Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Edie’s bedroom still smelled like the aroma of fresh paint, to the point that it gave her a dull headache right behind her eyes.
But she was grateful nonetheless for Foster’s quick action to get her ceiling properly repaired.
Crashing on the couch until the fumes faded wasn’t ideal, but quite honestly, the roll of the wind outside and consistent patter of rain against her windows was a calming, lulling noise.
In fact, she felt like she’d slept better the last two nights than she had in a long while.
Which surprised her, considering today was the day that Hannah and Casey would find out the gender of their baby.
Casey had originally wanted to keep it a secret until the delivery but had recently had a change of heart.
Edie didn’t have an opinion on the matter—whatever the kids wanted was absolutely fine with her.
Back when she’d been pregnant with Hannah, she had wanted to find out the gender and Evan, true to his easy-going nature, said he’d wanted whatever Edie wanted.
If she chose to wait, that would be fine.
If she wanted to find out at her twenty-week exam as was the customary time to do so back then, that was also alright with him.
He’d once said that Edie had to be pregnant for nine months carrying their child, that gave her at least twice the decision-making power when it came to things like gender reveals and name choices and nursery décor.
But he’d been the one to choose Hannah’s name.
It had been his mother’s, and she was a woman like no other in all the best ways possible.
Supportive, joyful, and prayerful. In fact, that woman had prayed for baby Hannah each and every day until she was born.
Rumor has it she even prayed the full duration of Edie’s labor, which had lasted a weary twenty-six hours.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother, a life-giving person who brought a smile to the face of everyone she came in contact with.
She’d passed a little over thirteen years ago, and losing her felt like losing a piece of Evan all over again.
Edie wasn’t sure what compelled her to do it, but after making up her couch turned makeshift bed and putting a pot of coffee on, she pulled out the big family photo album she had stored in the hope chest in her spare room.
The pages stuck together, the plastic protective sheets crackling with every turn.
She didn’t have a huge wedding album like the one she’d put together for Camille. Just a few pages within this family heirloom. But each photograph was worth a thousand words.
Goodness, they looked so young back then.
So carefree. They’d had a small church wedding, followed by a reception at Evan’s parents’ coastal home.
Edie remembered exactly how she felt that day when the doors parted and the bridal march began to play.
Her eyes connected immediately with Evan’s tear-filled ones.
The second they locked, he’d lost it. His chin quivered.
His cheeks turned ruddy. She’d seen him cry before once at a sad movie about a beloved family dog, but these weren’t tears of sorrow.
No, it was something else altogether. Hope.
Love. An eager anticipation to start his life with the woman he’d promised it to.
Edie had practically raced down the aisle. She couldn’t wait to get to him. Couldn’t wait to say her vows. The congregation even shared a few laughs over her enthusiasm. She’d rushed over her words, proclaiming “I do” so excitedly, she nearly squealed.
Love felt so simple back then. So certain.
And that had everything to do with the man that she’d pledged hers to.
She still thought of him every day.
Some people said time made things easier, and in many ways, that was true.
But it also made other things more difficult.
Like pulling back specific memories. Recalling the scent of his favorite cologne.
His laughter. Thankfully, she could still bring to mind his hearty belly laugh, the one that made everyone around him join in.
And she could still see pieces of him in Hannah. She had his eyes, his coloring, and his tenacious spirit.
She wondered if this little baby would have some of its grandfather’s traits, too. What a gift that would be.
When the coffee pot beeped, she returned the photo album to its place for safekeeping and made her way back to the kitchen to indulge in a mug of the caffeinated drink.
Over the last few days, she’d grown to enjoy hot coffee more than iced, which was unusual for her.
Maybe it was something to do with the weather.
Maybe she was just trying something new.
Either way, she settled into an armchair near the beach house’s back windows with a steaming mug cradled gently in her palms.
Edie was blessed, no way around it. Not everyone got to wake up to a view like this; the ocean stretched big and wide outside her windows.
She’d always loved the ocean for its deep blue depths and the power it contained in a single wave.
But she also cherished the way it made her feel: small to the point of insignificance.
It was a humbling event just to look out at it. To realize one’s place in the world.
It provided perspective. On days when her problems seemed too large or her worries too intrusive, all she had to do was cast her gaze on the sands and the seas to know there was something bigger at work.
As she sipped slowly from her mug, her thoughts traveled back to the day at the coffee shop with Cal and Josh. What had they been talking about? Did it even matter? They’d obviously called some sort of truce, which had always been Edie’s hope.
