Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Julia stood in the middle of the baby's nursery, looking around with a sparkle in her eyes.
She couldn't wait until their little bundle of joy entered their lives.
She was beginning to feel impatient in the midst of all her excitement, and she had been channeling that impatience into buying many adorable but ultimately unnecessary items for their incoming baby.
Sighing with a mixture of happiness and impatience, she left the nursery and wandered down the stairs to the living room.
She sat down on the couch and picked up a magazine.
She thumbed through the pages for a few minutes, but it soon became clear to her that she wasn't going to be able to focus on what was in front of her.
Her mind was filled with daydreams about when the baby arrived.
Just when she was thinking to herself that she should bake muffins or do something else constructive while she was feeling so restless, she heard a knock on the front door.
She jumped up eagerly a moment later, suddenly feeling certain that the knock came from the mailman.
She was expecting an adorable wall hanging featuring baby animals that she had purchased online for the nursery a few days earlier.
She glanced down the hallway as she made her way to the front door.
Cooper had been teasing her that she had a baby item addiction, and that she'd been buying far more than they truly needed, especially considering they still had some baby items from when Macey had been born. Even though she usually liked to open packages with him to show him what she’d bought, she wanted to be able to open this package without him there.
If he saw what she was opening, he was sure to tease her even more.
She opened the front door, and sure enough, there on the front step was a little brown box with her name and address printed on it.
She snatched it up eagerly and carried it into the living room.
She looked around for something to rip open the tape with and eventually settled on one of the bobby pins in her hair.
She was just tugging apart the top flaps of the box when Cooper strolled into the living room. “Hey, sweetheart!”
She froze and blinked at him for a moment, and then quickly shoved the box behind one of the couch cushions. She sat down on the couch in front of the cushion, keeping her hand on the box. “Uh, hi.”
Grinning at her in amusement, Cooper walked over and sat down next to her. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, nothing,” she said innocently. “I was thinking about making some Italian sausages for dinner. I could make some mashed potatoes and salad for sides. What do you think? It will feel like a fancy dinner, but it's ultimately pretty easy for me. I'm feeling a little tired today.”
“Is that why you're sitting on the couch?” His grin was looking more and more suspicious by the moment.
“Well, of course. Why else would I be sitting on the couch?”
“Oh, I don't know. If you’re so tired, why don't you go up to bed for a while?
Come on, I'll help you.” Cooper wrapped his arms around her and leaned her body to the side as if he was going to scoop her up and carry her up the stairs.
As he did, her hand, which was still holding the cardboard box, got tugged out from behind the couch cushion.
“No!” she squealed and then burst out laughing.
“What’s this?” He grabbed the box from her, shaking it gently next to his ear. “Could it be something we actually need? Or is it another unnecessary item for a baby who has yet to express their taste in nursery decorations?”
“Oh, no babies ever express their taste in nursery decorations,” she protested, grabbing at the box, which he held above her head.
In the past, she would have clambered onto the couch and jumped off to grab the box from him, but because of her large belly carrying precious cargo, she kept both feet planted firmly on the floor.
Cooper opened his mouth, clearly about to say something witty and sassy, but at that moment Julia's phone began to ring. She had a sudden flash of intuition that warned her that the phone call was important. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that Dean was calling.
“Hey, Dean,” she said, feeling suddenly worried. “What's up?”
“Hey, Julia. What are you three up to right now? Or four, I should say.”
Julia laughed. “Well, Macey is still at daycare, and Cooper and I are both home since he’s here for his lunch break. Did you want to stop by?”
“No, actually we were wondering if you would come to Ocean Breeze Café. Noelle and I want to have a family meeting right away. We have something to tell everyone.”
“Oh. Yes.” She glanced at Cooper, knowing that he would say yes, especially since his job was good about letting him take extra time away when his family needed him. “We’ll be there in just a little while. Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” Dean assured her, but he sounded tired, and she felt a flash of worry despite his reassurance. “We’ll see you both soon, okay?”
“Yes. We’ll see you soon. Love you, Dean.”
“Love you too.”
“What’s going on?” Cooper set down the box, seeming to have forgotten all about it. “Is he okay?”
“I guess so.” Julia frowned in worry. “He and Noelle are asking the whole family to meet at Ocean Breeze Café right now. They have something they want to tell us.”
“That sounds serious,” Cooper said, putting his arms around her. “But maybe it’s not a bad thing. Don’t worry—I can tell it’s freaking you out a little.”
“A little,” she admitted. “But let’s just get our shoes on and go. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we’ll find out what it is they want to tell us.”
