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Chapter 16
Zane isn’t home when I arrive, pulling my black case behind me. Lana yanks the door open, then immediately hurries away as one of my nephews starts to wail. Trailing after the noise, I find her in the nursery, comforting Wade.
“I think another tooth is coming in,” she explains. “He’s been fussy lately.”
I kiss my nephew’s tearstained face, and he grabs at my long hair, gathering it in his fist and tugging.
“Ouch,” I say as I pry his small fingers from the strands.
Lana gives me a sheepish look. “I’m sorry. He’s been doing that lately. Charles hasn’t, which I’m thankful for.”
I chuckle. “I notice your hair is in a ponytail. Is this the reason why?”
“Exactly that. I think my scalp is bruised from this little guy.”
I stroke his soft hair, heading over to the other crib where Charles is fast asleep. There, I run my knuckles over his soft forehead. One day I hope for a future where I will have a little one like him.
“Let’s have some tea and chat,” Lana says after putting Wade back down. I follow her out to the kitchen and sit at the breakfast bar while she pops a tea pod into the Keurig. “So why are you really here?”
I sigh and shrug, watching the machine brew. “I just needed to be with family.”
She raises her eyebrows as she slides a black mug of ginger tea across the counter. “Isn’t Foster your family?”
“He isn’t home much. You know how it is.”
She pops another pod into the Keurig for herself. “Is it just that, or something else?”
I sip at the tea and narrow my eyes at her. “What else do you think it is?”
“I’m not accusing you of something; I’m just asking. I love you, and I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy… for the most part.”
“Then, why are you here?”
“Because Foster is on a business trip. I didn’t want to be alone.”
She lifts her mug from under the Keurig and turns to me. “What I don’t understand is why you’re here instead of with him. If you could take off work just like that, why wouldn’t you travel with him?”
Lana putting me on the spot makes me stumble in an attempt to think fast. “He went to Germany, and I hate German food,” I offer weakly.
“And that’s all?” she asks skeptically.
“What do you think it is?”
“The first year of marriage is hard. You’re adjusting to each other, getting used to sharing a bathroom, and each other’s habits. There’re growing pains as time goes on.”
“You didn’t have that with Zane.”
“I lived with Zane before we got married, and I knew him. Your relationship with Foster happened so fast, did you really have time to get to know him?”
I take another sip to avoid answering but cryptically respond, “I think so. We get along well, but I miss him.”
“Then involve yourself more with his business, even if he says no. I worked for Zane after we got back together.”
“I know, but doesn’t familiarity breed contempt?”
“Not if you love each other.”
