Chapter 30
Isabel
The dishes were done and Izzy had wiped off the table.
Irene and Ainsley had finished putting the dishes into the dishwasher.
Thank goodness their move late last summer brought them a home with modern conveniences.
The smell of baked potatoes and meatloaf still clung to the air when they all drifted into the living room.
Skipper had made snickerdoodles at the bakery, and of course he’d brought home a boxful.
A plate of cookies sat on the coffee table, smelling like sugar and cinnamon.
They had to chase Piper away twice until the dog turned his attention to Holly.
Her little girl was riding her green plastic horse in circles, curls bouncing and her giggles echoing off the walls.
Piper pranced along behind her. Holly had already had her dessert.
Maybe Izzy shouldn’t have let her have that second cookie, though.
Izzy gathered her thoughts about what she was about to say.
For now she’d enjoy this quiet stretch after dinner when the whole family settled back with full stomachs.
That didn’t happen often anymore, not since Ainsley had moved in with her sly comments.
Still, the younger woman’s energy had livened up the place and she kept Irene busy.
Izzy thought Ainsley was old enough to take care of her own laundry.
But maybe Irene liked doing that for her only daughter.
Tonight, Ainsley sat perched on the edge of the couch cushion, holding a mug of coffee. The pose looked rehearsed, but Izzy found it endearing in a way. Having lived in Hollywood, Ainsley had a flair for the dramatic. Her sister-in-law could make every ordinary comment feel like an announcement.
Irene sat beside her, fussing with the television remote.
Jeopardy! was just starting, and normally, Izzy’s mother-in-law would have excused herself to go up to her suite by now.
But tonight was special. Ainsley had “news.” The word had floated through the house since breakfast. Again, way too much drama.
Skipper lounged in the leather recliner, his long legs stretched out.
He looked more relaxed than Izzy had seen him in weeks, probably because for once, he didn’t have to be the one making an announcement.
No, Izzy would take care of that. She knew her husband was plenty excited about it.
The night before, she’d felt him tossing and turning, unable to get to sleep.
So Izzy had told him she’d deal with his family, easier said than done.
Izzy picked at the corner of a throw pillow. Her heart was racing a little, which she told herself was ridiculous. She wasn’t the one about to speak, not yet.
Ainsley cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said, her voice bright and quivery. “I’ve been dying to tell you guys all day, but I wanted to wait until we were all together.”
“Good.” Irene turned down the volume on the TV. “You know I hate missing Jeopardy!”
Skipper chuckled softly. What was this about? Did her husband already know what Ainsley was about to drop on them?
Ainsley leaned forward. “I got a job. A real one as a photographer. I’m working a wedding in two weeks.”
There was a pause, and then Irene’s hands flew to her mouth. “That’s wonderful!”
Skipper smiled. “That’s amazing, congratulations! Your first wedding gig?”
“Yes! My very first. And get this—it’s at that vineyard out by the lake. The one with the barn and the string lights. It’s going to be so beautiful. I think wedding photography might be my new niche.”
Easing out a sigh of relief, Izzy nodded. Ainsley had hinted all week that something “big” was coming, and Izzy hoped it would be a job. Seeing the younger woman look so hopeful was great and the news had certainly lifted Irene’s spirits.
Since moving from California, Ainsley had been struggling to find her footing.
Out in California she’d worked in food photography.
They’d been so proud of her career with the film and advertising industries.
She’d spent her days styling pancakes and polishing spoons, staging food so perfectly it almost looked unreal.
But that world had changed. Special software could now make steam rise or food glisten without any real butter or heat.
“Artificially appetizing,” Ainsley had called it. “No soul to it at all.”
So yes, Izzy was happy for her sister-in-law.
Maybe this upcoming wedding gig would be the fresh start she needed.
Since her arrival, Ainsley had spent a lot of time lounging around the house.
Izzy didn’t know how Irene could stand it.
But of course, Irene adored her daughter.
