71. Kendra
Kendra
“Iwas sworn to secrecy,” Lainey laughs as I shampoo the lowlights from her hair at Dip and Dye two days after Eli rocked my world with the nursery reveal. And Wren’s middle name. And that he’s been secretly teaching her to call me Mama.
Holy fucking swoon.
“I know, and you are such a good girl to follow the rules.” I poke her and she blushes a deep shade of pink. “Ohhh-M-G! Don’t even want to know what just went through that not so innocent head of yours, Mrs. LeBlanc!”
“Sorry not sorry,” Lainey laughs as we go back to my chair so I can cut her hair and get it back to her new favorite shoulder-length bob.
“Do you want to help me do some packing this weekend? I don’t think it will be hard to move stuff from his house, but I just don’t want it to look like the cabin exploded once we get it all over there.” I shiver.
“No problem, I’d be happy to help. I love this so much for both of you.” Lainey grins at me through the reflection of the mirror.
“Great! Hannah and Sarah are coming too. I’d like to get most of it done while the guys are on shift and have it be a surprise.
” I even out my last few cuts as we chat, and then I hear the front door ding.
Glancing over I see an unfamiliar, tall, dark-haired woman with light green eyes talking to our intern. She’s probably a walk-in.
I watch as Candace introduces herself, but I can’t hear what they are saying over my blow dryer.
Candace leads the woman over to her station two chairs down from me, setting her things down and going to the wash bowls, and I can’t help but think there is something familiar about her.
Her dark eyelashes fan out over her fair skin, and soft pink blush highlights her strong cheekbones.
She’s stunning. Maybe I had her as a client before?
I am not always the best with names, and we get a lot of people from neighboring towns and even military traffic from Norfolk.
Antonio has built a great business and reputation in the wider area, which we are super proud of.
“Are you in town for anything special?” I hear Candace ask her client as I shut off my dryer. They just came back from the hair-wash station and Candace drapes a cape over her.
“Yes,” she says in a low, raspy voice that people would pay good money to listen to. “I have to set up a meeting with a lawyer and am hoping to see an old friend.”
“Ohhh.” Candace wiggles her brows. “A date maybe?”
“He sent me something kind of important, and I think we need to talk about it in person,” she says as Candace cuts the woman’s hair in long layers that will frame her face beautifully.
“Well, no harm coming in here to get a fresh cut and a blowout for good luck first, right, Skylar?” Candace winks at her, making the woman blush.
Skylar.
A meeting with a lawyer.
Seeing an old friend.
He sent me something kind of important.
“I can’t breathe.” I grip Lainey’s arm.
“Okay, okay.” She stands fast and guides me to the back of the salon, past the sinks to the office where Antonio is on the phone.
He hangs up immediately upon seeing me. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s having a panic attack, I think,” Lainey says, making me sit on the couch, elbows on my knees, head down. She rubs my back, and Antonio shuts the office door, then brings over a bottle of water.
“Should we call Eli?” he asks Lainey.
“NO!” I whip my head up, instantly feeling nauseous and dizzy. I squeeze my eyes closed to try and halt the spinning sensation.
“Why not?” Lainey asks calmly.
“Skylar . . . Wren’s mom, her birth mother, I mean. She . . . is in . . . Candace’s fucking chair . . . right freaking now,” I croak.
“Holy shit,” Antonio says. “Do you know why she’s in town?”
I sip the water, trying to slow my breaths. “No. But it sounded like she is here to see a lawyer . . . and Eli. So, I think he might already know. Why, why wouldn’t he tell me?” I look at Lainey, tears in my eyes.
“I don’t know, babe. But I’m sure it will be okay.” She sits next to me and hugs me.
“What if I lose Wren?” I cry.
“You won’t!” Antonio says fiercely.
“I’m not legally on anything, you guys. Eli says I’m her mom in my heart. As nice as that is, the law doesn’t care about feelings over facts. If that woman comes back around and wants to be a big part of Wren’s life, she has rights and can fight for them.” I hug Lainey and cry.
“No matter what happens, or what the law says, Kendra, you are Wren’s mom. We all know that. And so does Eli.” Lainey holds me tightly as I feel like my world is falling apart.