Shades of Redemption

33

After leaving the store, I couldn't shake the heaviness that clung to me. My mind was still spinning from the confrontation with Gavin. Everything I thought I'd moved past suddenly resurfaced, making me feel like I was drowning in old emotions. The drive back to the apartment was a blur, but when I arrived home, the sight of Elijah waiting for me helped ease the tension in my chest, at least a little.

He was lounging on the couch, casually flipping through channels. As soon as I walked in, he turned off the TV and stood up, his face lighting up when he saw me.

"How'd it go at the store?" he asked, moving toward me.

I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to tell Elijah the truth—that Gavin had shown up again, unannounced, and brought up feelings I wasn't ready to deal with. But instead, I smiled weakly and shrugged. 

"Everything's fine now. Just had to deal with some issues with one of the paintings."

He looked at me for a second, as if he could sense that there was more to the story, but thankfully, he didn't press further. 

"Good," he said, his usual grin returning. "I was thinking we could grab lunch with the gang, and afterward, I'll take you to see that house I've been talking about."

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. "That sounds like a great plan."

We quickly got ready and made a few phone calls to our friends. It didn't take long to set up a lunch date—after all, we all lived pretty close to one another, so it wasn't unusual for us to meet up often. Before we knew it, Katie, Owen, Emma, and Caine had all agreed to meet us at a small restaurant just down the street from my apartment.

When we arrived, Katie and Owen were already sitting at a table, chatting quietly. Katie's pregnancy glow was more apparent now, and I smiled when I saw her gently resting her hand on her baby bump. I waved as we approached, and Katie lit up with a big smile.

"Hey, you two!" Katie greeted us with excitement as I leaned in for a hug. "We've already ordered drinks. I hope that's okay."

"Of course!" I said. "It's so good to see you. How are you feeling?"

Katie laughed. "Tired, mostly. But I can't complain too much. This pregnancy has been smoother than my first one with Charles."

Owen smiled, gently rubbing Katie's back. "She's been a champ. Even with Charles running around, she's handling everything like a pro."

Katie smiled at her husband and nodded. "Well, we'll see how things go once the new baby is here. Two kids is going to be a whole new adventure."

I chuckled, already imagining the chaos that would soon come to their household. "Are you ready for that?"

Katie smiled at me. "As ready as I'll ever be. Honestly, though, we're really excited. It's going to be crazy, but we're looking forward to it."

Emma and Caine arrived a few minutes later, hand in hand. Emma was beaming as she gave me a hug.