Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Rebecca stirred and sleepily blinked her eyes. It was early in the morning, and she glanced at her watch. Her alarm was going to go off in five minutes. Quickly, she turned off, and only then did she realize she was crammed in Aaron’s bed.
Liam.
Their second chance at the movie.
She hadn’t thought she was tired enough that she would fall asleep in Aaron’s bed. She hadn’t done that in ages.
Clearly, she had needed the sleep. Maybe she was pushing herself too hard, or maybe she should have some bloodwork done. It was possible a vitamin deficiency was to blame for her fatigue.
Careful not to disturb her sleeping son just yet, she sat up gingerly. She felt so very guilty. God always came first, and then… should it be spouse and then children? Or children and then spouse? There had to be a way to better balance the two.
February first. Not even two weeks until Valentine’s Day. Hopefully, God willing, it would be possible for her and Liam to find their way back to each other by them.
If not sooner.
Aaron stirred. “Mom?”
Her heart squeezed. He was calling her mommy less and less.
“Yes, honey?” She brushed back his dark hair. For the most part, the boys favored their father’s good looks, but Aaron had her lips.
“I want… beach.” He laid his head back down.
Rebecca chuckled. “It’s not beach weather right now.”
“Hmm?”
She shook her head. She doubted he would remember their conversation later.
Rebecca kissed his forehead and eased off the bed. She went to the kitchen. Yesterday, she had made pancakes, enough for leftovers, and she placed some on a plate to heat up when Liam entered the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she said. “I was just about to make us coffee.”
“I got it. How did you sleep?”
“My back’s a little sore,” she admitted.
“But more rested? You look it.”
“I think so. I hope so.”
Liam smiled. “Good.”
“Any chance you can pick up the kids from your mom’s today?” she asked.
His grimace answered for him.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly.
She had hoped for a little bit of time to go out and find Liam a gift, but maybe she could slip away during her lunch break. It wasn’t as if she had an idea what to get him.
Whenever she was nervous or anxious, Rebecca would rub the back of the small cross on the necklace she always wore, and she rubbed it now.
Liam took her hand in his. “I can do it. I’ll just have to bring them back to the ranch with me.”
“They’ll love that.”
“If Aaron didn’t tend to run off, I would bring him to the ranch every day,” he said.
“I know. By the time he’ll behave enough for that, he’ll be in kindergarten.”
He snorted. “I know. I’ve already thought that. Not many kids running around the ranch anymore.”
A few of the other cowboys had brought their kids to the ranch. The laughter and their delight day in and day out had always made Rebecca feel happy. Having three children of her own fulfilled her.
So did being a wife and all of the other hats she wore.
“Mommy? When can I go to the ranch all day?” Aaron asked, entering the kitchen.
“We’re going to on Saturday, aren’t we?” Mary asked. “I want syrup please.”
Rebecca nodded and eyed her husband. “Any pancakes for you?”
“I need to head out. Mary, you and Jacob will take the bus here. I’ll be waiting, and we’ll head over to Mimi’s to grab Aaron, and then I’ll take you all to the ranch today. How does that sound?”
“But Mimi was going let me help make cookies today,” Mary protested.
“Mary’s going to icing them, and I’m going to eat them,” Jacob declared.
“I can grab them at the normal time from my mom’s,” Liam offered.
“Okay,” Rebecca said. “Thank you.”
“Gotta go.” He kissed them all and then was out the door.
Rebecca served breakfast. Mary was the only one to use syrup with her pancakes, although sometimes Aaron wanted to dip his in syrup. No matter how many times Rebecca told her boys to use a fork and knife, they insisted on eating with pancakes with their fingers. She should cut the pancakes for them, but already she was feeling the pinch for time.
She got them ready, and Mary and Jacob headed outside for the school bus. Some mornings, Rebecca would drive them in, but today, she just took Aaron to his grandmother’s after the bus arrived.
Then, she worked her shift at the hospital. She had more patients than normal to take care of, so there was zero chance for her to head out for lunch. She barely had time to scarf down the tenders and fries she purchased from the café since she had forgotten to pack a lunch in the morning chaos.
By the time her shift was over, she was wiped. She barely had a moment to think about Liam or what to get him for Valentine’s Day, but since he was handling the kids, she dutifully drove from store to store, trying to find him something that showed her love, her appreciation, her heart.
Nothing fit him or her or them.
It was all for naught.
Oh, well, tomorrow would be another exhausting day.