Wrapping her arms around my neck, Grace held onto me so tightly I was afraid she was going to choke me.
“All right, all right. Get up off the floor and let me give my baby girl a hug,” Jeff said as Grace and I both stood up. Grace ran into her father’s arms as Ari hugged me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Well done, sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” I said with a wink.
Grace hugged her mother as I held my hand out to shake Jeff’s. Shaking my hand, he laughed and pulled me in for a bear hug. Stepping back some he said, “You do realize what you’re getting yourself into. She’s just like her mother.”
“Oh stop it,” Ari said as Matt came rushing back into the kitchen. With everything that had just happened, I wasn’t even sure when he left.
“Oh. Everyone is so happy! Noah, come tell me your secret. I have my room ready. I’ll start your painting today!”
Grace giggled and motioned for me to go. Following Matt, we went into the guest bedroom that was downstairs. Matt often stayed with Jeff and Ari so they converted the guest bedroom for Matt to stay there. Jeff had even built on an addition to give Matt a small studio to paint in.
There was a blank canvas already set up and Matt sat in front of it as he stared at it. We must have stood there a good three minutes before he turned and gave me a funny look.
“Well? Are you just going to stand there and be an assmole or are you going to tell me what you want me to paint.”
“Oh!” I said with a soft chuckle. Here I thought Matt was getting into the zone and all he was really doing is waiting on me to tell him what to paint.
“Matt, do you think you could paint me a picture of Grace?”
Matt grinned from ear to ear. “Oh I love painting, Grace. I’ll paint her like how I just saw her. She seemed to be very happy. I like a happy Grace. Not a sad Grace.”
Feeling my heart drop, I nodded. “I like a happy Grace too, Matt.”
Matt picked up his brush and said, “Okay bye, assmole.”
“Oh, um, okay. See ya later, Matt.”
Stepping out of the bedroom, I turned and headed back to the kitchen. Ari and Jeff were sitting at the table talking. When I walked in, they both stopped talking and stared at me. Giving them an awkward smile, I said, “Matt really is something.”
Ari’s smile grew bigger. “He really is. Thank you for asking him to do a painting for you. He loves to paint. It calms him.”
Rubbing my sweaty palms on my jeans, I said, “It’s my pleasure. He’s ah . . . he’s painting a picture of Grace for me.”
Jeff nodded his head and said, “Are you sure you haven’t talked to Gunner?”
Looking at Jeff with an inquisitive look, I shook my head. “No, sir, I haven’t. Why?”
Ari hit Jeff playfully on the chest as she looked back at me. “Pay no attention to him, Noah. Grace told us to tell you she’ll be in the barn.”
Slapping my hands together, I said, “Great. Okay, well I’ll just go track her down.”
Heading toward the back door, Jeff called out for me. Stopping, I turned back at them both. “Thank you, Noah. Thank you for sharing that moment with us.”
I gave a quick nod and barely said, “Thank you for inspiring it.”
Reaching back for the doorknob, I quickly pulled it open and rushed outside as I dragged in a few deep breaths.
Holy shit. My emotions were all over the fucking place tonight. Looking up, I smiled. “Mom, I hope I made you proud tonight.”
Before I looked back at the barn, a shooting star raced across the sky. Smiling, I knew my mother hadn’t missed this moment. She had been right there with me the entire time.
Grace
“Thank you so much for stopping by Wild Flower,” Alex said as she rested her hand over her belly.
The older lady smiled as she held up two birdfeeders she had bought. “Oh, I’ll be back. Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours!”
Alex and I both let out a giggle and walked the older woman to the door. Shutting the door, I quickly locked it as Alex leaned against it.
Following her lead, I leaned against the door as we both turned and looked at each other. I was almost positive my smile matched Alex’s. My heart was still racing with the idea that we owned our own nursery. “That was amazing.”
Alex nodded her head as tears built up in her eyes. “We did it, Grace. We followed our dreams.”
I pushed off the door and began jumping as Alex started laughing. Coming to a stop, my eyes landed on my best friend’s pregnant stomach.
