Back to Me (Book Three ✓)

forty-five

Parker scoffs, still sour that Beau isn't refusing to get to know his brother again. For the sake of the kids, Beau says.

I don't push him. Whatever his reason is or isn't, I know my role is to support him in whatever he decides.

"Mags and Jack are funny together." Beau shrugs sheepishly.

"How can two babies be funny?" Parker raises a brow, sticking a long pretzel between his lips.

He's saying it to get at Beau. I know, because I hear him talking to Maggie all the time. And Uncle Parker thinks Maggie is hilarious, recording her any time she dances her little bum off or pulls a silly face.

Not taking the bait, Beau shrugs, ending the conversation.

"I was showing Mags all her presents, too. Kid made out pretty good, isn't that right?"

I nod, the mountain of gifts, wrapped in beautiful pink papers and large, sparkling bows, only half of what makes his statement true.

Besides the toys and clothes awaiting our unwrapping, so many people came for Maggie's first birthday. Val flew in from LA, and while she has tried a couple of times to get Parker's attention, he's all but ignored her, favoring instead a pattern of careful walk-arounds of the party.

It's not needed. Since Zoey was checked into a psych facility closer to her parents, we've received no notes, no strange phone calls. The only roses I receive are from Beau, and the nonstop notifications are now from Gemma and Nadine, demanding I meet their daily quota of Maggie pictures.

Those are demands I'm more than happy to meet. Nuzzling my nose into Maggie's neck, inhaling the sweet, almost sticky scent of her baby skin, I smile again.

Nadine is at the barbecue, working her magic and proving she's more than a sweet-tooth-queen. Tangy sauces and spicy rubs permeate the air, the smell of smoked meat keeping us all going for more.

Kim came and will be staying with us for the week so she can spend some quality time with Maggie and me, and beside her on the couch is Jess. While she's unhappy I decided not to go back to work at the publishing house in favor of staying home with Maggie, she's more than happy to steal me away every now and again for some adult drinks and conversation.

Beside her, perhaps not so subtly trying to win her over, is Zach. Still satisfied with Beau's song-writing, he never stops pushing for him to play with them. Sometimes I worry that maybe he'll regret it, but I don't dwell on that too much now.

Gemma oohs and aahs at all the chubby toddlers, temporarily relieving mothers of their little ones and playing with them on the floor. They're mostly families we've met through mommy-and-me swim classes and I probably like them more than Beau does, but it seemed fitting to have some babies at my baby's party.

Beck and Jack sit at the table, snacking on crackers and cheese and soda from the cooler. Beck seems even more tired now, overwhelmed with his duties as a single dad.

But the room is happy, the air is light and cheerful and this party brings me back to the summers I spent here when I was little. The lake house was always full of family and friends and laughter and love, and raising Maggie here is exactly right.

This is what I always thought I'd have, even if it's not exactly how I imagined getting here.

As for those that aren't here... I tell Maggie about her grandparents every day. I tell her how much they love her and I know it's true. When she's old enough to understand, I'll show her scrapbooks.