Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Tracy was fishing for info about Shawn, trying to chat up Charles She finally got the scoop that Shawn was out of town on business. That explained the radio silence–work must’ve had hips swamped. She was trying to tell herself everything was cool
But inside, she was antsy. Even though Shawn had helped her move into her place, he’d been dodging her ever since. Every invite she sent his way got shot down. Lately, he’d ghosted her messages, so she started hanging at the bar with friends every night, hoping to bump into him.
Charles wasn’t feeling the convo with Tracy. As long as Shawn was with Natalie, Natalie was kin. Last time, he’d helped Tracy out with the apartment because Shawn asked him to. Now, he was keeping his distance from Tracy
“It’s getting late. I’ll drive them home. Charles said, getting up, ready to roll out.
Sabrina and Abby had been desperately trying to keep the conversation with Tracy alive, despite her constant presence. They were more than ready to make their exit. So, when they heard Charles chime in, they seized the opportunity, quickly getting up to gather their clothes and bags.
Tracy stood up, smiled and said. “You’re night, it’s getting late. We should head out, too. Turning to Abby, she added cheerfully. “Since this is our first meet and I didn’t bring a gift. I’ll make sure to send something with c next time.”
Sabrina, the straight shooter, replied stiffly, “No need; Sabrina will handle it.”
Feeling the vibe get a bit tense, Abby tried to defuse it. “You don’t have to go out of your way. We appreciate the thought”
“No sweat. Just some little things that girls like. Don’t refuse me Tracy said, turning to leave before they could object again.
Sabrina opted to crash at Abby’s place instead of going back to campus. Charles drove the girls to Abby’s pad
On the ride, they grilled Charles about Tracy and Shawn. “Hey, what’s the deal with Shawn and Tracy? He’s not getting back with her, is he?“Sabrina asked straight out.
“Who knows” It’s still the place Shawn set up for her, so it’s messy Charles replied.
“What about Natalie?” Abby kept pressing.
“I can’t read his mind. First loves stick. Plus, he and Natalie tied the knot mostly because of Grandpa Henry. Since he only dated one person before, who knows? Old flames might reignite, Charles explained.
“Natalie’s too good for him. He’s a jerk for not letting go.” Sabrina said, clearly ticked off.
“Fred said Shawn’s even worse with feelings than I am. Both Fred and I are on Natalie’s side, so hopefully, Shawn will come to his senses soon, Charles said, trying to stay chill while the girls were heated up.
“Tracy seems really persistent. I worry that by the time he figure it out, Natalie will be long gone.” Abby replied, hitting the nail on the head.
Charle got why they were worried, but he felt there was nothing they could do about Shawn’s love tangles. So, he kept quiet.
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Chapter 13
It was the next evening when Natalie finally got a text from Shaw. Just a short note: [All sorted out. I’ll be back in three days.]
Even though it was brief, it made Natalie over the moon all nigh She was so stoked she kept checking her phone, loving
those few words.
Lying in bed, she thought about going back to Janisburg before Shawn got back. Time for her routine check–up, so she figured she’d get that done first.
James didn’t come for dinner that day. After talking with Clifford James probably had work to do at his company, so he dropped by early and said he had to rush back to the city. He left his number and added her on WhatsApp before he took off. Now they had each other’s digits, so there’d be more chances to meet up.
The next morning. Natalie called her driver, Gale, to pick her up post–lunch. She started packing, sorting all the fresh veggies and eggs folks had given her. Her suitcase was set, and she planned to hit the mountain to say goodbye to her grandpa
At her grandpa’s grave, she said, “Grandpa, Tm beading back to Jenisburg today. I’ll come back with Shawn soon.”
By the time she hit the villa, it was dusk. Natalie grabbed a quick bite and remembered she hadn’t scheduled her check–up She quickly pulled out her phone to book an appointment for the next day.
of
After her shower, she heard her phone ringing from the bed. Rushing over, she saw it was Shawn calling. She felt a mix of nerves and excitement that surprised her.
“Hey, it’s me. You’re home,” Shawn said confidently, probably because Gale had filled him in.
I just got back today! I brought a bunch of fresh veggies and farm eggs for us. I can’t wait to cook for you when you get back. Natalie said cheerfully
“Great! Get some rest,” Shawn replied, his tone warm as he caught her excitement through the phone. He’d noticed she seemed distracted before leaving, but now she sounded much happier.
“Yeah, you too.” After hanging up, Natalie couldn’t help but smile at her phone for a bit. Even though Shawn’s calls were always short and sweet, they left her grinning.
Feeling jazzed, she jumped up and headed to the kitchen to start organizing the goodies she brought back, daydreaming about what she’d cook for Shawn when he returned. She worked on it late into the night before finally hitting the hay.
The next morning, Natalie didn’t call Gale; she just grabbed a cal to the hospital. Since her appointment was a bit later, she had to cool her heels over an hour before it was her turn.
First up, an ultrasound. The doctor took forever, which made Natalie real nervous. She was sweating it, thinking something was up with the baby, about to ask when the doctor finally said okay,
“You’re having twins! Did you know that?” the doctor asked
Just hearing that left Natalie frozen. Two babies! The shock of joy flooded her, and all she could think was sharing the news with Shawn. She hoped he’d be stoked about their two little ones.
After leaving the ultrasound room and heading back to see the doctor with the results, the doctor looked just as pumped. “Twins? No wonder your belly’s a bit bigger! You need to take good care. Being a mom’s tough, and twins make it tougher. Where’s your husband? He should come with you next time.”
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Chapter 13
“Yeah, thanks, doc. He’s just really busy.”
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“Busy? He should make time for you! Doesn’t he care his wife’s going through this?” The doc clearly didn’t vibe with guys who always played the busy card, like their wives‘ struggles didn’t count.
“I promise I’ll make him come next time,” Natalie said, feeling like she was promising herself more than the doc.
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