Page 54 of The Impossible

She nodded.

“Well, I ran into the owner at the doctor’s office a couple hours ago and decided to stop by and grab some sweets.”

“Doctor’s office.” Of course that got her attention because she immediately looked at me like I was holding something from her.

“Just open the box, Mama.” Hondo’s voice made me turn around and look at him. He and his father were standing in the doorway, watching.

She didn’t say another word, even though her eyes held questions. She instead lifted the lid on the pastry box, looking in before the sonogram and the little note next to it caught her attention. At the bakery, I borrowed a pen and wrote in the box.

Some of the best secrets are worth sharing.

Tears were in Alora’s eyes before she moved away from the counter and pulled me into a hug. “Oh, my babies.”

The moment was beautiful and another one where I was thinking about the man I’d married. He was happy too, embracing his father and smiling so hard every freckle on his face seemed to disappear because they were folded.

We spent a while longer at his family’s home before ultimately retreating to our own. While he took a call in the study, I found my way out to the pool after confirming with Alysia what dinner would be for the evening. I didn’t have much of an appetite given Mama Carter had stuffed me earlier, but a light salad would do.

I propped my phone against my bottle of water and sent a video call request to who should have been my first call when I found out, but she was busy. Paige was a music teacher who also went on trips and to recitals with her students. This just happened to be recital season, so getting ahold of her at home sometimes was a pain, while during the regular season it was easy as one-two-three.

“Good evening ,whore… well, maybe not whore, but you get the gist,” she greeted me immediately upon answering.

I grinned. “Hello to you too and I definitely miss you.”

“Girl, no you don’t. You’re out there being photographed at galas and living life. You don’t miss me.”

I grinned, mentally going back to the actual events of the gala. “I do, and I’d say I’m coming to visit you, but that’s a bit farfetched right now. How are you? How is recital season?”

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “It’s going. You know I do all this here with these students and not once have I ever missed my own passion and music until lately.”

I frowned because Paige hadn’t played fully since our mother passed. She’d seemingly lost her passion. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know yet.” She looked so lost, like something in her was missing.

“Well, when you’re ready, just know there is a piano here and I hear it isn’t just for show.” I winked.

“I know. I think I’m just having one of those moments where I’m questioning if my life is what I want or if I’m just settling for it because it’s a safe distance from them.”

I knew who them was, so I nodded. “Well, whatever you choose, just know my door is open. Always.”

“Yeah, I know that. But you have your own life and I don’t wanna impe⁠—”

“Shut up. You are my sister and that’s that. If you need to come here, then bring your ass. Have you told Maya how you feel?” I decided to ask about her fiancé.

She shook her head, peering into the camera. “She’s been staying with her family since her grandmother got sick. Things with us are in a strange space and have been since I came back.”

“So you have to figure out what you want and where you wanna be. You have to be transparent about that.”

“You make it sound so easy, but yeah, I do. I came here and settled into safety via distance, never once taking into consideration that maybe there’s more for me,” she said honestly and I swear I understood that.

“And I get that. So whatever you need, I’m here. You need a flight with no questions, I happen to know a man willing to let me use his jet. You need a place to stay with no people, I have a condo in the city. You need to be here with me, I happen to have a palace with a million rooms and even an in-law suite. So whatever you need, I got you. And I would love to have you back here.”

She smiled with tears streaming down her face. “You’ve always had me, so that’s never been a question. Thank you. Now I know you didn’t call to see me cry, so what was the purpose of this call, sister?” She cleared her tears before leaning forward.

“Bitch, are you in a pool?”

“I am. It’s become my favorite place these days. But on to the reason I called.” I paused dramatically because of course that was my norm.

“I’m pregnant.”