Chapter Thirty-Three
“What am I going to do with three car seats?”
I’m sitting on Allysa’s couch, staring at all the stuff. She threw me a
baby shower today. My mother came. Ryle’s mother even flew in for it,
but she’s in the guest room sleeping off her jet lag now. The girls
from the floral shop came and a few friends from my old job. Even
Devin came. It was actually a lot of fun, despite the fact that I’ve been
dreading it for the past several weeks.
“That’s why I told you to start a registry, so none of the gifts would
be duplicated,” Allysa says.
I sigh. “I guess I can have Mom return hers. She’s bought me
enough stuff as it is.”
I stand up and start gathering all the gifts. Marshall already said
he’d help me carry them down to my apartment, so Allysa helps me
throw everything inside trash bags. I hold them open while she picks
everything up from the floor. I’m almost thirty weeks pregnant now,
so she doesn’t get the easier job of holding open the trash.
We have everything bagged up and Marshall is on his second trip
down to my apartment when I open Allysa’s front door, prepared to
drag a trash bag full of gifts to the elevator. What I’m not prepared for
is Ryle, who is standing on the other side of the door looking back at
me. We both look equally as shocked to see each other, considering
we haven’t spoken since our fight three months ago.
This encounter was bound to happen, though. I can’t be best
friends with my husband’s sister and live in the same building as him
without eventually running into him.
I’m sure he knew I was having the shower today since his mother
flew in for it, but he still looks a little surprised when he sees all the
stuff behind me. It makes me wonder if him showing up just as I’m
leaving is a coincidence or a suitable convenience. He looks down at