But before he can, my mom walks back into the room. She stands behind her chair like a queen—shoulders back, head high, and an indefinable expression on her face.

  “Mom,” I tell her, “there’s no need for you to get hysterical.”

  “No need?” she sputters. Then she repeats louder, “No need?!”

  Why couldn’t I have had a mother who supported my choices without constantly questioning them? Would that have really been too much to ask for? Instead of asking her that, I tell her, “This is my decision, and I’ve made it. I’m sorry you can’t be happy for me.”

  “Happy for you?” She bursts into tears again.

  “Yes, Mom. Happy for me. Why is that such a foreign concept for you? My life doesn’t have to be just like yours for it to be a good life, you know.”

  She shakes her head from side to side. “Your life is nothing like mine, Allison.”

  I’m about to throw my napkin at her and storm out when she surprises me by sitting back down. Staring me dead in the eye, she says, “I’ve had it easy, Allie. I’ve had the smoothest ride possible. And you … you’ve not been so lucky. I would do anything in this world for you not to have any more obstacles. Anything.” The tenderness in her tone catches me off guard.

  “Then why are you giving me a hard time about this?” I demand. “All I’ve ever wanted was to be a mom and Margie is giving me that opportunity without having to sit on a list for God knows how many years until my dream can come true.”

  “Giving you a hard time? Honey, I’m not giving you a hard time.”

  “Mother, you just stood up, burst into tears, and ran from the room like I told you I was going to become a sex worker, or I don’t know, a marijuana tester.”

  “Allison Marie,” my mom’s tone is once again reprimanding as is usual with the use of my full name. “You just told me that I was going to become a grandmother. That’s emotional business, especially after everything you’ve been through.”

  Wait a second, what’s going on here? “You’re not mad at me? You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”

  She shakes her head slowly before saying, “I love you, Allie. I know how hard you’ve tried to have a baby. I know the heartache you’ve been through. I’m thrilled for you! I’m thrilled for me and Dad!” Before I can absorb this, she asks, “Does this mean you’ll be staying here in Elk Lake?”

  She sounds almost hopeful which is really screwing with what I thought I knew about her. “Do you want me to?”

  Tears start to free flow down her cheeks. “I would love that above all else.”

  I push my chair away from the table and lean forward to stop the dizzy sensation that’s overtaken me. “If you want me to live in Elk Lake then why are you always telling me to move back to Madison or Chicago? You’ve been trying to get rid of me ever since I came home.”

  “No, she hasn’t,” my dad exclaims firmly. “Your mother didn’t even start talking about you moving until you’d been here for six months. At that point she started to worry that if you didn’t make a move you’d give up on your dreams altogether.”

  My head is spinning like I’ve just ridden the Tilt-a-Whirl at the county fair six times in a row. Believe me, you only make that mistake once. “What about me getting remarried?” I demand. “You’re always talking about me finding someone to share my life with.”

  “That’s because I want you to have someone to share your life with. How is that wrong?”

  “But you’re always saying that I need to find someone so I can have a family.” Talk your way out of that one, Margaret.

  “That’s because that’s how I did it. I just assumed you’d do it the same way. But honey, you’ve found another way.”

  I still can’t quite seem to wrap my head around what’s going on here. “And you’re happy about that?”

  “I’m delighted!” She gets up from her chair and walks over to mine with her arms wide open. When I don’t stand quickly enough, she turns to Margie and offers her a hug.

  Margie jumps up and practically throws herself into my mother’s arms. “Thank you for being happy,” she tells her. “More than anything, I’ve needed someone to be happy about this baby.”

  “I’m so happy,” my mother tells her. “Thank you for my grandchild.”

  I glance across the table at my dad, and he stands up to join the party. Once he arrives, he puts his hand out to me to help me up. Then he opens his arms and enfolds us all together. I have never in my whole life felt so much love and acceptance. I can’t imagine what Margie must be feeling.

  Long moments pass before my mom steps aside. With a look of complete contentment on her face, she asks Margie, “Have you told your parents, dear?”

  Margie shakes her head. “Not yet. We wanted to tell you first.”

  “Do you think they’ll welcome you home once they know you’re not going to keep the baby?” she asks.

  Margie sits back down at the table which signals us all to do the same. “I don’t think I want to go back there. My parents haven’t been very supportive, and I’m not ready to live with them again. I’m not sure I ever will be.”

  “Then you’ll stay here!” my mom declares excitedly. “You can have Allie’s old room.”

  “Mom,” I tell her. “Margie is staying with me.”

  “On a fold-out couch,” she sneers. “That’s no place to get a good night sleep while you’re growing my grandchild.” She looks at my dad and orders, “We need to turn that room back into a proper bedroom for Margie. I’ll make a list.”

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted my parents are getting on board with all this, yet I can’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you turn it into a proper bedroom for me when I came home?” My marriage had ended horribly. You’d think I deserved a proper bedroom after that.

  “I didn’t want you getting comfortable,” my mom tells me. “You have a big life ahead of you, Allie. That wasn’t going to happen if you were hiding out at home.” She motions toward Margie. “Look what moving out has already brought you! A new job and a baby!”

