Free A Baby Changes Everything by Marie Ferrarella Page B

makeshift costume. Very carefully, she removed the remaining shards of glass from the coffee table top.
    In an attempt to keep Luke’s attention from what Savannah was doing, Vanessa told him, “I’m going to take you to the movies.”
    â€œThe movies?” the boy cried excitedly.
    â€œBut only if you listen to your mother and don’t move,” Vanessa cautioned, afraid he was going to start wiggling again. “She needs to get you out of there.”
    â€œI’m Super Jake.” His small fisted hand thumped against his equally small chest. “I can get myself out.”
    â€œNot without a lot of blood,” Savannah warned, removing another piece of glass and placing it on top of the book she was using to collect all the shards.
    He tossed his head the way Vanessa had often seen Savannah do. “Doesn’t scare me.”
    â€œSure scares me,” Vanessa told him as she kept one eye on the boy and one on Savannah and the progress she was making.
    A magnanimous look came over the boy’s features. “Okay. For you, Aunt ’Nessa, I’ll stay still.”
    â€œDone,” Savannah finally said several minutes later, putting the last piece of glass on top of the pile she’d collected. There was now a glaring hole where the top of her coffee table had once been.
    Vanessa closed her arms around the boy and lifted him up, careful to avoid touching what was left of the jagged sides.
    Ticklish, he laughed and hugged her.
    Once she was certain that her son wasn’t bleeding, Savannah collapsed on the sofa. “Remind me never to go through that again.”
    â€œOkay, Mama,” Luke said innocently. So innocently that all she could do was laugh.
    â€œYou don’t have to take him, you know,” she said to Vanessa.
    â€œSure I do. That’s why I came over. That and to ask you to a wedding.”
    Savannah sat up. “Whose?”
    â€œMy cousin Steve’s. He’s marrying Amy Burke-Sinclair in the fall. I wanted to give you a heads-up and tell you that, naturally, you and Cruz are invited.”
    Luke turned up his face toward her like a sunflower tracking the sun. “How about me?”
    Vanessa pretended to think the question over. “Only if you promise not to leap into the wedding cake—or anything else, for that matter.”
    Laughing, Luke hugged her. “I promise.”
    A wedding, Savannah thought, utterly drained. Something to look forward to. If she was still married to Cruz come the fall.

Six
    A fter getting him a change of clothing and carefully examining Luke one last time, Savannah allowed her son to go play a video game in the family room.
    Coming back into the living room, she saw that Vanessa had already collected the larger pieces of glass from the floor and was now taking the vacuum cleaner from the hall closet to give the area a thorough once-over.
    They didn’t make any better friends than that, Savannah thought as she put her hand over Vanessa’s and took the vacuum cleaner with a smile. “I’ll do that.”
    Vanessa glanced toward the other room. “Luke’s okay?”
    â€œLike it never happened.”
    The resiliency of her son never ceased to amaze Savannah. She used to be like that, she thought. Until life had conspired to overwhelm her. Taking a deep breath, she gave the entire area a slow, thorough vacuuming.
    As she turned off the machine, she felt a new surge of energy come from nowhere. Savannah used it to give her the wherewithal to make a decision. Life was not going to overwhelm her. She was going to overwhelm it. Or die in the process.
    â€œI’d love to come,” Savannah suddenly said to Vanessa as she gathered up the cord and tucked it around the machine. “To the wedding,” she clarified when her friend looked at her quizzically.
    Vanessa opened the closet door so Savannah could return the vacuum to its place. “You, singular, not you,