The Homemaker by Shari J. Ryan

Author:Shari J. Ryan [Ryan, Shari J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781837905041
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-06-11T23:00:00+00:00

THIRTY

JENNA | THREE MONTHS AGO

It looks like Peyton and I picked the right time to go shopping and registry scanning. The department store is empty this morning, appearing larger than I remember. The scents of baby powder and lavender fill the air, closely resembling the way the nursery already smells, somehow. I wonder if it’s a consumer trick to entice moms-to-be to spend longer shopping, purchasing more items. I can’t even recall the last time I’d been shopping on a weekday morning, never mind a cold, rainy morning where most want to stay snuggly in their bed.

“I think I’ve gone overboard with my registry,” I say, scanning the barcode of a package of organic burp cloths to go with the four packages of non-organic ones I added.

“No such thing,” Peyton says, running her hand around her belly. “Our boys will be spoiled. No questions asked.” I love that she finally knows she’s having a boy too. The peanut wasn’t cooperating during the first ultrasound, but the second time, she was able to get an answer. Whenever she says our boys, it’s so easy to imagine two little boys playing out front until the sun goes down. How perfect a life.

Peyton seems distracted as she one handedly aims her cart toward an aisle away from where we’ve been awwing over cute items.

I’m still dawdling around the feeding aisle when I come across a display of bibs with cheesy sayings embroidered across the fabric. I grab two of the bibs that catch my attention then hunt down Peyton, finding her down the bedding aisle inspecting crib sheets. “I think we need to get these on behalf of our husbands. They’ll love them.”

Peyton smiles and takes one from my hand. “Moms rule and Dads drool. Yes. Going in the cart.”

“Have you talked to Lincoln about cutting back on his hours yet? I know you were worried about having that conversation with him.”

“Yup. He can’t. I should have figured. He hasn’t done a thing to prepare for the baby. I painted the nursery myself last weekend while he sat on the phone crunching numbers with his accountant.”

“Have you told him how you feel?” It’s such a silly question but I see so many couples break up because they forgot how to utilize the one tool that could save a marriage.

Peyton scans the barcode on a sheet set into her cart then peers up at me with a lost look in her eyes. “He thinks I cheated on him.”

That came out of nowhere. “Why in the world would he think that? Obviously, it’s not true. You said…the night of the dinner party—”

She shrugs her shoulders, holding her palms up. “I don’t know. I wasn’t home when he’s gotten home a few times in the last month. I was running errands, but he began questioning my ‘excessive trips’ to the grocery store because…pregnancy brain…I keep forgetting everything, and then he decided the grocery store must be a coverup for wherever ‘I’m really going.’” Peyton sighs. “Honestly,

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