Everyone takes turns saying they can go. Bellamy jumps up and rushes to grab her purse for her credit card. “I’m booking it,” she tells us.
“What about the guys?” I ask her.
Sloane waves her hand in the air. “They’re all in. It’s the offseason. They can skip a week at the gym. Besides, this place has a gym. The description says it sleeps twenty; that’s more than what we’ll need.”
“Well, all right. Let me know how much I owe you,” I tell her.
“Us, too,” Rowan tells her.
Bellamy waves her hand in the air. “We’ll work all of that out later.”
I know my best friend is going to try to pay for this for me, and I can’t let her. Besides, we’re splitting it six ways, which definitely makes it more affordable.
“I say we drive instead of fly,” Corie suggests. “We’re going to have too much to take with the kids.”
“That’s a good idea. It’s what, eight or nine hours to drive?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Eden says, already checking on her phone, and nods. “About that with stops and stuff.”
“I’m pumped!” Corie says, clapping her hands together.
I smile as I stand. “Me, too. I’m going to go check on Mia,” I tell them. She’s been sleeping in Coral’s room in the Pack ’N Play. I move to step out of the room when I run into the guys.
Knox has Alexander on his hip, Landry is cuddling Ella, Reid has Coral tossed over his shoulder, Baker has Camden on his shoulders, and Foster brings up the pack with a sleepy-eyed Mia resting on his shoulder.
“Thank you. I was just going to check on her,” I tell Foster. I reach for Mia, but she tucks her arms beneath her, staying right where she is.
“She’s fine,” Foster says, rubbing her back. “We actually brought her down to the basement with us so we could hear her.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, it’s girls’ night,” Foster says casually, as if it were the only option.
Tears prick my eyes. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I need the practice,” he says as the room goes silent.
“Well, there’s that.” Eden laughs. “We’re pregnant!” she cheers, and the room erupts with hugs and congratulations.
“We’re going on vacation!” Corie calls out, and the guys don’t look confused; they simply cheer and kiss their wives. Foster takes a seat next to Eden, and they both talk to Mia. She smiles at Eden, and within a few minutes, she’s crawling onto her lap, laughing and smiling.
I open my mouth to offer to take her, but I stop myself. These are my people. They’re our family. If they want to love on my daughter, I’m going to let them. I’m going to sit my ass here in this recliner, smile, and take it all in. I’m going to let them help and not feel an ounce of guilt, because I know they love her as much as I do.
I’ll always worry that I’m not enough, but in this moment, those fears stay parked in the back of my mind, where they belong. Instead, I enjoy being with the people who have been there for me and supported me from the beginning. I’m not a part of the Nashville Rampage. I have no connection outside of my friendship with Bellamy, but they’ve welcomed me into their circle all the same, and I’ll never take a single day of that acceptance for granted.
The noise in the room swells with laughter as it fills the air. Mia squeals when Eden bounces her gently, and the sound threads through the chaos. Pure and bright.
I don’t stress over making sure I’m the one taking care of her; instead, I sit back and listen to the multiple conversations, watching those closest to me enjoying a night of just being.
For so long, everything has felt like a matter of survival. Late nights alone. Second-guessing every decision. Wondering if I was ruining her in ways I wouldn’t see until it was too late. I’d convinced myself that being strong meant doing it all on my own. That accepting help was the same as admitting I couldn’t handle it.
But seeing Foster holding Mia like she’s something precious, like she’s always belonged in his arms, I feel that belief loosening its grip. Eden rains kisses all over her cheeks, making Mia squeal with delight, and the sight warms my soul.
I’m so engrossed in watching my daughter be happy and soak up every ounce of attention that I don’t notice Bellamy until she perches on the arm of the recliner beside me and nudges my knee. “You good?” she asks quietly, eyes soft.
I nod. “Yeah. Perfect. Grateful,” I add, because that’s the best I’ve got right now.
She studies me like she knows there’s more behind that word, but she doesn’t push. She never does. That’s one of the reasons this group works. No one here pries open wounds just to look at them. They just sit beside you until you’re ready. Bellamy has been my best friend since we were little kids. She’s been with me through so much, and I don’t need to say more for her to understand what I’m feeling. She just knows.