Page 68 of Nicole
“I’d always wanted to adopt. Never really had the burning desire to experience pregnancy myself, but Greg wanted his own progeny. Of course, I’d never trade Sierra for anything now though.” She turned her head, her face in profile. “That dream hasn’t changed, even if my life has.”
I hugged her tighter. “You’re an incredible woman.” One I didn’t want to share at the moment, though my sister and her family waited. I released my hold and offered my hand instead. “Come on, before my sister sends her husband out here to drag us back.”
Her fingers settled against mine. We picked our way through the soft sand until the ground firmed from the beating of the waves. Ginny stood outside the shade shelter, Isaac in her arms. She beamed at us as we neared.
“I apologize in advance for anything my sister may say,” I muttered in a volume loud enough for Nicole but not so loud as to get me in trouble.
“You’ve met my mother. If we made crazy family a contest, I’m sure I’d win.”
Hands down. Shirley was in a league of her own.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you, Nicole!” Ginny hugged her with one arm, twisting so as not to squish the baby.
Nicole patted her back. “You too.” She nodded to Eric. “Coach Eric.”
He dipped his chin. “How are you, Nicole?”
“Good. Thanks.” She stepped back and peered at Isaac swaddled in his blue blanket with cartoon whales. “And who’s this handsome man?”
Ginny brought him forward with pride. “This is our little Isaac.”
Nicole bent over, crooning baby noises.
“Do you want to hold him?” Ginny asked.
Nicole’s eyes lit. “May I?”
“Of course.” Ginny passed the bundle. Nicole cradled him in the crook of her elbow, swaying gently back and forth. She started humming a soft and slow tune.
Our previous conversation of adoption couldn’t have been more disastrously timed. Now all I could see was Nicole withourbaby in her arms.
I was getting ahead of myself. Again.
And yet…
“What’s that tune you’re humming?” Ginny asked.
Nicole lifted her head from staring into baby Isaac’s face. “Oh. His blanket reminded me of this little lullaby my mom used to sing to my brother of a whale swimming in the sea and all the adventures he got into.”
“Your brother the marine biologist?”
Her mouth twisted in humor. “That’s the one. Mom sang her will over him, and now he’s literally devoted his life to saving the whales.”
Ginny laughed. “Is that how it works? Maybe I need to call Owen back here and speak words of industry over him. That boy is lazier than a sloth on Prozac.”
“Leave the kid alone,” Eric said.
Sierra and Owen had discarded their shoes and rolled their pant legs up. They were busy chasing the receding water on the shore, then racing the following surge.
“He doesn’t seem so lazy now,” I pointed out, knowing the contradiction would irk her.
Sure enough, she folded her arms.
“He ran pretty quickly to try and block for Sierra at the game, too,” Nicole said before Ginny could call me out. “I appreciated his hustle.”
Ginny puffed out her cheeks. “I can see when I’m beat. Also, nice teaming up there, you two.”
“We do make a nice team, don’t we?” Nicole shot me a lopsided smile, admitting to taking my side in that verbal spat, if it could be called that.
