Page 51 of Sew Matcha in Love
I’d never seen the crowd so crazy. I grinned like a loon, so happy for my friends. A new baby boy for each of the Dexter siblings.
Ridgie skated out and made a big show of giving Big Sister onesies to the little girls and blue Edge-branded onesies to Lauren and Bailey.
My heart cracked at the thought of not having any more children. Isla and Amelie would make the best, most doting big sisters.
Arwyn’s face flashed behind my eyes.
What if?
She’d canceled her date last night and suggested the girls give us a ballet lesson, citing teaching a skill to others helped you learn it. Of course, I went out of my way to be the worst I could be and had all three of the girls in stitches. Arwyn gave up trying to remind me to be serious because ballet was a very serious discipline. I knew that from Viki, and I didn’t want my girls to lose the fun of it if or until they were ready to study it seriously.
I’d gone to sleep with images in my head of Arwyn in her white tights and filmy skirt dancing around the front room on her toes with my girls, holding invisible beach balls, and me “throwing” mine and acting sad when no one caught it.
I loved that she was active with them as well as encouraged quiet time.
I loved that she was happy being a homebody, and I loved that I—the extroverted prankster attention-seeker—was happy being a homebody with her.
I loved who I was when I was within those walls.
I loved everything about her. And the life I was living right now.
CHAPTER 17
Arwyn
Iwas reading in my armchair in the front room when Zaki arrived home from Denver. I couldn’t sleep, and reading wasn’t really happening, either.
The girls and I had watched the first period of the game snuggled up in their bed with the dogs. When they’d fallen asleep during the intermission commentary, I switched off their television and came downstairs so I could view the rest of the game. The announcers kept hinting about a special revelation after the final horn, and I was curious.
After the gender reveals, the network had shown a compilation of other baby Edge reveals over the years, including Zaki’s. The elation on his clean-shaven face when the second puck was brought out was that of a kid at Christmas who’d received the gift he’d been wanting more than anything else.
I wondered if they showed that in the arena, and I wondered if Zaki saw it. I wondered, even if he didn’t see it, if he thought back to it. I couldn’t imagine the heartache of being so happy, only to have it all end a few short years later.
It wasn’t my business, and I wasn’t sure why exactly I was waiting up. To offer him support, of course, if he wanted to talk.
Ha. Healwayswanted to talk.
But family stuff he usually kept for when the girls weren’t around, so I wanted to give him an outlet if he sought one.
In the dim light of the entryway, he removed his overcoat and hat. As he turned to the stairs, he noticed me. I set my book on the end table and stood up.
“Hey,” I said, trying not to be distracted by him in a suit. “Nice goal in the third. And the empty net one, too. One shy of a hat trick.”
Zaki smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks. Did the girls stay up for the whole game?”
I shook my head. “They fell asleep a couple minutes into the first intermission report. I came downstairs to watch the rest.”
He nodded, and the silence between us became loud. I scrambled for words, but none came.
Some support. I couldn’t even speak.
“Well, um. Good night,” I said. “I’m going to be up for a bit, um, reading. But … if you aren’t tired or want to talk…” I lifted my hands and shrugged. “I’m a good listener.”
I sank back into my chair but kept my eyes on him. He folded his hands behind his head and blew out a breath, then nodded. “Okay if I change first?”
“Of course. Want to go into the kitchen? We have sugar-free cheesecake.”
This time his smile reached his eyes. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
