Page 126 of Goal Line
My eyes tear up, but I take a deep breath, trying to not ruin the makeup Ashleigh just encouraged me to apply. That’s when I realize that this whole “helping me get ready” thing was in anticipation of my friends arriving. With baby gifts. “Is this...?”
“Your baby shower?” Morgan finishes. “Yes.”
“Well, a small one, anyway,” Audrey says.
“You’ll probably want something bigger, with both your families and all your friends, once she’s born,” Morgan says. “But for now, you get us.”
“No, this is perfect actually,” I say with a laugh as my friends crowd into the room. Even though I have a really nice private room, complete with a couch that Luke has slept on more than once, it is pretty small. Fortunately, because I’m on a higher floor, I have a good view of Boston out the large window. I guess if I can’tbeoutside, the ability toseeoutside is the next best thing. “This is the only baby shower I need.”
I glance around the room at these women who have formed a tight-knit family, regardless of biological or marriage ties, and I’m so thankful that they’re bringing me into the fold. The tears that were threatening to fall a moment ago start to slide down my face.
“Oh no, what’s wrong?” Ashleigh asks. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m happy,” I say with a teary smile.
At the same time, Audrey and Lauren both say, “She’s pregnant.”
“All of that is true.” I can’t help but laugh. And then I eye the cart with the gifts and notice a bakery box. “Please tell me you snuck in some cake? This low-salt diet they have me on to help with my blood pressure, and the hospital food in general, sucks so much. I could use something tasty.”
“We didn’t sneak it in,” Lauren says. “We got the menu approved by your doctor.”
That has more tears spilling down my face because of thelengths they went through to plan this. “Well, anything is going to be better than what they’re serving me here.”
The girls set to work unloading the gifts and food from the wagon, and pretty soon, we’ve got plates piled high with veggies and hummus, a variety of cheeses, deviled eggs, gruyere and filet sliders, and the cutest little dessert cups of whipped coconut cream and berries, and dark chocolate cheesecake bites on the side. Everything is healthy, low-salt, and delicious!
I’ve never appreciated food more than I appreciate this meal, and when I tell my friends that, Audrey raves about Jules’s cooking. “She can makeanythingtaste good!”
“I know nothing about cooking,” I admit, and tell my friends about how I’ve had a personal chef my entire adult life.
“I’m happy to teach you the basics, once you’re up to it,” Jules offers. “A couple quick cooking lessons might be a good distraction from early motherhood?”
“That would be amazing,” I say.
“My kitchen is fully set up for cooking with a baby, from when Graham was little,” she says. “I still have all the baby stuff in storage in the basement. Until Audrey needs it again.” She gives her sister a meaningful look that makes me wonder if Audrey’s expecting...or will be soon.
“Something you want to tell us?” AJ asks.
Audrey laughs. “No, not yet. But Drew’s determined to have like six kids, so we’ll probably start trying soon-ish.”
I laugh to myself, wondering ifallhockey players want big families.
“Are you going to start trying before you get married?” Lauren asks. “Is that why you haven’t set a date?”
“We’ve only been engaged for a few months,” Audrey says. “That’s why we haven’t set a date. But yeah, if I get pregnant soon, we’ll probably push the wedding off. I don’t want to be pregnant when I get married.” Her hand flies to her mouth, and she looks at me, wide-eyed, before her cheeks pinken. “Oh my god, I didn’t mean...”
Shaking my head, I just laugh. “No worries at all. Your situation is different, andnotbeing a pregnant bride makes perfect sense! We didn’t plan for things to happen the way they have.” In so many ways, that’s true, yet I wouldn’t change a thing because I ended up with Luke.
“You could always go to the courthouse and get married there,” Lauren says. “Then have the wedding celebration later.”
Audrey nods, like she’s considering the idea. “Maybe.”
“Speaking of weddings and babies,” Morgan says, “maybe we should let Eva open her gifts?”
And for the next hour, that’s what I do. Slowly—between meaningful conversations—I open the most thoughtful gifts I can imagine. Things I never knew I needed, but that the moms in the group swear they couldn’t have lived without, and some of the necessities I did know I needed but had thought I’d have longer to procure.
Surrounded by my friends, I take a moment to appreciate how truly lucky I am. Not only have I made new friends in Boston, but Luke has made sure Hans will never reappear in our lives. Only a week after coming to the hospital, my blood pressure is under control, and Baby Squash is healthy and still developing, both of which seem truly miraculous given how dire the situation sounded when we first got here.
We’re taking a group picture when there’s another knockon the door. Assuming it’s the nurse, I marvel at how quickly these past few hours have flown by with my friends.
