Chapter 75

I wiped my hand across my cheek, realizing at the last second that I had blue paint on my fingers. I rushed over to the bathroom and laughed when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. There was pale blue paint smeared across my cheek, dotted across my white t-shirt. There was even a bit of paint at the ends of my hair that I would probably have to cut off.

Deciding to decorate the nursery myself might have been a bad idea, but I couldn’t deny I was having a lot of fun. As much as I was making a mess, it felt meaningful to do it myself. To pour all my love and hope into that one little room.

The cribs were arriving in a couple of days, and I already have a tall, white dresser to put in there for all the baby clothes. I bought a changing table from a lady online and it was already up and waiting in my new office. There were still quite a few things I needed before the babies were born, but I was finally on track.

After arriving home, I decided that the first thing I needed to do was find a place of my own. I had the money to buy one myself, and I wanted to get a place that was entirely mine. I also wanted it to be somewhere I felt safe.

I ended up buying an apartment on the 10th floor of an apartment building, with a small balcony and a view of the park. There was a living room with a high ceiling, a master bedroom with a huge master bath. There were even enough rooms for the nursery and an office. The best part, though, was that I had parking in the building, so I never had to run across another parking lot. That, and there was security and a doorman. No one was getting in here that wasn’t supposed to.

I finally had something that was completely mine, and I loved it. There were still a lot of things I had to do, but it was finally coming together.

Eventually, when the boys got bigger, I’d have to move to somewhere with a bit more space, but for now this was perfect. I was even down the street from Stand Up, so if I ever went back to gym, it wouldn’t be too hard to get there. There was even a pool and a small workout facility in the building, which I’d been using ever since I moved in. It didn’t have everything Stand Up did, but it was doing the job for now.

Swimming had suddenly become my new favorite workout. Though sometimes the memories of swimming with Barnett came rushing back, which always spoiled my mood. My heart still hurt every time I thought of him.

Suddenly, the intercom at my door buzzed. I walked over and pushed the button. “Hello?”

“There’s a Lily Cogsworth looking for you,” Richard, the concierge, said.

“Oh, let her up.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Leonard.”

He hung up, and I waited at the door. A few minutes later, a soft knock sounded. I pulled it open, and Lily stood on the other side, a wide smile on her face. The minute she saw me, she wrapped me in a tight hug. I returned the gesture, tears springing to my eyes. It was our first time seeing each other after everything.

I ushered her into the apartment.

“You’re covered in paint,” she said with a laugh.

I laughed along with her. “I know. This is what happens when I try DIY.”

She looked down at my belly and shook her head. “Look how big you are! How many are there?”

“Just three.”

She shook her head. “Just three, she says.”

I led her into the living room and sat down on my leather armchair. She took the couch across from me, looking around at everything.

“Nice place!”

“Thanks.”

“Now, let’s get down to it. I haven’t seen you in forever and you clearly have a lot you need to tell me.” She eyed my stomach. “Like, a lot.”

I smiled but got right down to it. I told her everything about my misdiagnosis and why I originally kept it from her. Then I told her about my pregnancy and the trip with Arthur.

“I knew you guys weren’t really a couple,” she said when I told her what happened and why I left.

“Yeah, they really made it seem like we were. I didn’t realize it until I got back.”

She nodded. “I’m glad you’re finally telling me, but I wish you had just been honest about your health from the beginning. I would have been there for you. I really wish you hadn’t kept me in the dark like that. It made me feel like you didn’t trust me.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“I guess I can understand that.”

I had a feeling what she was going to ask next, and I braced myself. “So, are they Arthur’s?” she asked, leaning back into the white couch.

“Um, not exactly.”

She smirked. “Didn’t think so.”

I just nodded. I knew she was going to ask whose they really were, but I still hoped she wouldn’t. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to her, and I knew she wouldn’t let me evade the question. Not after everything that happened with my misdiagnosis and the fact that I kept it all from her.

“Whose then?”

“Barnett,” I mumbled.

She sat up straight, her eyebrows going up. “Sorry?”

“Barnett,” I said, slightly louder.

“Oh my God.”

“Now, it’s not–”

“Oh my God,” she said again. She jumped to her feet and started pacing. “Oh my God.”

“Please stop saying that.”

She turned to me. “You have to tell him!”

I shook my head. “I tried. He wants nothing to do with me. He’s made that perfectly clear.”

“Wait what?” She stopped pacing and gave me a look like I was insane. “What do you mean?”

I told her everything that had happened before I left for my trip. By the end, she had to sit down again.

“Julia and Barnett didn’t remarry.”

“But she said…”

Lily shook her head. “This all makes so much sense now. She was lying to you. She just didn’t want you to be with Barnett. He’d never get back together with her.”

“Then why was he avoiding me?”

“He was staying with her father, who was sick. That’s why he wasn’t reachable. His father has a policy about phones.”

“Oh.”

“Anna, I love you, but you have to tell him. I get that this was all a misunderstanding, but you can’t keep it from him anymore. He’s back now. He deserves to know the truth.”

“What if he doesn't want them, though?” I said in a small voice.

“You have to at least give him a chance to do the right thing,” she argued. “I promise you he’ll surprise you.”

“Okay.”

She grinned. “I still can’t believe it.”

I just nodded. Half the time, I couldn’t really believe it either.