Page 10 of Saving You

“Caleb’s a good man,” Zoey says. “I’ve gotten to know him a lot more since Liv and Josh started dating. We all know, if we ever need anything, we can call him and he’ll be there.”

I nod, taking in her words. These girls have no connections to Caleb, other than being his friend’s wife’s friends, and they all know he’d be there for them if they needed it.

I wonder what it’s like to have someone like that in yourlife. Lily has been the only constant in our lives. My parents passed in a car accident with a drunk driver when I was twenty. Charlie was only six months old. Derek and I split a year and a half ago, although he wasn’t around much before the split. He only started coming back around when the divorce was finalized, and it’s irregular visits. Neither Charlie nor I can rely on him.

A hand gently grasps my arm. “You okay?” Eliza asks.

I smile softly. “Yeah, I guess my mind just wandered.”

She assesses me with her gaze like she can see more than I want her to. Giving my head a little shake, I look back at all the girls. “So, how do you all know each other?”

“Liv and I grew up together. We met Han and Liz while we were at UBC,” Zoey says.

“I think that was the only positive thing to come from that house party,” Hannah remarks.

Olivia comes back into the room and settles beside me.

“So, what did I miss?” she asks as she rubs her belly.

“Bailey just told us how she met Caleb, or as she calls him, Officer Sutton,” Hannah says, making me blush.

Calling him Caleb feels too familiar. He’s just the officer that responded to our 911 call. I don’t want them to think this is more than it is. I don’t want to confuse myself into thinking it’s more than it is.

“He showed up at our place after a 911 call. That’s it. It’s nothing more,” I say.

The girls stare at me, assessing me and my response.

It’s Olivia who breaks the silence. “So, what are we doing tonight? Taylor Swift dance party or movie night?”

“Taylor Swift!” Charlie calls from the dining room.

The girls laugh, and Olivia plays “Shake It Off” through the speaker system. Charlie runs into the living room, her crafts forgotten, and dances with us. My entire body relaxes as we danceand laugh, not caring about making fools of ourselves. We dance for what seems like an hour. At the end of our little dance party, Charlie curls up on the couch with a blanket and cuddles Vanilla. We settle in with snacks andHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

As the credits begin to roll, Josh comes in the front door. He walks over and kisses his wife and rubs his hand over her belly. I smile, remembering what it’s like to share that experience with someone. I enjoyed being pregnant with Charlotte and wish I could do it again, but that would require me to ever trust a man enough to give him the shattered pieces of my heart and soul.

Derek didn’t just physically hurt me. The change in him from my loving husband to a man who took out his anger and frustration with his fists broke my heart. I thought I knew him. I thought I had found the man I would spend the rest of my life with. The man who would be by my side to raise our daughter. I guess I didn’t really know him.

“Do you guys want to spend the night? We have a few spare rooms. You can stay in one. I’m making breakfast in the morning. The girls are all crashing,” Josh says.

Looking over at a sleeping Charlie, I don’t want to disturb her by taking her down to the car and then having to get her inside and up to her bedroom.

“That would be great, thank you.”

He nods. “I’ll help you move her.”

In seconds, he has his arms under her legs and back and is carrying her down the hallway. He walks into a room with a queen-sized bed in the centre. A black comforter is spread over the bed with pillows to match. I rush in front of him, pulling back a section of the covers so he can place her in the bed. I thank him and follow him back out to the living room. Saying good night to the girls, I grab the bag of stuff I brought for Charlie and head back into the bedroom. Settling into bed, Irealize that tonight was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.

When I wake up in the morning, it’s to an empty bed. I jump out of bed, not sure what Charlie would have gotten into while I was asleep. Walking into the living room, I find her in the kitchen wearing an apron, helping Josh cook breakfast. They both smile as they work together. I look to the dining room and see Liv and Zoey at the table. Liv has a dreamy look as she watches her husband cook with my daughter.

“Morning, Bailey,” Zoey calls when she sees me.

“Morning.” I grab a seat beside her, and Charlie slowly makes her way to me with a coffee mug in her hand.

“Good morning, Mommy. I made you coffee,” she says with a proud smile.

“Thank you, Baby Girl.” I kiss her forehead before she rushes back to Josh. Making eye contact with him, I mouththank you, and he smiles.

“Oh, I love Josh’s breakfast,” Hannah says as she and Liz join us. “Did they tell you the story about our first breakfast here after a girls’ night?”

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