pants. She’s starting to outgrow her old ones.”
Hazel twisted on Lily’s lap and rested her
hand on Lily’s stomach. She rubbed it gently as Lily smiled at her.
“Hazel, don’t do that, honey.” Logan said
quietly.
“I don’t mind.” Lily replied. “I um – I
told her there was a baby growing in my belly. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine.” Logan glanced at the people
walking by before giving Lily a curious look. “How did you get here? The car
was still in the garage.”
“I wasn’t sure what the rules were about
using the car when I wasn’t working so I thought, just to be on the safe side,
I would take the bus.” She replied.
He frowned. “You can use the car whenever
you need to, Lily. Whether you’re working or not.”
“Alright, thank you.” She smiled
gratefully at him.
“Okay, well I guess we’d better get
going.” Logan stood and held his hand out to Hazel. “Come on, honey. Let’s
find you some new pants.”
Hazel frowned and slid off Lily’s lap
before grabbing her hand. She held it firmly and stared at her dad.
“Hazel, it’s time to go.”
She pulled on Lily’s hand and gave her a
pleading look. Logan crouched beside her. “Hazel, this is Lily’s day off.
Remember?”
A pout crossed Hazel’s face and her brow
darkened as she stared down at the floor.
“Hazel, no pouting.” Logan said sternly.
“Lily can’t hang out with you all the time. She has to have time to do her own
thing.”
“I wouldn’t mind going with you.” Lily
said softly, unable to resist Hazel’s silent plea. “If, you know, you don’t
mind me butting in on your time with Hazel?”
Hazel gave her father a hopeful look and
Logan smoothed her hair back from her face. “I don’t mind at all.”
* * *
Lily picked up the soft pink sleeper and
stared delightedly at it. It was adorable and she stroked it lightly before
checking the price tag. The smile dropped from her face and she quickly placed
the garment back on the shelf.
An uncharacteristic wave of self-pity
washed over her. Babies were expensive and they required a lot of stuff. If
she couldn’t afford even a damn sleeper, how was she going to afford to buy a
crib, diapers, just the essentials, never mind any extras?
It’ll be fine, Lily. The baby won’t even
need a crib right away. Hell, your mom told you repeatedly about how she kept
you in a laundry basket beside the bed when you were first born. You have
three months to save up your money to buy the stuff the baby needs.
She reached out and picked up the pink
sleeper again. She would check out a few of the thrift stores in town. Babies
grew so fast that it was ridiculous to buy them brand new clothes anyway.
There would be nothing wrong with buying second-hand.
And when you have to pay for a motel
room four days a week after the baby’s born? What will you do then? That’ll
eat into your paycheque and you’ll never be able to save up for your own
place. You won’t be able to live with Logan forever. You have a year at the
most before Hazel starts school and he won’t need you. Then it’s finding a new
job and daycare costs and rent. How are you going to do that?
She swallowed, feeling tears threatening
again, and blinked rapidly. She was so tired of crying and it wasn’t like it
was going to help her solve any of her problems. She just had to take one day
at a time, and not waste time and energy freaking out about what would happen a
year from now.
“That’s cute.” Logan’s voice spoke in her
ear and she jumped guiltily before putting the sleeper back.
“Yeah, it is.” She squeezed Hazel’s hand
when the little girl stepped beside her and took her hand. “Did you find some
pants?”
“We did.” Logan confirmed. “And they look
dashing. Don’t they, Hazel?”
The little girl smiled and rested her head
on Lily’s stomach.
“So
Hazel twisted on Lily’s lap and rested her
hand on Lily’s stomach. She rubbed it gently as Lily smiled at her.
“Hazel, don’t do that, honey.” Logan said
quietly.
“I don’t mind.” Lily replied. “I um – I
told her there was a baby growing in my belly. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine.” Logan glanced at the people
walking by before giving Lily a curious look. “How did you get here? The car
was still in the garage.”
“I wasn’t sure what the rules were about
using the car when I wasn’t working so I thought, just to be on the safe side,
I would take the bus.” She replied.
He frowned. “You can use the car whenever
you need to, Lily. Whether you’re working or not.”
“Alright, thank you.” She smiled
gratefully at him.
“Okay, well I guess we’d better get
going.” Logan stood and held his hand out to Hazel. “Come on, honey. Let’s
find you some new pants.”
Hazel frowned and slid off Lily’s lap
before grabbing her hand. She held it firmly and stared at her dad.
“Hazel, it’s time to go.”
She pulled on Lily’s hand and gave her a
pleading look. Logan crouched beside her. “Hazel, this is Lily’s day off.
Remember?”
A pout crossed Hazel’s face and her brow
darkened as she stared down at the floor.
“Hazel, no pouting.” Logan said sternly.
“Lily can’t hang out with you all the time. She has to have time to do her own
thing.”
“I wouldn’t mind going with you.” Lily
said softly, unable to resist Hazel’s silent plea. “If, you know, you don’t
mind me butting in on your time with Hazel?”
Hazel gave her father a hopeful look and
Logan smoothed her hair back from her face. “I don’t mind at all.”
* * *
Lily picked up the soft pink sleeper and
stared delightedly at it. It was adorable and she stroked it lightly before
checking the price tag. The smile dropped from her face and she quickly placed
the garment back on the shelf.
An uncharacteristic wave of self-pity
washed over her. Babies were expensive and they required a lot of stuff. If
she couldn’t afford even a damn sleeper, how was she going to afford to buy a
crib, diapers, just the essentials, never mind any extras?
It’ll be fine, Lily. The baby won’t even
need a crib right away. Hell, your mom told you repeatedly about how she kept
you in a laundry basket beside the bed when you were first born. You have
three months to save up your money to buy the stuff the baby needs.
She reached out and picked up the pink
sleeper again. She would check out a few of the thrift stores in town. Babies
grew so fast that it was ridiculous to buy them brand new clothes anyway.
There would be nothing wrong with buying second-hand.
And when you have to pay for a motel
room four days a week after the baby’s born? What will you do then? That’ll
eat into your paycheque and you’ll never be able to save up for your own
place. You won’t be able to live with Logan forever. You have a year at the
most before Hazel starts school and he won’t need you. Then it’s finding a new
job and daycare costs and rent. How are you going to do that?
She swallowed, feeling tears threatening
again, and blinked rapidly. She was so tired of crying and it wasn’t like it
was going to help her solve any of her problems. She just had to take one day
at a time, and not waste time and energy freaking out about what would happen a
year from now.
“That’s cute.” Logan’s voice spoke in her
ear and she jumped guiltily before putting the sleeper back.
“Yeah, it is.” She squeezed Hazel’s hand
when the little girl stepped beside her and took her hand. “Did you find some
pants?”
“We did.” Logan confirmed. “And they look
dashing. Don’t they, Hazel?”
The little girl smiled and rested her head
on Lily’s stomach.
“So
Similar Books
