Page 157 of For Your Consideration

“You don’t seem like the world is so heavy. Happy looks good on you.”

Smiling, I shook my head. Everything she said was true and I was shocking myself most days with how things had turned out. “It’s kind of crazy. When those two lines showed up on the pregnancy test and Ben told me to leave, I closed myself off. I decided that I would focus on Sophie and once she was older, maybe I would try again. I did not see Asher coming.”

“He’s a good man, even though the look of him made me nervous at first.”

“When he walked into the diner the first time, all I could think was how huge and intimidating he was. The tattoos on his hands, those shoulders and thick chest. He scared me a little. But I couldn’t have been further off about him.”

“He loves Sophie.” She lifted her drink in a cheers. “And he loves you too.”

A warmth spread through my chest having her see what I saw. I mean, he’d told me. That moment was ingrained in my memory. But having Iris see it, the woman I thought of as more of my grandmother than anything, well, that meant the world.

We paused our conversation as our food was brought to the table and we thanked our servers.

“So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I wanted to tell you something.”

“You’re scaring me.” I glanced up at her, my fork halfway to my mouth.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing to be worried about. But I’m moving.”

“What?” I put my fork down. I was sure the shock was all over my face. Especially because this was what I was planning on telling her and I had been stressing about it all morning.

“Girl, you’ve hardly been there for the last month.”

“Where are you going?”

“That man I was telling you about, Clint.”

“Your lover?”

She waved me off. “Well, he lives in a seniors building. It’s very nice, the whole thing was recently renovated. There’s a book club and bridge nights and a chef that makes meals that I can take if I want, but the apartments each have their own kitchen. Honestly, the place is bigger than my current one.”

“Wow.” I swallowed. I was a little relieved because now my news wouldn’t be as hard but also a little sad that she wouldn’t be right next door.

“I’ve seen the place, and they have an opening. I can move in at the beginning of the month.”

“It’s going to be weird not living next to you.” I cleared my throat as I took a drink.

“I know, honey.” Iris reached out and grabbed my hand. “But you and that girl are building a family. I’ve been so blessed to help you in this first part but I’m so happy you’ve found your person. The person that will be there to support you through everything. And you know you can call me to babysit anytime. With Sophie starting daycare in the fall it was good timing but I’m still happy to watch her for you—it just needs to be at your place instead of mine.”

“I really don’t know how we would have survived without you.” Tears were building in my eyes.

“You would have, because you are the strongest person I’ve ever met, Sutton.” She squeezed my hand again before pulling away. “And I didn’t even tell you the best part.”

“Oh yeah?” I blinked a few times to clear my tears as I tapped the corners of my eyes.

“The seniors center is fifteen minutes away from your place.” She smiled as she took a bite of her food.

“About that…” I cleared my throat. “I’m moving in with Asher.”

Iris looked up at me and waited for a moment. When she didn’t say anything, I widened my eyes, prompting her to say something. “Of course you are.”

“But you just said…”

“Yes. That I’ll be fifteen minutes from your and Asher’s house.”

“How did you know?”

“You don’t ever come home. I honestly thought maybe you’d already moved.”