Chapter 10
TEN
April rolled down her window, letting the air whip through her hair, and tried to breathe past the knot in her chest as she braced herself for the visit.
Stop worrying. Rochelle probably didn’t say a word.
Probably.
Even if she didn’t, there was Claudia to think about.
Stop it. This isn’t about you. It’s about seeing an adorable new baby.
April turned onto the last stretch of newly paved road leading up to Bear and Ellie’s cabin.
Light-green aspen leaves trembled like butterfly wings against the backdrop of darker evergreens, as April pulled onto the wide parking apron and parked beside Wren’s new Subaru.
She counted cars. It looked like she was the last to arrive.
That was her fault. After she dropped off Kevin, she quickly shopped for a gift, then stopped by Riversong one more time just to check in.
Hannah and her mom practically picked up brooms to shoo April back out of the shop.
At least her dad had gotten the espresso machine to work again, though it was making some truly concerning sounds.
April patted her lucky purse on the seat beside her. It mostly lived in a dust bag in her closet now, but at times like these, she took it down off its high shelf and carried it like a talisman. If Claudia was at the party, she could get a good look at it, see that it was real.
April slung the bag over her shoulder, grabbed Ellie’s gift and a pie and started down the short path through the aspen grove, once she cleared it, the view hit her like it always did: a sweep of lake against the backdrop of a cliff covered in pines, the water catching sunlight in broken diamonds.
Just ahead of her, the cabin’s porch railing was wrapped with string lights, and she could just make out the sound of laughter drifting through the open windows.
The girl squad was already having a blast.
April smoothed her hair, and tried not to think about Shane. Or the fact that, right this minute, he and Kevin were probably knee-deep in puppies and dog slobber, both looking way too happy.
You’re allowed to have a day off, she reminded herself as she clutched the gift she’d brought for Ellie. A few hours where you’re just April Taylor, friend, unofficial auntie, human—not mom on red alert.
The screen door banged open before she even hit the steps. “Come on in.” Wren beckoned her. She took the pie and gave April a one-armed hug.
“Sorry, I’m running late.”
“This makes up for it.” Wren lifted the pie, then turned and started for the kitchen island, already loaded with dessert, snacks, and bottles of wine and lemonade.
“April’s here!” She called out needlessly.
The cabin’s front room was full of women.
Ellie sat on the couch, holding a swaddled bundle.
A Bluetooth speaker tucked near the fireplace played soft music in the background—mostly mellow folk and acoustic ballads.
April waved at the room, noting that the only older woman there was Stephanie—no sign of Claudia.
Maybe she wasn’t coming after all. April set her gift beside a pile of others at Ellie’s feet.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Ellie said. “Sorry I’m not standing to greet you.”
“Totally understandable. Now, let me see the guest of honor.” April knelt so she could peek into the blankets. The tiniest face—sleepy, milk-drunk, perfect—blinked up at her.
“Star,” April whispered. “She’s beautiful.”
“She knows,” Ellie said. “Bear can’t stop telling her.”
Laughter echoed through the cabin, warm and familiar, and April felt something in her chest loosen for the first time all week.
Wren appeared at her side with a glass of wine.
April accepted it gratefully and took an empty chair.
She expected Wren to sit in the empty spot beside Ellie, but she grabbed another chair.
Movement caught April’s eye in the hallway beside the kitchen.
A well-dressed woman who looked like she was in her early sixties crossed the room and sat beside Ellie.
Claudia Behr.
April took a swig of wine as her pulse kicked up. Claudia looked radiant—glowing with the quiet pride of a grandmother—as she leaned in to coo at the baby.
“What did I miss?” she asked.
“My friend April Taylor just got here,” Ellie told her. Claudia’s eyebrows rose slightly as she looked around and found April. “Nice to meet you, April,” she said, blatantly studying her.
“Same, Ms. Behr. Congratulations.” April was proud that her voice didn’t tremble under the other woman’s scrutiny. She imagined Claudia was evaluating her clothing, imagining what she’d tell Yvonne Foti at the next charity fundraiser.
April turned to Frankie, who sat in a recliner nearby—barefoot, radiant, and beaming. Her dark curls framed her face like sunlight caught in motion. She looked healthy and alive, one hand absently smoothing the soft curve of her belly.
“So, how soon do we throw a baby shower for you?” April asked.
