“How am I supposed to do that now? I’ll be home with a baby.”
“Abby’s not home with the twins, and I guarantee she’ll be back at work after the new baby arrives within weeks, if not days,” Jess countered. “Bree stayed home barely a minute. She just takes Emily Rose with her to work. And when Will and I are ready, I certainly won’t be a full-time, stay-at-home mom. Why should you be any different? Remember that great big office upstairs? There’s plenty of room for a portable crib in there.”
“It just seems as if staying home and having babies is what Matthew’s going to expect.”
“Has he even hinted at such a thing?” Jess asked.
“And would it be so bad to stay home and be a mother?” Moira dared to ask. It was something she’d wished for desperately as a child—that her mother had been at home, rather than working one and sometimes two jobs to make ends meet because she’d flatly refused to ask Moira’s grandfather for help.
Laila whirled on her with a narrowed gaze. “You’d want that? To stay home? I thought you were about to launch a big career as a photographer. Won’t that be demanding?”
Moira shrugged. “It remains to be seen if I’ll be any good at that or not. I’m excited about the possibility. It would be nice to accomplish something, but I think it would be just as rewarding to make a wonderful home for my husband and children, not because he expects it, but because I’d feel fulfilled doing it.”
“Seriously?” Laila asked, her expression bemused.
“I think so, yes. I might feel differently if I’d already made my mark. I might not want to give up the success of it, and I can understand your wanting something different. I’m just saying there’s value in being a good wife and mum.”
“Gram would applaud that,” Jess said to Moira. “Does Luke know you feel this way?”
“It’s not come up,” Moira admitted.
“You do know it could make things easier,” Jess suggested. “If you’re not driven to have a big career, then it would make it simpler for him to ask you to stay.”
“My going or staying isn’t under discussion at the moment,” Moira told her firmly, then glanced at Laila. “I’m sorry for turning the focus onto me. You have to decide what’s best for you.”
“I thought I had,” Laila said wearily. “But now there’s a baby to consider. I wasn’t quite ready to take another person into account. And it’s not as if my career plans have turned out the way I’d expected.”
Jess grinned at her. “But a baby, Laila! A human being that you and Matthew have created together. He or she is going to be absolutely amazing. And you know you’ll be wonderful parents.”
“What if the baby already knows I have all these doubts?” Laila asked, looking chagrined. “I’ve probably already scarred it for life.”
Moira smiled. “I believe at this stage, it’s little bigger than a peanut. I don’t think it’s quite sensitive to your moods just yet.”
Laila sighed, her hand resting protectively on her stomach. Moira smiled again at the instinctive gesture.
“How about some of Gail’s stuffed French toast to celebrate?” Jess suggested. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving. And you were hungry when you arrived, weren’t you, Moira? Laila, how about you?”
A slow grin worked its way across Laila’s face. “Well, if I’m going to be eating for two, I might as well enjoy it. Normally, I can’t even look at the French toast without gaining five pounds. When I turn into a nice plump blimp, I’ll blame it all on Matthew.”
“Don’t you think you should probably let him off the hook now?” Jess asked gently. “He didn’t get you pregnant all by himself.”
“But he’s been so cute trying to calm me down,” Laila said. “He brought home baby clothes this morning. He said they were Luke’s idea. Of course, I went ballistic at first, because it seems that’s what I do when he goes all gaga over the baby, but after he’d gone, I picked them up and really looked at them. I have to say that I still can’t quite imagine that I’m carrying a baby that will eventually fit into them.”
She looked a little dazed by the thought.
“Do you want to go on torturing him awhile longer?” Jess asked. “If it will make you feel better, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Just until he’s painted and furnished the entire nursery,” Laila said with a grin. “Then I’ll relent.”
Moira stared at her incredulously. “You’d actually let him choose the decor for the nursery all on his own?”
Laila hesitated, then shook her head. “You have a point. I suppose sooner is better than later.” She sighed. “I wouldn’t mind chocolates, though. He offered to order my favorites. They seem to take the edge off my annoyance.”
“If you tell Matthew that, he’ll buy you the whole factory,” Jess told her. “Give the guy a break.”
Laila laughed. “Okay, okay. I knew when I came over here you’d take his side.”
“Truthfully, I love both of you equally,” Jess replied diplomatically. “But it’s this innocent little baby you’re carrying I love most of all.”
As soon as Jess had placed their order with Gail, she came back to the table with a pad of paper and a pen. “Let’s plan a baby shower.”
“Oh, yes, let’s,” Moira said excitedly. “Can I take the pictures? Free of charge, of course.”
Jess and Laila exchanged a look.
“Will you still be here?” Jess asked.
Deflated, Moira sighed. “I never thought of that.”
“Whenever it is, you’ll come back for it,” Laila said at once.
Moira nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that in just a
