Julia
“What are you doing here?” Wes asked when he opened the door and saw me standing on the doorstep. His dark hair was a bit disheveled, his casual attire of a t-shirt and jeans a nice change from the man he was just a few years ago, perpetually clad in a suit, spending nearly every waking hour of his life at the office.
But that was before he met Londyn.
Before he took a risk on her.
Before he realized she was worth any sacrifice.
“I assumed you’d be jet-lagged.” My brother held the door open, inviting me inside.
“That’s the beauty of flying first class with flatbed seats. You arrive somewhat rested. I did take a little nap today, though. Which is why I’m wide awake now.”
I didn’t want to tell him I hated being alone in my house with no Imogene to fill the silence with her laughter. Hell, even when she locked herself in her room, earbuds in as she listened to music or FaceTimed with her friends who lived mere houses away, I still found comfort in her presence. With no one there, it brought into sharp focus how alone I truly was. I’d never felt this way before when she wasn’t home. At least not like this.
But after spending the week with Lachlan, I seemed to analyze every single aspect of my life with a higher level of scrutiny. Imogene was only a few years away from going to college. Was this how I wanted my future to look? Alone? Scared to take a risk? In the same place I’d always been?
“Well, it’s good to see you. To have you back home. Especially after everything.” He wrapped me in a tight hug, my five-two frame tiny compared to his over six-foot stature.
“It’s really good to be home. To get back to reality.”
He pulled back, meeting my gaze. I could see the questions swirling in his eyes. But being the perceptive brother he’d always been, he didn’t press me to talk about anything. Not yet anyway.
“You hungry? Londyn made some pork tenderloin for dinner. We have some left if you’d like a plate.”
“I’m fine. I could use a glass of wine, though.”
“You got it.”
I followed him through the foyer and into the open living space. The instant I entered, Londyn’s dark eyes found mine, a smile covering her face.
“You’re here.” She slowly pulled herself up from the couch, waddling toward me.
I’d only been gone a week, but I swore her stomach had swelled even more. If I didn’t know she still had a few months to go, I’d have thought she was ready to give birth any day now.
“How was Hawaii?” she asked as we kissed each other’s cheeks. “Judging from the color you got, it looks like it wasn’t all work.”
I smiled, stealing a glance in my brother’s direction, the two of us having an unspoken conversation, much like we did as kids. He didn’t have to utter a single syllable for me to pick up on the fact he hadn’t told Londyn anything. About Lachlan. About Claire. And especially about Nick.
“I enjoyed myself,” I finally said.
It wasn’t a lie. I did enjoy myself. Probably more than I should have.
“Good.” She grabbed my hands, squeezing tightly. “You deserve it, sweetie.”
“And how are you?” I asked, pulling my hands from hers. “How are you feeling?”
“Exhausted,” she sighed, placing her hand over her stomach. “This one’s taking a bit out of me. Speaking of which, I think I’m just going to head up and crawl into bed. It’s getting more and more difficult to get comfortable these days. You don’t even want to see the pile of pillows I place all around me just to shift position a few minutes later.”
I laughed, remembering those days all too well, even though it had been almost fifteen years since I’d given birth.
“It’ll all be worth it once that little princess arrives.”
“It definitely will.” She beamed. “We’ll catch up sometime this week, okay? I want to hear all about your trip.”
“It’s a date.”
We hugged again, then she walked over to Wes, giving him a sweet kiss before slowly making her way up the stairs.