Frankie grinned, eyes sparkling. “Oh, I can wait a while. I finally have my appetite back. I could eat half the food on that table.” She laughed, light and unselfconscious. “Second trimester is heaven. I feel like myself again—just with a built-in bowling ball.” She patted her bump affectionately.
“You’re glowing,” Wren said. “Seriously. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”
Frankie wiggled her toes with mock drama. “Thanks, but I’m just waiting for these feet to swell like my mom’s did. I’ll have to borrow Waylon’s boots. The minute I have this baby, I’m getting back into shape and we’re going on an adventure—me, him, and the kiddo.”
Claudia leaned forward, visibly intrigued. “Where will you go first?”
Frankie’s face lit up. “I’ve got a list. There’s this beautiful WWOOF farm in Greece—lemon grove, olive orchard, sheep wandering between the trees. They take whole families. I want our baby’s first passport to smell like sunshine and wild mountain thyme.”
Claudia smiled, genuinely charmed. “Greece is one of our favorite places. Glenn and I spent a month on Naxos years ago. You’ll love the light there—it’s unlike anywhere else on earth.”
“That sounds perfect,” Frankie said, clearly delighted. “Maybe I’ll message you before we go, get some travel tips.”
“Please do,” Claudia replied warmly. “And if you ever need a contact for local farms, I know a few families.”
“Wow, thanks!”
“My pleasure.”
April caught Ellie’s grin; clearly, Frankie was winning over the most formidable mothers-in-law of their circle.
“Are you having a boy or a girl?” April asked.
“Yes,” Frankie said, eyes glinting with humor at their confusion. “I told the doctor not to tell me. I don’t really care, so long as they’re healthy. Waylon’s dying to know, but that’s his problem,” she laughed. “Honestly, he doesn’t care either way—just wants everything to go smoothly.”
The room quieted for a beat, affection softening the air. Everyone knew what she’d survived to get here. Frankie’s doctors were monitoring her pregnancy closely, but so far, so good.
“I bet you can’t wait to travel,” Wren said.
“I can’t,” Frankie admitted. “But for the first time in years, I also don’t need to. It’s nice knowing I have a home that’ll always be here.” She looked around the cabin, taking in the women who’d become her family. “I’m going to miss the hell out of all of you, though. That’s the only drawback.”
Star chose that moment to fuss. “I think that means she’s going to miss her Aunt Frank,” Ellie said as she rocked her gently.
“Or, she might be hungry. Or…anything. I’m still learning.
I can’t believe they let me leave the hospital with her.
” Ellie looked lovingly down at Star. “I have no idea what I’m doing. ”
Claudia touched her daughter-in-law’s arm.
“I didn’t either, when I came home with her father,” she said, gently stroking Star’s cheek.
The baby stirred, smacked her lips, and fell back asleep.
“I wish I hadn’t been so nervous, that I’d enjoyed those first months more, because everything turned out fine.
” She smiled at Ellie. “Thank you for letting me be here now, so that I can have a second chance at enjoying this.” She covered her heart.
“I promise that I will do everything I can to help you, so you can enjoy your time with Star. You’re such a wonderful mother. ”
Ellie sniffled. “Thank you,” she managed.
April glanced around to see there wasn’t a dry eye in the room—including hers. She remembered the early days of her new life with baby Kevin, how scared she was, even with all the help from her mom. She was glad that Ellie had Claudia.
As the conversation faded into a lull, the opening chords of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” drifted through the room.
Frankie’s eyes misted immediately. “Oh no,” she murmured, laughing a little.
“This one always gets me.” She was met with gentle laughter and head nods, and as if on cue, every woman in the room started singing along with Stevie Nicks about fearing change, time bringing boldness, and children getting older.
The song finished. Stephanie shifted in her seat, crossing one ankle over the other with the grace of someone who still taught yoga to twenty-somethings and made them sweat.
She tilted her head and smiled. “I met her once. Stevie Nicks. I was hiking around Red Rocks after leading Yoga on the Rocks that morning. Two-thousand people stretched out on yoga mats on the bleachers. Quite a sight. Anyway, I was coming around a boulder and there she was, sitting on a rock, eyes closed, communing with nature. I stopped in my tracks and she opened her eyes and looked straight at me. I apologized for bothering her, and she thanked me for the yoga class earlier. She got a kick out of us having the same name.”
“She has a lot of relatives in Colorado,” Claudia said. “She comes back every couple of years and visits the Rocks.”