Page 106 of My Ex's Best Friend

Mom started crying, and we hugged each other. I know she has kept a copy of the ultrasound under the pillow.

My parents have taken the news in stride and are very excited about the arrival of the baby. Mom even went crazy getting brand-new knitting needles, and expensive woolen yarns so that she could get a head-start. And I find my Dad poring over color schemes on the living room couch often.

My parents have always been supportive of my decision. That’s been the case when I was younger and decided that I was going to move to Boston. I knew they expected me to come back to Eros after college. But they never held me back.

She hands me the bowl of soup. No chicken. I’ve found myself getting nauseous just at the smell of it.

Mom lingers.

“Did you want to talk about something?”

“Saw a familiar face on the street today."

"I don't understand your obsession with the postman," I say. "Who even writes letters?"

She frowns. "What? No, I'm not stalking the postman. I saw Jake."

My heart skips several beats. I keep the book away and turn to gauge the look on her face to make sure she's not messing with me.

"What?"

"I saw Jake. He drove past our house today."

"You must be mistaken," I say. "He's back in Boston."

He is, isn't he? There's no way he can know I'm here. The only people who know I moved home are Ellie and Tammy.

"Now, I haven't seen him in a few years, but it was him," Mom says. "He's starting to look more and more like his father."

"Mom, this is serious."

“It was him, I’m pretty sure.”

“Just make sure he doesn’t come in here. I don’t want to see his face.”

“Kiera—” Mom starts but I hold up a hand.

“Mom, I’m serious. I don’t want to talk about him. Jake is here because Eros is his hometown, as much as it is mine. But he doesn’t get access to me.”

I want to hear nothing about him.

Just the other day, Ellie and I had a strange conversation. She wanted to talk about the other woman. But I shut her down immediately and excused myself from the call, telling her that I was feeling dizzy. She panicked and apologized. What the hell was that?

And does that have something to do with the fact that Jake is here now? But no, Ellie would never tell him where I am. She’s my friend, not his.

“Okay fine, we’re not going to talk about Jake. But let’s talk about you.”

“What about me?” I ask.

“You’re going to be a good mother, Kiera,” she says.

Where’s this coming from?

“Thanks, Mom, for believing in me,” I say. “But you’re my mother, you’re supposed to say that.”

Besides, I’m kind of a mess right now. Though talking to her about the baby, being optimistic about the future has helped. With my parents by my side, maybe I can do a pretty good job of raising the kid without Jake in the scenario.

“No really, Kiera,” she says, patting me on my arm. “You have this light inside you. It was always there, even when you were just a baby.”

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