Free Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs Page B

new meaning. “Thanks
for coming.”
    Sonnet hurried over to the daybed and they hugged. Her mother
smelled like Pond’s lotion, a warm scent that took Sonnet back to her girlhood.
She shut her eyes, and in a swift sequence she remembered all the hugs they’d
shared through the years. During her childhood, the two of them had been
inseparable, making their way through life together. There were tough years,
there were times Sonnet yearned for a father or for something that looked like a
two-parent family, but ultimately, the two-alone dynamic brought them closer.
They were more than just mother and daughter; they were best friends.
    “It’s the middle of the day and you’re sleeping,” Sonnet
said.
    “The prerogative of pregnant ladies.”
    It felt completely surreal to Sonnet. “So you weren’t kidding
about being pregnant.”
    Nina scooted up to a sitting position. “Not kidding. Not the
sort of thing any woman kids about.”
    There was a bottle of prenatal vitamins and a prescription
bottle for something Sonnet didn’t recognize next to a glass of water on the end
table. Reality started sinking in. Sonnet’s mother was pregnant. “Are you
showing yet?”
    Nina smoothed a hand down her midsection. “Not too much.”
    Sonnet couldn’t help staring. “Not there, anyway. But wow, Mom.
You’ve had a visit from the boob fairy. Your girls are looking good.”
    Nina waved her hand and glanced away. “I’m not really focused
on that.”
    “Well then…congratulations. It’s really exciting, Mom. Just
unexpected. You caught me off guard. The last thing I thought I’d hear from you
is that you’re having a baby.”
    Nina smiled. “You’ll get used to the idea. Greg and I are so
happy.”
    “That’s great.” Sonnet was surprised to feel the tiniest twinge
of jealousy, followed by a cold wave of shame. Her mother and Greg were totally
in love, they were having a baby together, and she was happy about it. Yet there was a small, selfish part of her that
wished she’d had the childhood this baby was going to have—two doting parents, a
storybook-pretty life in this cottage near the lake. It was a stark contrast to
the drafty rentals she and Nina had lived in, with Nina working all the time,
trying to make ends meet.
    “How are you feeling?” Sonnet asked, shifting gears into
good-daughter mode. “Besides tired, I mean.”
    “I feel…I’ll be fine,” Nina said firmly. “Perfectly fine.”
    “So is it a boy or girl?”
    “We considered leaving that unanswered, but I just had to know.
I’ve already had the amnio, and what we know so far is that the baby is healthy
and growing on schedule. And it’s a boy.”
    “A boy.” Sonnet felt a genuine smile unfurling on her lips.
“I’m going to have a baby brother. That just seems so incredible.”
    “Okay, I’m getting a little insulted by how incredible you
think it is. For a teen mom, I didn’t do half bad, right? As an older mom, I’ll
manage,” Nina said. “So, welcome home, my prodigal child,” she added. “How long
can you stay?”
    “Today, plus the weekend. I wish it could be longer, but
there’s work.”
    “And the fellowship. Oh my gosh, baby, I’m so thrilled that you
got the fellowship. You’re amazing, do you know that?”
    Sonnet hugged her mother again. “I’m feeling like a pretty big
deal these days.”
    “You should feel like a big deal every day. I’m ridiculously
proud of you. This is a huge opportunity, isn’t it?”
    “The biggest. I have a meeting next week to find out my
assignment. Two years overseas…somewhere. I can’t wait to find out.”
    A shadow flashed across Nina’s face. Maybe Sonnet imagined it.
Then she guessed her mother’s thoughts. “Oh, God. I won’t be here when the baby
comes. Mom—”
    “Stop right there. You don’t need to be here for the birth. The
baby won’t know the difference.”
    “But you will. Mom, I could ask—”
    “No,” Nina interrupted again. “This is the