Tethered (Book Two of The Invisible String Series)

Therapy, Shopping, Babies, and Trees

I narrow my eyes as I hand the sonogram back to her. "You knew for a week and didn't tell me?!"

The blonde's smirk falls just slightly, and it automatically makes me bristle, knowing that whatever she was about to say I probably wouldn't like. "I would have told you sooner, but Collin and I were trying to wrap our heads around it. Still are, I guess."

"It's a good thing, though, right? Unplanned, I'm sure, but still good?"

Scar nods, tearing her eyes away from mine to stare down at the table. "No, it's not that. It's just...I know Collin loves Rose like she's his own kid, but we've never really talked about having kids. I think it kind of took him by surprise when I told him. We haven't really talked about it in depth yet."

The conversation stops for a few moments as our waiter arrives with our orders, and I patiently wait to respond once I know he's out of earshot. "Did you not want another kid?"

"I never thought about it, really. After Rose's dad and I split, I didn't even think I'd find someone else. Let alone have another kid."

I take a sip of my water, eyeing my best friend. "And now?"

Scarlett shrugs, poking at her food with her fork. "I'm happy about it. I just don't know how Collin really feels about it."

"You should talk to him, then. I know you guys are probably still a little shocked, but it won't do either of you any good to just ignore it and let it fester between the two of you."

The blonde nods, and I keep quiet for a few minutes, digging into my food as I let the other woman gather her thoughts and feelings. After a few moments I bump her leg under the table with my foot, giving her a small smile when she meets my gaze. "For what it's worth, I think you guys are going to be great parents. And this kid is going to come out very loved and spoiled just as much as Rose is."

That earns me a smile out of the other woman, and I finally drop the subject, sticking to lighter stuff for the rest of our meal. Thankfully Scarlett's mood seems to brighten after that, and when she drops me back off at home, she's smiling and laughing at my horrible jokes, promising to call me later.

Loaded down with several bags, I toe the front door open, attempting to be as quiet as possible so I can sneak by and hide Lizzie's gifts in the spare bedroom closest to ours before she realizes I'm here. Thankfully the brunette hasn't noticed, and I manage to make it to the spare room, feeling a little victorious as I stash all the gifts in the closet to wrap at a later date.

"What are you doing?"

Jumping at the sound of Lizzie's voice, I slam the closet door closed before I turn to glare at my girlfriend's amused face, the brunette standing in the doorway of the room. "For fuck's sake, Liz! Announce yourself next time!"

The woman ignores me, taking a few steps into the room as she raises an eyebrow. "Are you hiding gifts?"

I immediately step in her path, grabbing her hips and steering her back out of the room and down the hall. "No! I was...looking for an old shirt. Don't worry about it. But, also, stay out of that room, please."

Lizzie laughs and I maneuver the both of us down the stairs, away from the temptation of gifts and surprises. "Okay. I won't look in there. I promise. Did you and Scar have fun?"

Once we're at the bottom of the stairs, and I'm sure the other woman is indeed going to remain downstairs and not go snooping like the little shit she is, I let go of her and nod. "Yeah. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit. How was your session?"

I follow the brunette into the living room, taking a seat on the small portion of the couch that she hasn't covered with ornaments and other decorations for the tree, pulling her down on my lap after. "It was okay, I guess."

I wrap my arms around her middle, giving her a little squeeze as I rest my chin on her shoulder. "Just okay?"

"We talked about the nightmares, and about some other stuff. I feel a little better about it, honestly. I don't feel like it's consuming me, like it was before."

Humming, I give the brunette another quick squeeze, hating that all that shit had to happen but glad that we're at least going in the right direction. "That's good, my love. Are you ready to decorate the tree?"

The woman instantly brightens, scrambling out of my lap and over towards the various things she has laid out. I follow after her with a smile, feeling a little excited for the upcoming holiday season. This year hasn't been easy, but it's definitely one for the books, and I'm more than glad to be closing it out and spending it with her.

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Alright. Here ya go. Next chapter will be another filler, mostly just to set up some stuff for the plot and then we'll be doing the Christmas and New Years chapters! I personally hate the holidays (I have no good memories associated with them growing up), so I'm going to live vicariously through these characters and their experiences.

Let me know what you all thought! Remember to take care of yourselves.

Love you all! -C