Page 61 of The Beat of My Heart
Watching as she picks him up and carries him to the couch, I grab my coffee and a cup for her as well.
“What are you doing here so early today?” I ask.
“Let’s cut to the chase, Jules. Somethin’ isn’t right with you. Hasn’t been in a long time. Now with Lanie gone, I’m worryin’ a little more is all,” she tells me.
“Ah, GG, I’m okay, really. It is harder with Lanie gone, but don’t you dare go telling her that. She is exactly where she needs to be,” I tell her.
“No argument from me there, girly, but you keep spending all your time looking after everyone else, you’re gonna end up missing out on the life you were meant to have.”
Looking at Charlie, I can’t help but smile. “I’m good, GG. How can I not be when I have the best gift a woman could ask for?”
“Mhm, we’ll see. My money is bettin’ you’ll be singing a different tune before you know it. Jarrod down at the hardware store is teachin’ me to read those funny fortune cards, and I had him read yours yesterday. You’re in for a lot of changes, missy. Get ready,” she tells me earnestly.
I can’t help but laugh, “Yeah, GG. Lots of diaper changes are definitely in my future.”
“You sassy little twit,” she scolds. Pointing a boney finger at me, she says, “Mark my words, Sinny, this will be your year. Now, the other thing I came for. Lexi is coming into town late tonight, and she will have to stay with you, hope that’s okay? The inn is full and the lodge has a wedding,” she tells me.
Lexi is Lanie’s older cousin by two months. Their mothers were twins, and if you were to see Lexi and Lanie together, you’d think they were too. The three of us were always close, but where Lexi was a jock, Lanie and I came up with every plausible excuse to miss gym class.
“That’s fine,” I tell GG. “I haven’t seen Lex in over a year, how’s she doing?”
GG tsks in a way that has my stomach twisting. “Something is going on with that girl, I just know it, but she won’t tell me nothin’,” GG complains. “I’m not going to lie, Jules. I’m worried about her. This guy she’s been mixed up with, Miles, I think she said his name was, I just don’t like him one bit. I’m worryin’ for her.”
GG is uncharacteristically somber. She must be really concerned. “Have you talked to Lanie? Maybe she’s spoken to her,” I offer, feeling guilty for not having reached out myself.
“No, I have not, and don’t you go doin’ it either. Lanie needs to get her head on straight herself. The last thing she needs is to be worryin’ about Lex,” GG tells me.
“Okay, I’ll see if I can talk with her when she arrives. Do you know what she is coming for? She hasn’t been home in ages.”
“No clue. Lex just said she’d be up for lunch tomorrow but wasn’t staying more than a night. I wanted her to stay with me, but the ice damage hasn’t been fixed from the last storm yet, and the guest room is torn down to the studs,” she tells me.
“That’s okay, GG. It’ll be nice to have some company,” I tell her.
Handing Charlie back to me, she says, “I thought it might. Okay, I’ve gots to go! I was touchin’ with the ladies earlier. We are going to hit up the diner before that handsome cook leaves for the day,” she says with a wink and a wave.
“Texting, GG. It’s called texting,” I tell her as she walks through the front door.
Laughing, I tuck my face into the crook of Charlie's chubby little neck. God, he smells good, right up until he doesn’t. “Ugh, Charlie. You couldn’t have done that for GG?”
Once he is changed, I bring him back down for breakfast just as my mom walks in to take over so I can go to work.
“Hi, mom.”
“Hi, sweetie,” she says, kissing my cheek. “How are you doing without Lanie? I know it must be tough.”
“Yeah, it was definitely easier with two sets of hands around here, but I’ll be fine,” I tell her.
“So, what’s my little guy…” she is interrupted by Madonna blasting on my cell phone. She smiles because she knows that’s Lanie’s ring. “Go ahead, check on our Lanes. I’ve got my buddy here,” she tells me.
“Mom,” I say as I’m headed down the hall.
“Hm?” she says, already distracted by Charlie.
“Love you,” I tell her.
“I love you too, Jules,” she says with a smile.
I really am lucky to have such amazing parents. Turning up pregnant and alone could have been a nightmare, but they never once left my side, questioned my sanity, or made me feel like I’d messed up my life. Having Charlie and no father around is not ideal, but given a choice, I’d choose to have a piece of my Charlie with me always.
