written down or even a bookmark marking a favorite page.
He looked around a while longer and then let himself out.
Rosette looked at the bag that Trey set in the backseat, but she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t imagine going inside, so she could only hope he had picked up anything they would need for the next few days.
The hospital had supplied them with enough formula and tiny diapers to last at least a week. People had donated money and offered baby supplies.
They pulled into the garage and found Alex, Summer, and the kids waiting for them inside. Trey carried in the car seat and set it on the living room floor.
“Can we see?” Candice leaned over the car seat. “This is my new cousin?”
The kids had been waiting for their cousin, but now Rosette wasn’t sure what they would call her. Cousin? Sister? She didn’t answer.
Things were already confusing in their family. Candice and Jake both called Alex their “big brother,” but Rosette sometimes had to explain he was actually their uncle. No, he’s not my son. No, he’s not my stepson. He didn’t feel like her brother-in-law either. That would be Ricky.
Candice and Jake scooted on their knees, leaning close to the baby. Alex sat on the couch next to Summer. Rosette got the feeling they’d been talking and getting to know each other better. She hoped Alex would be a good influence on Summer, instead of Summer dragging him down. Not that she knew what was going on with Summer right now; ever since Amanda died, she’d been a shadow of her former self.
“Where will the baby sleep?” Jake asked, touching her tiny, soft arm. He looked like he was ready to yank his hand back if she made even a tiny movement in response.
“In our room,” Rosette said. That answer was easy enough. On second thought, with things complicated between her and Trey, it might not end up being easy after all.
The baby puckered up her mouth and then slowly opened her eyes.
“She’s awake!” Candice yelled.
Of course, that prompted the baby to open her mouth and start screaming. Rosette undid the car seat restraints and lifted the screaming bundle into her arms. She calmed down surprisingly quickly.
“Can we hold her?” Candice asked. Jake said something similar at the same time.
Trey looked edgy, but Rosette wanted the kids to feel like things were okay, and that they were a family, even with all the changes. She let Candice and then Jake have a turn holding the baby.
Jake looked down at the tiny, doll-like person on his lap, smiling because he finally got to hold her. Rosette kept her hand under the baby’s head, just in case.
“Can we name her Hope?” Jake asked, eagerly looking up to his mom’s face.
“It’s not our baby to name,” Candice cut in. A second later she looked at her mom and then her dad. “Is she? Do we get to name her? Are you her mom since Aunt Amanda is dead?”
“We’re her family now,” Rosette said, cutting her daughter off. Jake was arguing with Candice, but quietly, as he leaned close to the baby. The baby squirmed and scrunched up her face, starting to cry again. Rosette scooped up the baby from Jake’s lap.
Alex made a throat-clearing noise and said. “She does need a name.”
“So we won’t call her Jane?” Candice asked. She must have heard it from Summer. No one else had used that name or even mentioned it.
“Why don’t you guys clear out?” Trey said, standing. “Your mom and I need some quiet time.”
The kids threw pouty looks before they left. Even Alex and Summer followed them out. Rosette didn’t want quiet. She wanted them all together, but Trey was in a sour mood. She held the baby close, hoping she wouldn’t pick up the tension in the family.
Hope.
It wasn’t a bad name at all.
When the kids were gone, Trey flew out the front door, leaving too. I just need a couple minutes. Just a couple minutes.
Rosette was left standing in the middle of the room, staring after him.
Why did he tell the
He looked around a while longer and then let himself out.
Rosette looked at the bag that Trey set in the backseat, but she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t imagine going inside, so she could only hope he had picked up anything they would need for the next few days.
The hospital had supplied them with enough formula and tiny diapers to last at least a week. People had donated money and offered baby supplies.
They pulled into the garage and found Alex, Summer, and the kids waiting for them inside. Trey carried in the car seat and set it on the living room floor.
“Can we see?” Candice leaned over the car seat. “This is my new cousin?”
The kids had been waiting for their cousin, but now Rosette wasn’t sure what they would call her. Cousin? Sister? She didn’t answer.
Things were already confusing in their family. Candice and Jake both called Alex their “big brother,” but Rosette sometimes had to explain he was actually their uncle. No, he’s not my son. No, he’s not my stepson. He didn’t feel like her brother-in-law either. That would be Ricky.
Candice and Jake scooted on their knees, leaning close to the baby. Alex sat on the couch next to Summer. Rosette got the feeling they’d been talking and getting to know each other better. She hoped Alex would be a good influence on Summer, instead of Summer dragging him down. Not that she knew what was going on with Summer right now; ever since Amanda died, she’d been a shadow of her former self.
“Where will the baby sleep?” Jake asked, touching her tiny, soft arm. He looked like he was ready to yank his hand back if she made even a tiny movement in response.
“In our room,” Rosette said. That answer was easy enough. On second thought, with things complicated between her and Trey, it might not end up being easy after all.
The baby puckered up her mouth and then slowly opened her eyes.
“She’s awake!” Candice yelled.
Of course, that prompted the baby to open her mouth and start screaming. Rosette undid the car seat restraints and lifted the screaming bundle into her arms. She calmed down surprisingly quickly.
“Can we hold her?” Candice asked. Jake said something similar at the same time.
Trey looked edgy, but Rosette wanted the kids to feel like things were okay, and that they were a family, even with all the changes. She let Candice and then Jake have a turn holding the baby.
Jake looked down at the tiny, doll-like person on his lap, smiling because he finally got to hold her. Rosette kept her hand under the baby’s head, just in case.
“Can we name her Hope?” Jake asked, eagerly looking up to his mom’s face.
“It’s not our baby to name,” Candice cut in. A second later she looked at her mom and then her dad. “Is she? Do we get to name her? Are you her mom since Aunt Amanda is dead?”
“We’re her family now,” Rosette said, cutting her daughter off. Jake was arguing with Candice, but quietly, as he leaned close to the baby. The baby squirmed and scrunched up her face, starting to cry again. Rosette scooped up the baby from Jake’s lap.
Alex made a throat-clearing noise and said. “She does need a name.”
“So we won’t call her Jane?” Candice asked. She must have heard it from Summer. No one else had used that name or even mentioned it.
“Why don’t you guys clear out?” Trey said, standing. “Your mom and I need some quiet time.”
The kids threw pouty looks before they left. Even Alex and Summer followed them out. Rosette didn’t want quiet. She wanted them all together, but Trey was in a sour mood. She held the baby close, hoping she wouldn’t pick up the tension in the family.
Hope.
It wasn’t a bad name at all.
When the kids were gone, Trey flew out the front door, leaving too. I just need a couple minutes. Just a couple minutes.
Rosette was left standing in the middle of the room, staring after him.
Why did he tell the
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