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“I like having her and Jackson here, too. I’m excited about Bethany being born.”
“Oh, a newborn isn’t necessarily the thrill you think she’s going to be. They can be loud. My bedroom’s far enough away, but you’re right next door. I hope you can get enough sleep.”
“I’ll be fine. If it’s too bad, I’ll sleep on the sofa in the family room. I can take Jackson with me.” Her daughter grinned. “We should get a dog.”
“No.”
“Come on, Mom. Jackson would love a dog.”
The dog request wasn’t new, but the use of Jackson as a reason was.
“Nothing about our lives has changed. I’m gone too much and you’re gone too much. A dog needs human contact.”
“Allison’s home.”
“With two small babies and starting a new job. Trust me, she’s not looking for more responsibility.” She closed her laptop. “If this is very important to you, I can get you one of those fluffy mechanical ones. They walk and bark and I think there’s some kind of heater in them so they feel warm.”
Her daughter laughed. “That’s so horrible. Don’t offer me a fake dog.”
“Then be realistic and think about the life the poor dog would have with us. It’s a firm no.”
Summer leaned against her again. “You’re right.”
“I usually am. No wonder you find me annoying.”
“You’re not annoying. Just mom-like. Can I go shopping with you for the baby stuff?”
“You are absolutely going shopping with me. I’m not doing that alone.”
“What about Allison? Should we tell her what we’re doing?”
Erica considered the question. “Let’s wait until she asks about it. If she knows we’re basically outfitting her for her newborn, she’ll feel awful and then she’ll start thanking me and I’ll feel awful.”
“I get the Allison part but why don’t you like being thanked?”
“I don’t know. The first time is nice. The second time makes me feel funny. Guilty about having too much.”
“But you worked hard for what you have.”
“Guilt doesn’t always make sense. We’ll surprise her. That will be better.”
“We can have a reveal party. With snacks.”
“Hungry again?”
Summer pushed off the sofa. “Always. Let’s raid the refrigerator.”
While Allison found the walk from the parking lot to the prison more difficult every time, she was getting used to the indignity of checking in, being searched and having to talk to her husband in a large public room with a hundred or so other people and several dozen guards.
“You look better,” she told him, noting that he seemed more rested and less worried.
“Raymond’s doing his magic,” he said happily. “He’s working to get money released to you, plus some of the charges have been dropped.”
That was news to her. “Which ones? Does that mean you’ll be able to get out?” Before Bethany is born? But she didn’t ask that. He’d already told her that wouldn’t happen.
Peter glanced around, as if judging how close the guards were, then he reached across the plastic table and took her hand.
“I’m not getting out. Not for a long time. I’ll have to plead guilty and serve my sentence. They’ll count the time served so that shortens it some—”