Now that Izzy had a daughter, she could understand that.
Irene dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “I was praying for something to work out for you.”
Izzy exchanged a glance with Skipper. They’d both been worried, though for different reasons.
Skipper had floated the idea of hiring Ainsley part-time at the bakery and tearoom.
He thought she might help with social media photos.
Izzy had smiled politely but inside she worried that adding Ainsley to the staff would be a bad move.
Debbie helped them run the café in the front.
During the holidays and over the summer, her cousin helped out.
They didn’t need one more person on the payroll.
Now that issue might have solved itself. Izzy wanted Ainsley to succeed. Irene was so happy that her daughter had decided to come back to Charlevoix. Having more family around might be a big help, especially if their surrogacy plan worked out. Izzy squeezed her hands tight in her lap.
After the congratulations and a small toast with mugs of tea, the excitement ebbed, and Irene turned back toward the TV.
Izzy sucked in a deep breath. “We have some news too,” she said, interrupting the next question that had popped up on Jeopardy.
The room went still. Skipper looked over at her, his blue eyes encouraging.
“Marlowe’s been cleared to be our surrogate. We’re moving forward.” Her voice cracked on the last word.
For a second, no one spoke. Then Irene began to cry, her shoulders shaking.
“Oh, Izzy,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. “That’s wonderful. I can’t believe it. Another baby.”
Skipper looked as if he might leap from the chair and start dancing. “Isn’t it great?” he said. “It’s really happening.”
Ainsley’s eyebrows rose. “Wow, so it’s official?”
Izzy nodded. Sometimes she had to pinch herself. She’d felt this same way when she was in the process to adopt Holly. “The doctors gave Marlowe full clearance this week. The final testing’s done, and everything looks good. We’ll start the process next month.”
“Oh my goodness,” Irene said, shaking her head. “You must be over the moon.”
“I am,” Izzy said softly. “We both are.”
Reaching over, she squeezed Skipper’s hand. His fingers closed around hers as they grinned at each other.
Of course, there were a million things she could have said next.
For years she’d thought she would never have a family.
Her first marriage to Skipper had been a fiasco.
They were way too young and childish. Lots of shouting and even some plates flying through the air.
Chuck had been her rebound husband for three years.
The poor man always thought she was still in love with Skipper and maybe he’d been right.
Her hysterectomy had been a cruel blow. Oh how she’d cried about that one.
Aunt Cate had flown in to comfort her, but Izzy didn’t want her big sisters to know.
Her aunt had wanted her to tell Sam and Marlowe, but they were both so busy.
Izzy always seemed to have a crisis. That’s what they’d think.
She wanted them to respect her…not feel sorry for her.
Again. Freezing her eggs before that surgery had been something Aunt Cate had suggested, and right now, Izzy was glad.
For a while the bakery had occupied her.
With her aunt’s help, she’d opened Coffee and Cupcakes.
But a job wasn’t a child and she began to wonder if she’d ever have a baby.
Then she read about famous single women who adopted, from Cheryl Crow and Sandra Bullock to Diane Keaton.
Why not? Once again Cate had stepped into the picture to help out and Holly entered their lives.
But this? Having one of her sisters carry her baby was too good to be true. Seeing Skipper so excited warmed her heart. And this child would be theirs, hopefully with his blonde hair and blue eyes.
“How’s Samantha taking it?” Ainsley asked, nibbling at a cookie.
Izzy hesitated, trying to stay calm because this had become a sensitive subject. Didn’t Ainsley know that? “She’s fine. Maybe a little disappointed. But she understands. She has a health condition that keeps her from being able to carry a pregnancy safely.”
Ainsley nodded. “Well, at least it’s staying in the family, right?”
Izzy smiled, though she felt the old flicker of defensiveness. Staying in the family. As if it were a baton they were passing. Still, she didn’t want to spoil the mood.
