I'm almost afraid to ask. Almost. "What?"
Her looks at me with wide, hopeful eyes. "I'm sorry for not trusting you. For not trusting us."
"Hey. It's okay."
"I laid in bed last night and thought about things. I thought about us and things my dad said and how I feel and the baby . . ." She hesitates. "This is my rainbow."
I give her a confused look and she laughs.
"You and this baby are my rainbow, the pot of gold after all the rain," she explains. "After we get through this, I'm yours. Completely."
I chuckle. "Like you already aren't."
"You're right," she says, reaching out and touching my face. "I already am."
Footsteps make us look towards the house to see Violet and Heath coming around the corner. Both of their faces are wet. Ellie runs to them when she sees them and they stand in a circle, hugging and crying.
I pad across the lawn. "Hey," I say. Violet turns to me. "Are you going to be here a while?"
She nods.
"I'm going to go take care of a few things. Will you stay with her until I get back?"
"Absolutely."
I kiss Ellie's cheek and leave them to have some time together.
Ford
"HI, MAMA."
I walk around her island and give her a kiss on the cheek. She adjusts her pearls around her neck and gives me a quick once-over.
"Oh, my," she says, taking my chin in with her hand. "What's wrong?"
"I need to talk to you."
She sets the spoon in her hand down and heads to the breakfast nook. I slide into a seat beside her, the smells of some kind of soup floating around the kitchen.
I've had dinner in this kitchen thousands of times. Just walking in here, I feel at home. I hear my brothers' laughs, my sisters singing stupid songs, my father telling us to all quiet down from over the years. It's a room full of memories, but we have the ability to recreate those sometime. Ellie doesn't, and I can't begin to imagine how she feels right now.
"Ford?" Mom asks. "Talk to me."
I blow out a breath. "This is not how I want to tell you this, but I'm kind of in a bind right now."
"Go on."
"Brace yourself," I say, shaking my head. "Do you remember Ellie Pagan?"
"Of course. Your sisters tell me you're seeing her again. Lincoln says-"
"Just stop there," I laugh. "Whatever Linc says is probably not true."
"Well, in this case, I hope it is." She gives me a motherly smile. "You've seemed happier lately. And you've not been coming by for lunch. While I miss your handsome face, I think it's a good thing you're finding someone else to eat with."
"I have been seeing her again. Actually," I say, testing the waters, "I'm been doing more than seeing her."
"Really?"
"Mom, Ellie and I are having a baby."
Her jaw almost hits the table.
"Look, whatever you're thinking, it's not," I ramble. "This isn't some random thing or a mistake that needs cleaned up somehow. I wasn't drinking or on drugs or-"
"Ford." She stops me with one word. "I only have one question."
"Yeah?"
"Do you love her?"
I slink back in my seat, smiling without meaning to. "She's the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing that crosses my mind before I go to sleep. When I think back on my day or the last week or the last month, it's like a highlight reel of the moments I got to spend with her. And, if I play that back over the course of my life, the sweetest memories all include her."
Mom bats her eyelashes quickly, one hand going to her chest.
"I can't imagine doing anything and not telling her about it or taking her with me to do it. There's nothing that could be as tempting as slipping in bed with her at the end of the day. And, the thing is, Mom, I've always known that. I just didn't know how to deal with it. Now, I know. And I'm not about to ever, ever give that up."
"That's all I need to know."
I wait for her to continue, but she doesn't. She just watches me with a smile that reflects mine.
"So . . . nothing else?" I ask.
"No." She shrugs her narrow shoulders. "When can I meet her again? I'd love to get to know her and see if she needs anything for the baby." She places a hand on her heart. "I'm going to be a grandma again. Maybe I'll get to hold this one."
We laugh at her joke. I close my eyes and feel relief course through me.
"Thank you, Mom."
"For what, son?"