The Scars That Make Us (Second Generation Book 3)

Chapter 39

CATARINA

"How are you doing, Cat?"

I glance up from holding Lacey and see all the sets of eyes that are on me. I wanted to spend some time this morning with my girls and so we're all at Ember and Stef's bakery cabin. This is probably our number one place to hang out while. The two of them can work while the rest of us chat, sneak treats, and hang out with the babies. Harlow and Clemmy both bring the babies here and sometimes Ember even had Peyton hang out for a bit to give the older women a break from watching her.

"I'm doing okay, just enjoying the baby snuggles."

Harlow runs her finger down her daughter's chubby cheek, causing her lips to curl up in a smile. "You can hold her whenever, but you know you have your own that you'll be holding soon enough."

I take my hand and press it against my belly, it is certainly there and the last week I've started to feel little flutters that Harlow and Clemmy tell me are baby kicks. "It is kind of crazy to think that something like this is growing in there."

"I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that Viv used to fit in my stomach.'

"Well that one," Harlow tosses a thumb in Clemmy and Viv's direction, "is clearly creating whole milk in those boobies because Viv's got from big off chunky thighs on her!"

Clemmy laughs and squeezes her daughter's thighs. "Yeah, she's got rolls for days and I can't get enough of them. Although I was bathing her the other day and my mom reminded me to make sure I was cleaning the creases well though."

"Oh God, don't remind me!" Ember speaks up as she's mixing whatever batter she needs for the cake she's working on. "Do you remember how Peyton used to spit up all the time?" We nod around the room. "So she'd get formula in the creases of her neck. It was so stinky and gross! We didn't realize it at first and when we finally realized that was the smell, we made sure to clean the creases EVERY night!"

We all laugh at Ember's story, but maybe a little too loudly because Lacey is startled awake. I switch spots with Harlow and she takes the couch so she can nurse her daughter. I sit at the counter with Ember and sneak a chocolate chip from the bag, even though I didn't sneak it because she saw me clear as day.

"Want a bowl?"

"No, I really shouldn't. I need to have some actual food before we leave."

"What time is your appointment?" Clemmy asks.

"3:00, so we need to leave in about an hour. Did you ever have to do this, Clemmy?"

"No, I didn't, but once you had mentioned something my mom kind of freaked out and made me promise to talk to the pediatrician. She said Viv's risk is really low because there is no family history on my mom's side and my dad and I didn't have it."

"You were tested for it?"

Clemmy nods, "Yeah, I don't really remember, but I do remember going to the hospital and being hooked up to a bunch of weird wires. I was still really young when Jace had his transplant"

"And everything came back normal?"

She nods again, "Yep. I had another test done when I was sixteen and there was no sign of any thickening or my heart having any problems so the doctor said that I didn't need to worry about it. That's why the pediatrician didn't seem concerned about Viv either."

"So they're just not going to test her or anything?"

"I don't know. My mom wants me to, but I don't have a job and it isn't covered under insurance so we're talking thousands of dollars. How could I ask Mom and Dad to cover that?"