Across the room, Holly had stopped riding her plastic horse and was staring up at everyone, confused by the excitement in the room. Usually she was the center of attention. Piper rested at her feet, long tail thumping against the braided rug. Then Holly kicked off again, bumping into the couch.
Irene glanced fondly at her granddaughter. “Pretty soon she’ll have a little sister or brother. Then she’ll have to learn to behave.”
Izzy’s face went hot. “Holly is a good girl,” she said sharply.
Skipper’s head swiveled toward his mother, then back to Izzy. “Mom didn’t mean it like that,” he said quickly.
Irene blinked, realizing her misstep. “Of course Holly’s a good girl,” she said gently, using her voice like an erasure. “The best.”
Eyes wide, Holly stopped butting the sofa. “Good girl,” she echoed, tapping her chest proudly. “I’m a good girl.”
Everyone laughed, and the tension dissolved.
Izzy forced herself to laugh too, but her heart still pinched.
She hated when Irene hinted that Holly might be spoiled.
Her little girl was spirited and curious.
Did her mother-in-law say that because Holly was adopted?
But to Izzy, Holly was every bit hers, from her stubborn chin to the way she slept with one hand curled under her cheek.
Jumping up, Skipper scooped Holly onto his lap. The plastic horse fell over, forgotten. “What do you think, munchkin? Would you like a baby brother or sister?”
Holly thought for a long second, then said, “Horsey.” She looked down at her toy. “Mine.”
They all laughed again.
“This whole baby thing is wild,” Ainsley said. “Science is amazing.”
“It really is,” Skipper said softly, looking at Izzy with that expression she’d fallen in love with years ago. She didn’t have to say everything out loud for him to understand.
Irene sniffled. “A miracle, that’s what it is. I can’t wait to start shopping.” Oh, Izzy knew she’d already started. By morning Irene would probably have made a trip to Meijers in Petoskey or maybe ordered something online to add to her secret drawer.
Irene turned up the volume on Jeopardy! again, and the conversation drifted away.
But Izzy’s mind was still whirling. She leaned back on the couch, watching Skipper play with Holly.
Sitting there in the cozy living room, she could almost see it all playing out.
Marlowe with her rounded belly. Skipper painting the nursery.
Holly trying to help. She could already feel the weight of that baby in her arms and she got goosebumps.
After Irene had gone upstairs and Ainsley was cleaning up in the kitchen, Skipper left his chair to slide onto the couch beside her “You okay?”
Izzy nodded. “Just taking it all in.”
He reached over and brushed a cookie crumb from her sweater. “It’s really happening,” he said.
“I know.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “You think we’re ready?”
He chuckled. “I guess no one’s ever really ready. But yeah, I think we are.”
Holly toddled over, dragging her horse by the reins while Piper snapped at the churning wheels. “Mama, cookie?”
“Sorry, you’ve had enough little lady.”
Holly looked ready to cry when Skipper scooped her up and nuzzled her. “How about a story?”
“You bet.” Bending over Holly, he scooped a book from the shelf under the coffee table.
Although it might be old, Frozen was still her favorite story.
Watching the two of them curl up with the book, Izzy felt happy tears sting her eyes.
Before Skipper turned the last page, Holly was asleep.
He closed it and took Izzy’s hand. They sat in silence a long time, the kind of silence that feels full, not empty. Family. And their family was growing.
Later, after Holly was tucked in, Izzy stayed on the couch with the lights dimmed. She could still hear faint laughter from the TV back in Irene’s suite, though the show had long since ended. Skipper was taking the trash out.
Izzy’s thoughts drifted to her sisters. How wonderful that they’d decided last Christmas to move back to Sunnycrest. And now her family, in all its messy, imperfect beauty, could create something new together.
When she finally got up to turn off the TV, she stopped to look at the family photos on the mantel. Holly in her Halloween costume, Skipper at the bakery, the three sisters together at the lake. Soon, there would be another picture to add. Another little face.
She smiled softly to herself.
It was really happening.
And she didn’t feel broken anymore.