  I know I should probably leave well enough alone, but I can’t help myself. I tell my mom, “I don’t have a man in my life.”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “I suppose that if you want one, you’ll get one at some point.”

  “Just please make sure he isn’t anything like Brett,” my dad says. “We never liked him very much.”

  Excuse me? “What do you mean you never liked him? You always acted like you did.”

  “He was your choice, honey,” my mom says. “Your dad and I didn’t want to upset you by telling you that we didn’t think he was good enough for you.”

  Has my whole life been a lie? What in the world is happening here? “I thought Brett was everything you ever wanted for me in a husband.”

  “If it was up to me,” my mom says, “you would have fallen in love with someone who worshipped the ground you walked on, not tried to run rough shod over you.” I wasn’t even aware that he did that for years, which once again makes me doubt if I ever want another husband. What if my picker is broken?

  “I would have chosen someone taller,” my dad contributes. “Also, I would have liked if he played golf, or any sport for that matter. It’s hard to trust a man who doesn’t have a sport.” I guess my dad isn’t counting Brett’s “mad” ping pong skills.

  Before I can fully absorb their opinion of Brett, an image of Noah pops into my head. My parents would have loved having him for a son-in-law. Not only is he tall and sporty, but he treats me like I’m a queen. He acts like everything I have to say is interesting and important. He looks at me like I hung the moon.

  On impulse, I close my eyes and throw the universe the mother of all requests. I don’t know how, but you’ve made my dream of having a baby come true—would it be too much to ask to throw in the perfect man?

  CHAPTER FORTY

  NOAH

  I’ve been in a fog ever since leaving Chicago yesterday afternoon. I barely slept a wink last night wondering if I was making the right choice. When I woke up this morning, I felt I was on an entirely different planet. Even though everything looks the same, I know it isn’t and probably never will be again.

  The principal at Banks made me a very enticing offer. He didn’t give me everything I asked for, but he came pretty darn close. Enough so that it certainly felt like a victory. The problem is, I couldn’t seem to get Allie out of my mind.

  Mid-morning, I give up trying to stay focussed and pretty much just let the kids do whatever they want. Instead of doing my job, I spend the day comparing the differences between Elk Lake High School and Banks. Elk Lake is pretty much like every other small-town school. They’re nearly interchangeable right down to the smells that emanate from the cafeteria—predominantly pizza, green beans, and salisbury steak. Meanwhile, Banks is like a Hollywood version of high school. Huge, state of the art, impressive in all things, and atrociously expensive.

  As my mind whirls, I have the strangest sensation that I’m only half in my body. The other half is floating through the ethos trying to make sense out of my life.

  When afternoon practice finally starts, I can barely keep my eyes off Allie. She’s positively luminous, which makes me even more nervous to tell her my news.

  Once our teams are running drills, we move to the sidelines and get our first chance to talk since Saturday. Allie jumps right in and demands, “What did you do yesterday?”

  I was going to wait to tell her at dinner, but I suddenly need her to know now. Even though I know I’ve made the right decision, I want her to confirm it. “I went to Chicago and met with the principal of my old school.”

  Her expression falters noticeably. “Oh? How did that go?”

  “Really well,” I tell her. “He nearly doubled my previous salary and even offered to sign a three-year contract with a sizable bonus if we go to number one in the state.”

  Allie looks like she’s trying to be happy for me, but she’s not selling it. “That’s great news, Noah. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.” Oh yeah, there’s a definite lack of excitement.

  “What did you do yesterday?” I ask in return.

  “Margie and I had supper with my folks.”

  “And?” I prod. “Wasn’t there something else you were going to tell me?”

  “At dinner,” she says. Gesturing around the chaotic gym, she adds, “This isn’t the place to tell you my news.”

  She’s making me nervous. “It’s good news though, right?”

  Allie stands with her legs shoulder-width apart and shifts her weight from side to side, while saying, “It’s the very best news ever.”

  I can’t imagine what it could be. Did her ex fall off a cliff or something? Yet, I know it can’t be something like that. Even though Brett deserves it, Allie isn’t the kind of person to wish ill on anyone.

  “Did you win the lottery?” I ask, hoping to narrow down the source of her joy.

  Her smile is so wide she looks like a toothpaste advertisement. “I did.”

  “Wait, what? You won the lottery? How much?” I want to know. The most I’ve ever won is ten bucks and while I was pretty jazzed, I didn’t look anywhere near as happy as Allie currently does. She must have won millions.

  “I won something better than money, but that’s all I’m going to tell you until after practice.” With that, she gives me a small wave and walks away in the direction of the girls’ team. Whatever happened to Allie, she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her and that fills my heart.

  Practice feels like it drags on for a year but that’s because I can’t wait to find out Allie’s news. When it finally ends, and the kids are gone, I walk over to her and ask, “You ready?”

  “Yeah, but I’ve changed my mind. I want to tell you here where it’s nice and quiet. Is that okay?”

  “More than okay.” I also need to tell her the rest of my news. “I’m not sure I could have waited long enough to get to the restaurant.” I walk toward the bleachers before sitting down.

