Page 22 of Holiday Hitch

Maybe it was the bitter winter or her own fear that kept her in the car. But either way, she wasn’t ready to face it. Instead, she pulled out of the driveway without looking back.

11

Robin

“That'swhy I think the nursery should be upstairs, but long-term, the kids’ rooms should be downstairs,” Robin huffed as they crested the top of the hill at Bear Creek Park.

Zoey smiled, “Well, it’s a good thing we have so long to figure it out.” Robin had already started picking out paint samples for the nursery, ready to start building their nest. She figured it was one less thing for Zoey to worry about as she adjusted to a lower-stress life.

Robin wanted to keep pitching ideas, but Zoey had gone back to answering texts on her phone. Over her shoulder, Robin could tell she was going back-and-forth with not just Dani but also vendors and Bobbi in the city.

Shaking her head, Robin chastised, “The doctor told you that you have to chill.”

Zoey rolled her eyes and said, “Your anxiety is more stressful to me than all of this combined.”

Robin wasn’t sure what it would take for Zoey to heed her concerns, but she just had to trust that her partner would do right by their future child. After all, Zoey was the only one who could gauge that line, who would know if something didn’t feel right.

They didn’t have any more time to argue. At the top of the hill, Zoey could already see Sarah, the kids, Dorothy, and William waiting for them among a throng of sledders. When Sarah spotted them, she waved them down.

It had been a family tradition to come to the Bear Creek sledding hill since they were kids. The only years that Zoey ever missed it was when she was too busy in the city to travel home for the holidays. But since coming back to New Winford, it felt even more important to start the tradition again.

“Hey, you two,” Sarah said, greeting the pair

“Hiya,” Zoey said as she greeted her sister with a hug. Everyone took turns hugging the couple except for Derek, who had gotten too old to want hugs anymore. They settled on high fives instead.

Zoey plastered on a smile, trying to ignore the nausea brewing in her body, and asked, “Who’s ready to get started?”

Ava and Leila cheered as they bounded toward the top of the slope, Derek reluctantly accompanying them with his bright blue sled. Zoey and Robin trailed behind with a sled of their own, smiling as they watched the kids. They always made a point to join the first and final sleds of the day.

Ava and Leila sat together on their small plastic disc while Derek stood to the side, embarrassedly waiting for Robin and Zoey to catch up.

“Are we sure this is okay?” Robin asked as she set down the wooden sleigh.

Zoey laughed as she plopped down onto the planks, “See, more worried than I am.”

Robin settled on the back and wrapped her arms around Zoey, placing one hand delicately over her stomach and planting a kiss on her rosy cheek.

“Ready?” Zoey hollered to the kids.

“Yeah!” They called from down the line.

Robin began the countdown, “Three… two… one… Go!”

They all scooted to the edge of the slope and took off down the hill. The snow was packed down from the hundreds of other sleds that had been here over the last few weeks, making their descent faster than either of them had expected.

Robin watched Zoey’s face light up as they gained speed, remembering this exact same view from a decade earlier. They had always gone sledding together as teenagers, and even then, Robin couldn’t take her eyes off of Zoey’s gorgeous face.

By the time they reached the bottom of the steep hill, Zoey was grinning from ear to ear and their hearts were racing. Robin picked up the sled and the group began the trek back to the top.

Derek threw snowballs at Leila and Ava who teamed up to tackle him in the snow.

At the top, the kids eagerly jumped back onto their sleds, this time Derek taking the large sled and the girls riding their own smaller sleds.

The adults watched as the kids went up and down the slope over and over again. Sarah was glued to her phone, looking up to check on her kids each time she heard a loud squeal.

William put his arm around Zoey, “How are you doing, darling?”

One of the best parts of coming home had been reconnecting with her father. They had been able to spend some serious quality time together, and watching William connect with Robin felt so special.