Page 42 of Her Christmas Wish
She’d glanced over when he touched her. Was still looking at him. And he couldn’t look away from her, either. As though they were signing another document, seeing each other anew, in different capacities to each other than they’d been. “It was your gestation period.” He told her what seemed obvious to him. “She wasn’t inside you, but you were wrapped around her as she developed. Your voice was her everyday constant. Your love for her probably grew every day, as I imagine it does when a woman has a baby in her womb. By the sounds of things, you were focused on her, as a woman has to be when a baby has taken over her body, and she kind of changed all of your normal choices, too, since you were spending days sitting in a hospital for her, eating hospital food, changing your normal physical habits...”
Tears formed in Sage’s eyes again, and Gray stopped talking. Figuring maybe more had changed about the two of them than he’d known. He didn’t know her as well as he’d thought. Had lost his ability to read her.
Until she said, “Thank you, Gray. I think that’s the most incredible thing anyone has ever said to me.”
And he swelled up like a geeky high school kid who’d just been kissed by the head cheerleader.
Chapter Thirteen
Sage dreamed about Gray that night. Not one solid story. Or dream. Instead, it was a night filled with various sides of him. Flashing vignettes. Like letting go had opened up a floodgate of memories she’d been refusing to acknowledge for the past ten years.
Closure, releasing, meant setting it all free.
Sunday was the day to get ready for the week and after watching kids’ church online with Leigh, she took the little girl out to lunch and then shopping, ending up at the grocery store, before heading home to relax for a few hours.
As chatty as always, Leigh kept Sage’s thoughts occupied, often jumping from one topic to the next, as she saw things or other thoughts occurred. Their conversations ranged from Uncle Scott not being lonely now that Mr. Buzzing Bee was there, to nose picking. With a whole lot ofwhys,how comes,I wantsandcan I havesthrown in. Sage figured there might come a day when she’d crave mental quiet time, hours to entertain thoughts of her own, as she’d read in a few of the online forums for young mothers, but she wasn’t there yet.
Sunday afternoon was dog time on the beach, with owners home, not working and wanting to give their companions time to run and play freely. Folks mostly stayed on their own porches, or in front of their own properties, which made everyone out of hearing range, but the dogs pretty much ran freely. And came and went, with a huge celebration every time someone new arrived on the scene.
And then there was Leigh.
Who ran through the front door of the cottage to the back, as soon as they got home. Saw her uncle, and as Sage came in with bags of groceries, announced that she was going to play with Morgan.
Scott generally made his way down to spend time with his niece, most particularly on Sundays. The two of them having quality time together, as near daily as possible, was the whole reason Sage had moved to Ocean Breeze. So that Leigh would have a father figure in her life, teaching her things Sage didn’t know or care much about. Growing up twins, going through school together, Sage and Scott had been close. And at the same time, she’d been all girl all the way. Loving the frills. And Scott had been all boy.
Generally speaking, when it came to the mechanics of things, Sage didn’t care how it all worked. She was just glad it did. Scott could explain in real detail how a car started just because you pushed a button. She’d deferred that question to him just the week before.
Scott also challenged the little girl to try, when Sage would have issued more caution. Gave her different insights, different ways of approaching problems, different thinking skills.
Where Sage tended to react emotionally in certain situations, Scott was more practical. Like the time Leigh had fallen, running on the beach, had hit a lawn chair and needed stitches in her head. She’d been less than two. Sage had been fighting tears on the way to the hospital, hating that Leigh was having to go back, to suffer more, and Scott had spent the time making funny noises and singing silly songs as he drove.
When she’d asked him about it later, Scott had told her that he knew Leigh would be fine. Stitches were a part of growing up.
And he’d been right, of course.
Still, Sage had suffered every second of discomfort right along with her little girl. Wishing she could experience the pain in Leigh’s stead. And Leigh had wanted only her mother with her, holding her hand when the doctor had been stitching up her head. Staring at Sage, the toddler had whimpered as the numbing spray was applied, but after that, she’d just lain still. Watching her mom.
Because of those months ofgestationas Gray had called it the night before?
He’d put a lovely spin on what had seemed such a heartbreaking time.
And...she wasn’t going to do more than acknowledge that she was happily adopting the new perspective, giving him credit, with gratitude for giving it to her, and moving on.
No glomming on the gift giver, she reminded herself as she put away all the household items she’d stocked up on that day.
Though, didn’t closure open the door to a new possibility? That of the two of them as friends?
She didn’t hate the idea.
She was still toying with it in her mind as she finished up and went outside to join her daughter and brother.
They were no longer alone. As often happened, Angel and Iris had joined them. The professional photographer lived in the cottage next to Sage, and the two women had been friends since the first day Sage had looked at her new home. There’d been several places to choose from, some already renovated, some that could be done to her liking. She’d ultimately chosen the one she did partially because of Iris Shiprock.
The woman had lit up when she’d seen eight-month-old Leigh—in spite of the two tubes still connected to the small-for-her-size baby. She’d gushed and engaged—and had shown real compassion, too, though not in front of the baby.
And...Iris had also been a twin. She’d lost her sister in a car accident, Iris being the only survivor, and had moved into the cottages when she’d been ready to start her new life.
Sage had always figured her and Scott’s twin status had been why the three of them had bonded so quickly.
