Page 27 of Our Little Wedding

We’d gone through this every night since Spencer had been gone. I walked over and grabbed the bear and brought it to the edge of the bed, tucking her under the covers with all three of the stuffed animals. I kissed her on the forehead and was about to turn out the lights when Nikki sat up.

“Aren’t you going to read me a story?”

I glanced at the clock to see it was almost eight thirty. Which meant it was already an hour past Nikki’s bedtime. If she didn’t get to sleep soon, she would be impossible to get up in the morning. “Not tonight, sweets. It’s already past your bedtime. Now, you need to lie down and close your eyes and get some sleep,” I said, pulling the covers up over her a little more.

“Just one,” Nikki begged.

“No, sweetie, you need your rest. You have school in the morning.”

“But I’m not tired.”

“I beg to differ,” I said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

“Please, Ainsley.”

“Nikki, what did your father say?” I questioned.

“Please, Ainsley, just one.”

I bent down and kissed her forehead and then shook my head. “No, now go to sleep,” I said, shutting her bedside light off. I walked over to her bedroom door and pulled it partway shut. “Good night.”

“Night,” she huffed.

I turned the small light on in the bathroom just outside Nikki’s door and headed to the living room where Carly was searching through Netflix for a movie.

“I made popcorn. What do you feel like watching?” she questioned.

I took a handful and shoved the kernels in my mouth. “Something romantic,” I said, flopping on the couch. “What about you?”

“True crime. I’m in the mood for blood and guts.”

“Ugh, true crime? No wonder you’re still single.” I giggled.

“Romance!” Carly said, sticking her tongue out at me. “That is why you’re pregnant. I’m comfortable and confident with my choices.”

“As am I.” We looked at one another and laughed.

Carly continued scrolling through choices. “Well, we will see how comfortable and confident you are in twenty years.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to hear it. I pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and threw it over my pajama-clad legs and took a sip of my coke.

“How about this?” Carly said, shoving the computer toward me to read the synopsis.

“Fine, that’s fine. At least it isn’t true crime. Drama will have to do.”

“Since when are you against dramas?” Carly questioned as she started the movie.

I shrugged and rested my head on the back of the couch. “Since there is now enough drama in my life to satisfy an entire movie plot.”

“Why?” she asked, pausing the movie. “What’s gone on now?”

I had kept things quiet from Carly, since I knew how she felt about Spencer and me. I also didn’t want to trouble her with my adult issues. However, I knew I needed to talk about things with someone other than Spencer. I let out a sigh and looked at my best friend.

“We will start by saying I really don’t want to hear you say I told you so, but things haven’t been so great. My father came home from his trip and found an invitation in his mailbox to the baby shower.”

Carly’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, Ainsley, I wondered where that one went.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

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