The table goes silent for a beat. I keep my eyes trained on the half-empty glass in my hand to avoid their gaze. I hate that my marriage failed. I hate even more that the man who was supposed to be Mia’s father bailed, and now, she’s only got me. My heart breaks for my little girl.
Sloane reaches over and squeezes my hand. “That doesn’t make you a failure.”
“It feels like it,” I admit, lifting my head to face my friends. “You all have these men who look at you like you hung the moon. I used to wait for Ethan to look at me like that. I kept thinking if I just loved him harder, or tried more, that he would love me like that.”
Bellamy sighs softly. “Sometimes people grow together. Sometimes they grow apart.”
Corie nods. “And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let go.”
I blink back the sting in my eyes, surprised by the wave of relief their words bring. “I hate it for Mia. He was supposed to be with me through all of this. I don’t miss him. He was never around at the end, and divorce was the right answer for us, but Mia deserves a dad. Sometimes I get so mad at myself for being selfish. That I decided to do this on my own. What if a loving family of two adopted her instead of me?”
“Oh, no. You can stop that right now, Manda,” Bellamy says, her voice stern. “Let’s start with the fact that Mia’s birth mother chose you. She knew you were going to be a single mom, but she saw something in you. The adoption agency saw something in you. They knew that little girl needed you as her mom.”
“Bellamy’s right,” Rowan says. She glances at Eden. “I can say with confidence that I would have given anything to have had a mother like you. Even if that meant there was no dad in the picture.”
“Me, too,” Eden says gently. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that family is what you make it. You’re proof of that. You love that little girl with your entire being, but you don’t share DNA. I know you want her to have a dad, and honestly, I believe she will one day. I never imagined I’d find the kind of love I have with Foster, but here I am.” She smiles softly. “He’s out there, Amanda. You’re just not ready for him yet, and I truly believe that.”
“What she said.” Corie points at Eden.
“Yeah, that,” Sloane says, wiping at her eyes.
For the first time in a long while, the weight on my chest feels a little lighter.
Maybe ending something doesn’t mean you failed.
Maybe it just means you finally chose yourself.
I chose myself and my daughter. Together, we’re a family, and the ladies in this room are my family, too. “I love you. All of you,” I say, clearing my throat.
“We love you, too,” the five of them chorus.
“Okay, so now we have something else very important to talk about,” Corie announces.
“More important than your brother getting shat on by your adorable niece?” Sloane quips.
“Yep, but that’s definitely a close second.” Corie grins.
“What’s up?” Bellamy asks her.
“Family vacation. Hear me out. We’re a family. All of us. I want our kids to grow up together. I want the memories and the moments, and I want all our families there. I say we plan a trip to the beach, or even the mountains. Wherever, but we’re all going. No excuses.” She gives each of us a pointed look. When her eyes land on mine, she points an index finger at me. “That includes you and Miss Mia. No arguments.”
I let her acceptance wash over me. I’m not surprised, but I do want to relish the feel of having a tribe of people behind me. “I have some vacation time,” I admit.
“Perfect. Now, we need somewhere kind of private so the guys don’t get bombarded, and it needs to happen soon-ish, before camp and all that,” Corie says, talking excitedly with her hands.
“Love this idea!” Rowan says, grabbing her phone from the table. The rest of us do the same, starting to search for options.
“Got it,” Eden says, wiggling in her chair, holding up her phone to show us, before pulling it back in to read from the screen. “Five-acre private beach resort in Florida.” She goes on to read that it’s a small island and the house is surrounded by tall gates, which offers privacy and all the amenities for a private vacation setting. “It has six bedrooms, which is perfect,” Eden reads. “Here, I’ll send you all the link.”
A few seconds later, our phones all chime, and we’re pulling up the listing. “Wow,” I breathe, already knowing this vacation is going to eat away at my savings, but I want the vision Corie painted. Mia might be too little to remember, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
“This is perfect,” Bellamy squeals.
“Right?” Rowan agrees.
“Guys, they have an opening in two weeks!” Corie says. “Memorial Day weekend. Can we make that work?” she asks.
“I can make that happen,” I tell her. My job is really flexible, and I’ve got talent lined up for the next three months. I like to work in advance. I even have some booked out further, but I can take a week off and everything be okay.