Page 99 of Brooke's Bliss
“Of course they do, and I can’t tell you how much I wishedI’d been living here at the time.I didn’t make it to my own graduation.I hadto watch my siblings.”Lucy wiped away a tear but there was a smile on herface.“I did for my younger siblings what Rye did for you, and I need you tounderstand if they decided not to use their degrees or the training classes Ipaid for, if it turned out they could be happier with something else, Iwouldn’t care.I would be thrilled for them.Brooke, are you hurting anyone?”
She hadn’t realized how much she needed this.“No.I think Imight be finding myself again.I think I got lost somewhere in trying to besuccessful.”
Nell was crying, too.Not that it took much these days.“Theonly real success in life is to love and be loved.It’s to leave this world abetter place, to experience the human range of emotions.”
Lucy laughed.“Don’t talk like that around Mel.”
Nell frowned, but it was an amused expression.“Mel knows mystance on interstellar visitors.We should talk to them.The galaxy is ourhome.Though I do take the beet regularly because beets are an excellent healthfood.”
“Don’t let her fool you,” Henry called out.“She took extrabecause Cass told her there’s a group of non-corporeal aliens who sometimes zipinto the unborn.”
Nell put a hand to her belly.“Well, one can’t be toocareful, but what I’m really saying is the world is a big place and youdeciding you want to change your mind about something, well, that’s normal.Open your heart and ask yourself what you truly want.”
That was oddly easy.“I want to work with Cleo for a whileand see how I like costume design, but more than that, I want them.I want Bayand Shane, and it’s too early to ask them to follow me.It’s too early for meto give up my career for them and start working at the Stop ’n’ Shop.”
“Nah.”Henry joined them.The goat he previously held washappily running around the barn now.“Those two won’t mind.Shane will find hisway.That boy can make a home out of almost anything, and Bay has his art.Hecan create anywhere.Those boys know what they want.Don’t break their heartsand yours because you think it’s too soon to know.I’m the one who knows that.I cost us months and months because I didn’t think I could change.I’d alreadychanged.I changed the minute I met Nell.I became a different person, but Ifought it because I thought I owed other people.You don’t, Brooke.Not Stef orthe town.Not your brothers.Yes, they sacrificed for you.Pay it forward.Helpout others because once they helped you.”
“Love your niece and your nephews,” Lucy advised.“Come homewhen you can and be with your family.That’s all your brothers are ever goingto want.I think that’s why Rye is so touchy right now.You’ve been gone a longtime.”
She loved her family so much.What if she could have thebest of both worlds?A career and her men, new places to see and worlds todesign, and the comfort of knowing she could always come back here.To herphysical home, where the door was always open and she was always wanted.
She’d been so wrong this morning.She absolutely should haveyelled at Bay because his hands were far more valuable than the joy she gotfrom Mark taking a punch to the face.But she should have hugged him and beenkinder.
She was going to have to make up for that, but somehow shethought it would all be okay.
Nell gasped and stepped back.“Oh, shit.Oh, no.I saidshit.I don’t know why I said that.I don’t curse.”
Lucy’s eyes had gone wide.“Because your water broke.”
Oh, shit.Brooke did curse and often.She took a deepbreath.“Hey, Noah.We’re about to have way more than baby goats in here.Nell’s in active labor.”
Henry had gone pale.“Oh, no.She’s been having the painsfor a couple of hours now.We need to get her into town.”
Nell clutched her husband.“I’m not due for another twoweeks.”
Noah put his bag down and started for the barn door.“You’refine, Nell.It’s always an estimate, and you’re well within a safe time todeliver.I’m more worried because your last delivery was a c-section.”
“Caleb said I could try,” Nell informed him.“Poppy waslate, and she was too big for me to deliver naturally.He said this one mightbe okay.”
“I want you in the clinic no matter what.”Henry’s handswere shaking slightly.
“I’ll grab some towels and I’ll bring my SUV around.”Noahmoved to the door, opening it.“Someone call Caleb and let him know we’recoming in.Lucy, monitor her contractions, please.”
“On it.”Lucy pulled a notepad out of her pocket and wrotedown the time.
“What can I do?”Despite the craziness of the situation,Brooke felt so much relief.
It was going to be okay.Bay would be back soon and shewould apologize and they would take her to bed and they would talk all of thisout.
And she would get to meet another Bliss baby.She bet thiskid would be as calm and peaceful as her sister.
Nell let out a long groan.“Oh, that was a rough one.”
Henry frowned.“How many have been rough ones?”
She shrugged.“A couple.Maybe the last hour or so.But Ididn’t want to stop the lesson.We only have babysitting for another fewhours.”
Brooke pulled her phone and started to dial the number forthe clinic.“Who has Poppy?I’ll call them, too.”