  Allie doesn’t join me. Instead, she starts to pace back and forth in front of me. I don’t try to stop her, I merely watch. When she finally stands still, she turns to me and announces, “I’m going to have a baby.”

  My mouth hangs open like my jaw just came unhinged. “You’re what?”

  “I’m going to have a baby,” she repeats.

  I want to know a thousand things, but the most immediate is, “Who’s the father?”

  “You know him,” she says mysteriously. Every man in Elk Lake suddenly starts to pop into my head but for the life of me, I can’t think of who it might be. The only man I ever see Allie spending any real time with is me and I know I’m not the dad.

  “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone,” I tell her, sounding way less happy than she is.

  When she sits down next to me, I can feel the energy radiating off her. She’s like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. “You know how I was going to sign up with adoption agencies? Now I don’t have to.”

  “Because you’re pregnant.”

  “What? No! I’m not pregnant, I’m adopting.”

  “How did you do that without signing up anywhere?” I’m so confused, my head is starting to hurt.

  “I’ve been chosen by the birth mother,” she says.

  “Already? How?” And that’s when it hits me. “You’re going to adopt Margie’s baby, aren’t you?”

  Before I fully process the news, she throws her arms around me and sobs, “I am! Isn’t it amazing?”

  I hold onto her for a long minute before answering, “It really is. It’s perfect for you.” Not only am I happy for Allie, but I’m also pleased the kids have found a solution to their situation that won’t require either of them losing out on the chance of higher education.

  Allie eventually pushes herself out of my arms and tells me, “Jordan has agreed to it as well.”

  “What about their parents?” I want to know. Both couples seemed set on an abortion so I can’t imagine how they’re feeling about adoption.

  “I don’t know about Jordan’s folks, but Margie’s seem to be taking it in stride. They even asked Margie to come home.”

  My thoughts are swarming as I try to process this news. But even so, I’m thrilled for Allie. “Has she already moved back in with them?” I ask.

  Allie shakes her head. “She’s having a hard time forgiving them for the way they reacted when they found out she was pregnant. She’s decided to move in with my parents, instead.”

  “How did that happen?” Allie made it sound like her mom and dad would be a hard sell on the whole single mother adoption angle. It looks like things are working out all around.

  “I’ll tell you that part at dinner,” she says. “But needless to say, if you told me that pigs have started to fly, I’d believe you.”

  I reach over and take Allie’s hand in mine and simply hold onto it for a minute. “Which brings me back to my news.”

  Instead of letting me finish, Allie interrupts, “I’m happy for you, Noah. This is everything you’ve ever wanted. You deserve this.” Her whole energy has shifted, and she suddenly appears very sad.

  “You don’t sound very happy for me,” I tell her.

  Her gaze lingers at her feet before looking up at me. “I am happy for you, but I’m sad for me.”

  “How can you be sad when you just got the best news in the world?” I ask her.

  “I’m sad that you’re leaving Elk Lake. I really liked having you here.”

  “I’ve liked being here,” I tell her. “Who would have ever thought that you and I would have met up again?”

  “I guess maybe I was starting to hope that things would work out differently for us,” she says quietly.

  “How so?” I want to hear her say the words.

  She inhales deeply like she’s trying to fortify herself. “I used to have the biggest crush on you,” she says. “I guess when our paths crossed again, I started to wonder if maybe …”

  “Something might happen between us?” I interrupt.

  She nods her head. “I know that can’t happen.”

  Sliding closer to her, I ask, “Why can’t it?”

  She scoffs loudly. “Because you want your own kids and you should have them. Because you’re going back to Chicago and I’m staying here and adopting Margie’s baby. Because of so many things. I guess we really weren’t meant to be anything but friends.”

  “While I do consider you my friend,” I tell her, “and I couldn’t be happier about that, that’s not all I want, Allie.”

  Her face crumples in on itself in a look of uncertainty. “I don’t understand. You’re going back to Chicago. You got your dream job. I’m staying here in Elk Lake. I don’t see how we could make that work.”

  “I was offered my job back,” I tell her. “I didn’t say I took it.”

  “What?!” Allie is back on her feet, pacing. “They offered you everything you could have hoped for! It’s all you ever wanted. You told me that yourself.”

  “It’s not all I ever wanted,” I tell her.

  She itemizes by raising one finger at a time. “Almost twice your salary, a three-year contract, and a bonus if you make number one.”

  “They did offer me all of that,” I tell her. “And yes, at one time I thought that was exactly what I wanted, but it looks like I actually need more than that.” She’s not putting two and two together, so I tell her. “I need you, Allie, and I’m pretty sure that you need me. I want to stay in Elk Lake and date you for real.”

  “But I’m having a baby!”

  “I know.”

  “Why would you want to date someone who was going to be a mom?”

  “What difference does that make?” I ask her. As strange as it sounds, finding out that Allie is going through with adoption doesn’t make dating her less appealing. In fact, seeing her on the verge of having everything she’s ever wanted makes her that much more enticing to me.

  “If we do date and things work out well, and we, you know …”

  “Get married someday?” I ask.