way they always did.
When they walked into the building, every mother stopped talking and looked towards them. She straightened her shoulders and tried to put on her social smile.
“Everyone, this is Maggie,” Holly said as she gently pulled the baby from the stroller.
Everyone said, “Oh,” in unison, and then several women rushed towards them, and Maggie was whisked into the arms of the other mothers.
“I’m glad you came.” Savannah turned and saw Lauren West standing next to her, a chubby boy of almost two on her hip. She knew it was her sister Alexis’ son, Gavin. She and Alex had never really gotten along, but at one point, way back in grade school, Lauren and Savannah had been best friends.
She set the boy down and he waddled off towards a pile of toys that sat in the middle of a group of kids. “What do you say to a cup of tea and some crumb cake?” She tugged on Savannah’s hand until she followed her to the bar area. “You’ve met April?”
Savannah nodded at the tall blonde woman who had pink streaks in her hair. “I’ve watched you run by the window almost every day.” April smiled. “But I’ve never thought to run after you.” She smiled. “It looked like Holly was going to chase you down and tackle you to get you to stop.” She laughed and set a cup of warm tea in front of her.
Savannah went to push the tea away. “I’m nursing.”
“It’s okay, honey, it’s caffeine free.” April winked. “Drank truckloads of this stuff while I was nursing my kids.”
Savannah nodded and took the cup. She frowned when Lauren sat a large slice of cranberry crumb cake in front of her.
“Oh, I don’t think—” she started.
“Hush now. You may not see it, but you’re skinnier now than ever before.” Lauren smiled. “It’s always hard to bounce back after a baby, but somehow you’ve managed to do it in only a few months, and I’ll bet without going to the gym once.” She shook her head and frowned a little. “Kind of makes me sick.” Then she laughed.
Savannah looked down at herself. She was very proud of the progress she’d made. She was back into the clothes she’d worn prior to getting pregnant and some of them were a little loose on her.
“Besides, you deserve a break.” She leaned on the bar. “Look at her.” She smiled. “She’s enjoying herself.”
Savannah took a little nibble of cake and turned around to see her daughter smiling as she was held by Haley, Lauren’s youngest sister. There were twin boys standing next to her making funny faces at Maggie, who was giggling like Savannah had never heard before.
The sound brought a tear to her eyes.
“Oh, honey.” Lauren took her arm. “Is everything okay?”
Savannah looked over at her and nodded. “I guess I’m just hormonal.” She used the napkin Lauren had given her to dry her eyes.
Lauren smiled. “Comes with the job.” She chuckled. “Now, let’s go sit down before the story begins.”
Savannah nodded and took the cake and her cup of tea and followed Lauren to a small table near the kids.
Chapter Six
A s Billy listened to Savannah talk about Tracy and story time at Holly’s, he wished more than anything that he was back at home. He never should have taken this job. The hours were long and the work was back breaking. Even though he was a supervisor, he still walked into his hotel room each night with more aches and pains than he cared for.
Most of the men were hard workers, but a handful of them were just plain stupid. Actually, a few of them reminded him of himself just a few short months ago.
He missed his girls. Even though they would Skype every night, he missed holding his daughter, missed smelling her hair after bath time. She was growing so fast. In every picture Savannah sent, he could see the subtle changes in her face.
He’d cried after hanging up with them one night after Maggie had laughed and cooed for him. He desperately wished he’d been there in person to see it.
When they walked into the building, every mother stopped talking and looked towards them. She straightened her shoulders and tried to put on her social smile.
“Everyone, this is Maggie,” Holly said as she gently pulled the baby from the stroller.
Everyone said, “Oh,” in unison, and then several women rushed towards them, and Maggie was whisked into the arms of the other mothers.
“I’m glad you came.” Savannah turned and saw Lauren West standing next to her, a chubby boy of almost two on her hip. She knew it was her sister Alexis’ son, Gavin. She and Alex had never really gotten along, but at one point, way back in grade school, Lauren and Savannah had been best friends.
She set the boy down and he waddled off towards a pile of toys that sat in the middle of a group of kids. “What do you say to a cup of tea and some crumb cake?” She tugged on Savannah’s hand until she followed her to the bar area. “You’ve met April?”
Savannah nodded at the tall blonde woman who had pink streaks in her hair. “I’ve watched you run by the window almost every day.” April smiled. “But I’ve never thought to run after you.” She smiled. “It looked like Holly was going to chase you down and tackle you to get you to stop.” She laughed and set a cup of warm tea in front of her.
Savannah went to push the tea away. “I’m nursing.”
“It’s okay, honey, it’s caffeine free.” April winked. “Drank truckloads of this stuff while I was nursing my kids.”
Savannah nodded and took the cup. She frowned when Lauren sat a large slice of cranberry crumb cake in front of her.
“Oh, I don’t think—” she started.
“Hush now. You may not see it, but you’re skinnier now than ever before.” Lauren smiled. “It’s always hard to bounce back after a baby, but somehow you’ve managed to do it in only a few months, and I’ll bet without going to the gym once.” She shook her head and frowned a little. “Kind of makes me sick.” Then she laughed.
Savannah looked down at herself. She was very proud of the progress she’d made. She was back into the clothes she’d worn prior to getting pregnant and some of them were a little loose on her.
“Besides, you deserve a break.” She leaned on the bar. “Look at her.” She smiled. “She’s enjoying herself.”
Savannah took a little nibble of cake and turned around to see her daughter smiling as she was held by Haley, Lauren’s youngest sister. There were twin boys standing next to her making funny faces at Maggie, who was giggling like Savannah had never heard before.
The sound brought a tear to her eyes.
“Oh, honey.” Lauren took her arm. “Is everything okay?”
Savannah looked over at her and nodded. “I guess I’m just hormonal.” She used the napkin Lauren had given her to dry her eyes.
Lauren smiled. “Comes with the job.” She chuckled. “Now, let’s go sit down before the story begins.”
Savannah nodded and took the cake and her cup of tea and followed Lauren to a small table near the kids.
Chapter Six
A s Billy listened to Savannah talk about Tracy and story time at Holly’s, he wished more than anything that he was back at home. He never should have taken this job. The hours were long and the work was back breaking. Even though he was a supervisor, he still walked into his hotel room each night with more aches and pains than he cared for.
Most of the men were hard workers, but a handful of them were just plain stupid. Actually, a few of them reminded him of himself just a few short months ago.
He missed his girls. Even though they would Skype every night, he missed holding his daughter, missed smelling her hair after bath time. She was growing so fast. In every picture Savannah sent, he could see the subtle changes in her face.
He’d cried after hanging up with them one night after Maggie had laughed and cooed for him. He desperately wished he’d been there in person to see it.
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