wrappers and some dusty bunnies, and she vowed to vacuum under the couch as soon as Cash was awake from his nap.
She stood up and put her hands on her hips.
Where was that spoon? Had Grayson already found it and returned it to the kitchen?
Or was she remembering incorrectly that it was a large one, and it was just one of the regular spoons she’d picked up off the coffee table?
She’d used a few of those to eat the yogurt out of the empty containers she’d collected.
She looked down at the couch and grimaced.
I wouldn’t have, she thought, biting her lip. Right?
But she knew she had to check. She pulled aside one of the soft blankets and began to rummage amongst the pillows for the spoon. A moment later she found it, tucked into the crack between two couch cushions.
“Gotcha,” she said, and pulled it out. She was immensely relieved to see that it had been thoroughly licked clean, which meant she hadn’t gotten any peanut butter smears on her nice couch.
She shook her head, reflecting that she and Grayson should get a couch cover before Cash was up and running around someday.
She had a feeling that toddlers wouldn’t think to lick their spoon of peanut butter clean before falling asleep on the couch.
She was just starting back toward the kitchen when she heard a faint tapping sound. She froze, frowning.
What is that? she wondered. I hope nothing’s broken! From what I understand, Jacob is swamped right now.
She held still and listened carefully. She didn’t hear anything for a few seconds, and was just starting to decide that it must have been a woodpecker or a squirrel cracking nuts, when it happened again.
Frowning, she turned toward the front door. The tapping sound seemed to be coming from that direction.
Still holding the oversized spoon in her left hand, she opened the front door. To her surprise, Vivian and Julia were standing on her front doorstep.
“Hi!” she gasped. “What—I didn’t know you two were coming over!”
“Surprise!” Julia grinned. Then she paused. “What’s with the spoon? Did you think we were burglars or something?”
Alexis looked down at the spoon and laughed. “No, I was just tidying up and I found this in my couch. Things have been a little crazy around here.”
“We figured.” Vivian smiled at her. “Things are always a little hectic when you’ve just had a baby. That’s why we made you a tuna casserole for tonight.” She held up a tote bag that appeared to contain a large casserole dish at the bottom of it.
“Oh!” Alexis hugged her mother and sister. “Thank you so much. It’ll be a huge relief not to have to cook tonight. Why don’t you guys come on inside?”
“Okay. Is Cash sleeping?” Julia asked, dropping her voice and peering up the stairs.
“Yes.” Alexis laughed. “But he’s sleeping well these days, thank goodness. He doesn’t wake up for quiet noises usually.”
“We texted you that we were here because we didn’t want to ring the doorbell,” Julia said as she and Vivian stepped inside. “But you didn’t see it, I guess, so we resorted to tapping on the door quietly. We didn’t know if Cash was sleeping or not and we didn’t want to risk waking him up.”
Alexis was about to laugh as she realized why her mother and sister had been tapping softly on her door like a couple of woodpeckers, but unexpectedly she felt tears spring into her eyes.
“You’re both so sweet,” she said, flooded with gratitude. “It’s such a relief to not have to cook tonight—having one more thing less to do sounds amazing.”
“Of course!” Vivian took her daughter into her arms and gave her a warm hug. “We’re here for you. Anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed, you know you can reach out, right? Just let us know when you need help and we’ll be there to lend a hand.”
Alexis wiped away one of the tears, which had escaped her eye and was running down her cheek. “I know. I always want to just be able to handle everything myself, but it’s so much right now.”
“It’s too much right now,” Julia said. “I know how hard it is to take care of Macey, and she’s less of a handful than a newborn baby is. I know you love Cash and you’d do anything for him, but we feel the same way about you. Let us take care of you while you take care of him.”
Alexis pulled her mother and sister into a group hug and let herself cry with relief, although she laughed a little through her tears.
“You’re both absolute angels,” she said. “Come on into the kitchen and I’ll make you some tea.”
The three of them trooped into the kitchen, and Vivian got mugs out of the cupboard while Julia put water in the tea kettle. Alexis shook her head, laughing because even when she offered to make them tea, they made it for her.
She cleared the rest of the items that were on the table into organized piles, vowing to put everything away once her mother and sister had left.
“What flavor do you want, Alexis?” Julia asked as she pulled the tea basket out of the cupboard.
“Mm, I’ll take lavender mint please,” Alexis said after a moment.
“Oh, that sounds amazing.” Julia plopped the tea bag for Alexis down onto the counter. “I’m going to stick with my chai though. I have a chai addiction whenever the leaves are changing colors. It’s got such a lovely autumnal taste. What about you, Mom?”
“Oh, I think I’ll have a nice earl gray,” Vivian said with a smile. “Do you have milk, Alexis?”