“I can’t believe you’re here. I mean, how?” I blink away the moisture, trying to pull myself together.
Her gaze darts to Owen. “Let’s just say a little birdy told me this was not to be missed.” His eyes meet mine across the room as I try to let him know how much this all means to me.
I lean into her again for a quick hug before pulling away, and Mum goes to greet Stana. After all the hugs and smiles, everyone exits the bedroom to dig into the food, but I stop Owen before he can leave.
“You did all this for me,” I say to him, voice husky. My feet instinctively draw me closer to him, our toes touching.
“Of course,” he responds instantly.
“You have no idea how much this means,” I tell him, my breath warm against his skin. He tightens the hold as much as he can with a baby between us.
“I’d do it a million times over,” he responds, only making my feelings for him grow even more.
“What about Evie?” I say suddenly.
“She’ll be here in twenty minutes, had a client meeting. You think she’d miss this?”
I smile, happy to know she will be here. Plus, she can finally meet my mum.
“Imagine those two together.” He laughs as we stroll back into the living room.
“Darling, you’ve got to try these pastries Stana got for you. They’re simply heavenly.”
I wave at Owen as Mum pulls me across the room, practically shoving an apricot Danish into my hand, not that I’m complaining.
That’s how the rest of the day goes—people handing me things I don’t need but definitely want, treating me like an absolute silkworm. It’s a day filled with love and joy, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
And it’s when my mum tells me she’s staying in London for the next two months, wanting to be here before the baby arrives and for the first few weeks after, that I finally feel at peace. I may not have known it, but I needed her here with me. And it’s even better when she tells me she’s staying at an Airbnb down the street, my soul thankful for the reprieve we will each have from one another when the sun goes down. As much as I love my mother, us Knight women are a lot for anyone to handle. Someone probably should have warned Owen.
February soon blends into March, the leadup to my delivery creeping closer and closer. I’ve got less than a week left, yet I can’t seem to slow down, wanting to have everything be perfect for her arrival.
Mum’s been the biggest help imaginable, with Dad having flown in last week to help out too. They’re currently at lunch with their friends while I endeavor to get some last-minute things finished.
I’m attempting to juggle my plethora of bags and navigate the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street when I hear my name being called. I pull over to the side street, away from all the people, when I see Maureen Johnson, an old uni mate of mine.
Before Stana and Em, I never really had a big group of close girlfriends. I was more the girl who was friends with everyone, plus Beck took up so much of my time. I don’t regret it; despite what others may think, I’m happy with how everything has worked out.
“Lottie, I almost didn’t recognize you!” Maureen shouts, her voice fighting for volume over the traffic.
I take a moment to look her over, it having been over a year since I’ve last seen her. Maureen used to be my go-to person for a night out on the town, but when I moved to Edinburgh last year we lost touch.
She still looks great, her deep red hair pin-straight and resting on her shoulders with her signature fringe bouncing as she walks to me. She rocks a tight pair of black jeans, a cropped sweater, and high-heeled black boots. How she isn’t freezing her arse off, I don’t know.
“Maureen,” I finally reply as she halts in front of me. “It’s been forever. How are you?”
She grins at me while going in for a hug, both of our bags disrupting it. Laughing, we pull back.
“I’m great! My fashion line I was working on got picked up. Next month you’ll be able to buy the entire collection online, and we’re opening up a boutique in Covent Garden.”
Covent Garden is prime real estate, so she must be doing well.
“Wow,” I respond. “That’s incredible! Congratulations.”
Her lips perk up at the sides. “Right! I couldn’t believe it, honestly, but I guess the universe just had it all worked out for me. But enough of that, what about you? I thought you moved to Edinburgh. Are you back on holidays?”
I bite my tongue, wanting to tell her I’ve been back far longer than I was actually ever there for, but refraining. Maureen is good people, but she’s also a terrible gossip. And as much as I’m one for a chat, it’s only when I know keeping it in confidence is involved.
“Yeah, Edinburgh was good, but London is home. I’ve been back for a while now.”
“I get that. I mean, how could anyone leave London? And Beck, is he back with you? You know, I heard from him the other day saying he was coming to London soon! Can we all hit the town? My job is so stressful I need something to decompress.”
I can’t ignore the tightening of my fist or the prickling of my skin at the mention of Beck and him reaching out to her. If he wasn’t a piece of shit before, he sure is now.
“Um, Beck and I actually split last July,” I tell her, my voice no longer holding the bubbly notes it used to. Instead venom has seeped in.
Her head turns slightly to the side, her dark lips pursing. “Oh wow, I heard he was still in Edinburgh, but I didn’t know you split.”
I nod, because I’m not exactly sure what else
