Page 103 of Perfectly Grumpy

She sighs and goes back to wiping the counters. I touch her arm to get her to stop working. “You know, if I get the job, I’ll visit all the time.”

She turns to me. “Your job is not flexible. Not like you pretend like it is. And the NHL has even more pressure.” She shakes her head, and a crease forms between her brows. “Lauren, can you keep a secret?”

“Of course, Liv. What is it?” I take another sip of lemonade.

She hesitates, pressing her fingers to her forehead. When she drops her hand, she blurts, “I’m pregnant.”

The lemonade I’ve just swallowed goes down the wrong way, and I sputter, coughing out a“What?”

“I’m having a baby.” She frowns as I hack up a lung. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” I say, catching my breath. “The question is, are you? I thought you said you were done after Camden.”

“Yeah, well, so did I,” she says dryly. “God has a sense of humor.”

“Then what happened?” I ask.

She tilts her head. “Do you really want to know how it happened?”

I hold up my hands, shaking my head furiously. “Wait—no. Iknowhow it happens.”

“What can I say?” She shrugs. “Sometimes unexpected things happen.”

“But they never happen toyou.”

My sister is the only person I know who has implemented her life plan just as she wanted it—married right after college, started a family two years after that, and said her family was complete after two kids.

“This wasn’t planned okay?” Her mouth twists as she looks away. I don’t need to remind her that her life plans just got torpedoed by a positive pregnancy test. She already knows. I just need to be the one who celebrates with her.

“A baby!” I reach for her hand and squeeze it. “This is wonderful news, Liv. I’m so happy for you.”

“But now you’re leaving right when I need you most.”

While I’ve been obsessing over my career and everything with Tate, my sister has been carrying this news alone.

“Hey,” I say gently. “I’m not going anywhere yet. And even if I do get this job, being an aunt is kind of my favorite gig.”

Olivia’s eyes fill with tears. “Really?”

“Are you kidding? Who else is going to teach this kid all the bad habits that drive you crazy?” I pull her into a hug. “You’re not in this alone, Liv. And Jake’s a fantastic dad.”

“That’s the other thing,” she says with a sigh, pulling away from me. “Jake just got a promotion. His new position is going to involve more travel. I’m talking weeks away from home.” She leans against the counter wearily. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle everything myself. When Mom was here, she could helpme, but now…” She begins to cry as she covers her face with her hands.

“Oh, Liv.” I move next to her and put my arm around her. She tries to force a smile through her tears, but behind them is a woman who looks overwhelmed about the future. Because as much as my sister will never admit it, we’re a lot alike. Overachievers who can’t fail because everyone is counting on us not to.

“Come on.” I gently take her arm, guiding her toward the patio door, where we slip outside.

I take her to a pair of Adirondack chairs, and she slumps into one. She wipes her eyes, looking out at the trees. “Thanks. I didn’t want to tell everyone yet. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together.” She laughs quietly, wiping her nose. “It’s not that I’m not happy. I’m thrilled…but alsosooverwhelmed. Jake told me he can turn down the promotion, but I know how much he wants this. And it means more income for our family—which, now that we’re having another baby, we really need.”

She pauses, her lip trembling slightly. “I just wish Mom were here.”

“I know,” I say quietly. “You know Mom…she’d insist on moving in with you to become your personal nanny for a few months.”

“She would,” she says, laughing to herself. Then she looks over at me. “I’m sorry for making you feel guilty about the new job. When you told me, all I could think was how you were leaving me, just when I needed you the most.”

“Liv.” I take her hand. “We’ll figure it out. I want to be here for you. No matter what happens.”

But even as I say it, the weight on my chest feels suffocating. The NHL demands crazy hours, especially when it comes to PR emergencies. I feel like I’m making promises I might not be able to keep, no matter how good my intentions are.

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