Page 123 of Slap Shot Surprise
I scowled. No wonder she didn’t want to trust me with that hope in her heart. I could do better. I had to do better.
Grabbing my phone, I searched for rocking chairs online. But there were so many options, I was totally overwhelmed. Swivel gliders, rockers, electronic recliners, ergonomic designs, ottomans...and they came every style and color under the sun. How was I supposed to choose? I didn’t even know what color the walls were in the baby’s room, which made me feel even worse.
Friday afternoon, I sent Mabel a text.
Hey. How are you?
Good! Just standing in the baby’s empty room mentally arranging the furniture lol.
Can you show me the room?
Sure. Want to FaceTime?
My pulse kicked up at the idea of seeing her, hearing her.
Yes.
I called her, and her smiling face appeared on my screen. “Hi.”
My entire body warmed. “Hey.”
“How’s the shoulder?”
“Getting better.”
“Good.” She nodded in satisfaction. “So you want to see the room so far?”
“Yes, please.”
She switched the view of the phone, and I saw that the walls were painted a soft sage green. “Okay, I’m standing right at the doorway. The crib will go over to my left against the wall.” She turned and aimed the phone along a bare wall, and I imagined the crib there.
“The one your brother Austin is making?”
“Yes. It’s almost done.”
“Cool.” I was unreasonably jealous, not only that he had the incredible skill to make something like that with his hands, but that he could do these things for her in person.
“On this wall will be the changing table.” She pivoted and showed me another bare wall. “And this is his view.” She went over to the window and aimed the phone at the glass. “It will be the backyard, which is currently covered in snow.”
“You’re not shoveling it, are you?”
“No,Dad,” she teased. “I’m not. Austin or Xander have been doing the driveway and front walk for me.”
Again, I felt the unreasonable sting of envy that I wasn’t there doing those simple, everyday chores for her. I was sending money, yes, but that wasn’t the same. It wasn’t good enough.
She aimed the phone at an empty corner. “Right here is where the rocker will go. Veronica is going to give me the one she used for Luke and Vivian.”
“Nice,” I said, trying to gauge the size of the space so I could send her a new chair.
She opened the closet door. “And look!”
I was not prepared for the way my gut wrenched when Isaw the little dinosaur pajamas we’d gotten at the museum hanging there. I couldn’t even speak.
“Remember the day we bought them?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes.”
“And the carpet is amazing. So soft and plush.” She aimed the camera toward her feet, which were bare. Laughing, she wiggled her toes, which were painted bright red. “My feet are swollen, so I didn’t even bother with shoes today. Although now they’re cold.”