They got into Cooper’s car and hurried over to the café.
By the time they got inside the bustling little restaurant, the rest of the family—except for Samantha, who was still in school—was already gathered at a table in the corner.
Julia took one look at her brother's face and knew that something was wrong.
He looked tired and pale, and the corners of his mouth were turned downward more than was usual for him.
Noelle too, seemed to be weighed down by something, although she was keeping a brave smile on her face.
They're definitely sad about something, Julia thought. She sat down in the empty chair next to Noelle and squeezed her future sister-in-law's hand.
“Thanks for coming, guys,” Dean said, giving them a smile. “We appreciate everybody coming out to meet us like this on short notice. We got a plate of mozzarella sticks and a basket of chocolate mint cookies. Feel free to help yourselves while we talk.”
Despite how delicious the food smelled, no one touched any of it. It was clear that they were all on edge, wanting to know what it was that Dean and Noelle had to tell them.
“What's going on, sweetheart?” Vivian asked. “Just go ahead and tell us.”
Dean and Noelle exchanged a look and then Dean took a deep breath.
“We went to the doctor,” he said. “He gave us the result of my tests and said that the change in medication and continued physical therapy wasn't working. He said that the only thing we can do moving forward to improve my symptoms is pursue surgery.”
A murmur of sympathy passed around the table, and Alexis gave Dean a hug from her chair beside him.
“That's okay,” Vivian said, smiling at her son in a way that showed that she herself was worried but that she wanted him to be at peace. “Surgery can be a great option. It may be the very thing to turn your life around.”
“Surgeries definitely change lives,” Grayson said reassuringly. “I bet this will be great for you, Dean.”
Dean and Noelle exchanged another look and a sad smile.
“We're feeling hopeful about the surgery,” Noelle said.
“But there’s more to it. The doctor advised that we take the next available time slot next month.
He advised Dean to have the surgery as soon as possible, and that's what we both want.
But what that means is that we'll have to postpone our wedding.”
Several jaws dropped around the table, including Julia's. For a moment no one spoke. It was clear that everyone felt both shocked and disappointed by the news.
“I'm so sorry,” Hazel said finally.
“It’s okay,” Noelle said. “It’s disappointing, but I love the idea of Dean being able to feel good when we do have our wedding.
It’s definitely worth waiting for. And waiting will be a little tricky logistically—there will be a lot of people who we’ll need to inform about the change, and we’ll have to work something out with the venue, things like that—but I’m ready to make all that happen if it means that Dean has the care that he needs. ”
“We’ll help you with all of the things that need to get done,” Vivian said. “And we can use this time to add even more special details to your wedding.”
“That’s the spirit,” Julia said, smiling at her family. “You’re right—it’s disappointing, but it means that there’s an even better day to look forward to now. A day that Dean can feel great on.”
“I’m pretty sure I would have felt great anyway, no matter how much pain I was in,” he said with a grin. “I can’t wait to marry this girl.”
“I can’t wait to marry you,” Noelle said, touching her nose to his.
“You guys made the right choice,” Alexis said. “And I second Mom. We’re here for you for whatever you need—whether that’s sending out ‘Change the Date’ cards or bringing you meals after the surgery, Dean. We’ve got your back.”
Everyone murmured their agreement, and Julia felt her heart swell with pride. She was struck again by how fortunate they were to be such a close-knit, supportive family.
They began to discuss all of the things that would need to be done to change the date of the wedding, and Alexis took detailed notes in her phone. They munched on the cookies and the mozzarella sticks while they talked, both of which were mouthwateringly delicious.
As they discussed, Julia noticed Hazel’s phone screen light up with a text from Delilah Bates. Her eyebrows lifted curiously as she watched her sister click on the text. Julia couldn’t read the words, but she saw Hazel’s expression become suddenly emotional.
“Is something wrong?” Julia asked her softly.
Hazel shook her head, even though her eyes had started brimming with tears. “No, not at all. Delilah just sent me—well, she’s arranged a surprise for Samantha, and it’s the absolute sweetest thing.”
“That woman is a treasure,” Julia said, shaking her head. “I really hope she sticks around.”
“I have a feeling she will,” Hazel said, her eyes twinkling. “I think Tom is like a magnet, keeping her here in Rosewood Beach.”
Julia smiled, loving the idea. Not only did she think the world of Delilah Bates and love the thought of her continuing to be around town, but she also wanted the movie star to be able to experience the kind of love and community that her town had to offer.
Maybe Tom was a magnet, keeping her there in town—and before long, maybe the town itself would be enough of a magnet for her, and she would want to stay there all the time.