But it definitely muddled things. Made something that was already confusing even more so.
Because when the men were at war, it made her warring feelings seem more justified in some inexplicable way. But if they were friendly? Comrades? How could she continue to pursue things with either man knowing they were friends?
There had to be an answer somewhere in there, but she couldn’t find it.
And by the time she’d finished two cups of coffee, she hadn’t made any progress.
If anything, she was only more confused about it all. Stuck in a way that she couldn’t move forward from.
Thankfully, Casey and Hannah texted while her brain had taken her on a ride. Was it okay if they stopped by for an early lunch? They would pick up some bagel sandwiches from a little deli in town and head over if so.
It was more than okay with Edie. She couldn’t wait to see them, to hear all about the appointment.
So many people said being a grandparent was even better than being a parent, and Edie could easily see how this might be the case.
She couldn’t wait to spoil that little one with love, attention, and of course, sweet treats and goodies. That was her job, after all.
She hadn’t even considered that grandmother would be something she would add to her resume so soon, but she wasn’t mad about it. Not even a little bit.
The kids arrived a little later, and together they unpacked the sandwiches and sides while Edie waited on them to unpack the details of the prenatal appointment.
She didn’t want to pry, didn’t want to ask if they’d decided to find out the gender because, at the end of the day, it was none of her business.
She never wanted to be one of those mothers that demanded information that wasn’t hers to have.
So the three of them sat at the kitchen table enjoying the spread that the kids treated her to.
Hannah had ordered Edie her favorite, The Farmhouse bagel.
It was an everything bagel with an over-easy egg, two strips of fatty bacon, arugula, tomato, and a heavy spread of cream cheese.
Every bite was delicious, but Edie quickly noted she was the only one diving in.
The kids seemed to hang back, almost picking at their meals.
Maybe Hannah had another bout of nausea that was keeping her from enjoying her food.
But what was Casey’s reasoning? Goodness, Edie had seen the young man put away an entire rotisserie chicken back when he was a teenager.
“Everything okay?” Edie settled the last bit of her bagel onto the brown parchment wrapper. She lifted her eyes to Hannah, and then passed a look over to Casey. “The appointment was okay? Nothing to worry about?”
“Oh.” Hannah snapped her head. “No, no. Everything’s fine there. I’m sorry. I should have started with that.”
It was a relief. She knew Hannah and Casey were out of sorts over something, and she’d hoped to God it wasn’t over the health of the baby.
“There’s something we’d like to ask you.” Casey’s eyes found Hannah’s, and she gave him a nod.
“Go right ahead and ask.”
Edie couldn’t think of what it could possibly be.
It wasn’t like she was in the running to be a godmother—her title of grandma outdid that.
Plus, she assumed that honor would go to Camille.
What other question might they have for her?
To watch the baby a few days a week once it was born, maybe?
She had the room and would gladly turn that spare bedroom into a nursery.
That had been her plan upon hearing the exciting news, anyway.
“Mom.” Hannah paused to swallow.
Edie didn’t like this. The kids shouldn’t be this nervous to ask her a question. She’d hoped she’d done a better job of putting them at ease.
“You two know you can ask me anything, right? Nothing is off-limits.”
“Mom,” Hannah started again. “We wanted your blessing on something.”
“You already have it, whatever it is,” she returned proudly.
“I hope we do.” Hannah reached for Casey’s hand on the table. “Mom…”
“Sweetheart, I mean it. Anything.”
“We found out the gender this morning.”
Something in Edie’s chest warmed, like the rush of excitement on Christmas morning.
“And since we tried to go all out with the pregnancy reveal and failed,” Casey said. “We decided we wouldn’t waste our time with a showy production or anything. We’re having a boy.”
Edie clasped her hands in front of her chest. “A boy?” She couldn’t be sure why, but tears collected in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, you two. That is the best news.”
Her mind instantly went to images of pushing the little guy on a swing down at the local park.
Taking him to one of Foster’s jobsites to watch the big, orange scoop trucks dig through the dirt.
Visiting the aquarium where they could watch the fish and the otters and the turtles.
They were going to have so much fun, the two of them. She could not wait.
But Casey and Hannah had said they had a question to ask her, and so far, that was just an announcement.
“Mom.” Hannah sat up just a little taller in her seat, trying to amass her confidence. “Mom, we’re asking for your blessing…”
Poor thing just couldn’t get the words out.
“You have my blessing,” Edie said. “Whatever it is.”
“We’d like to name him Evan.”