Accidentally in Love

Undone

It turns out, being unemployed has its benefits. For one, I get to spend the entire day playing with Sophie and Connor; something I had come to miss while Connor was away. We got into a routine of taking Sophie to the park every day the weather would permit it.

On the days when the London weather was uncharacteristically rainy, we would play with stuffed animals and blocks and coach Sophie into walking. If we held up her arms, she could find somewhat stable footing, but was still unfamiliar with the concept of stepping forward, meaning she ended up swinging happily as we held her above the ground.

It was such a rush to realize my daughter would soon be able to walk on her own; which also meant I would have the pleasure of chasing after her as she toddled away as fast as her little legs could carry her. However, I didn't mind. Watching Sophie grow and learn each day was beautiful and I was truly grateful for the experience.

Besides playing, Connor and I spent many nights packing up his apartment as we prepared to move into our new home. Each room in his place was soon filled with mountains of boxes and endless supplies of tape.

It was in the midst of one of our late night packing sessions that my father called to reveal some saddening news. Unfortunately, Maggie's illness was progressing, making her weaker each day. Although she did not yet need to be hospitalized, my father was afraid it wouldn't be too long until she was no longer able to move about on her own.

The news caused me to sink into a slight state of depression as I contemplated what life would be like without the woman I considered to be my mother. After we had reconnected, I talked to Maggie nearly every day. She would give me advice on how to handle Sophie's new developments, give me pep talks if I was having a particularly bad day, and always leave with food for thought regarding my relationship with Connor. Maggie had become my rock; a fixture in my life who I could not imagine losing.

Although Sophie was still a light in my life, I relished in my time alone, allowing her to be spoiled by her many doting aunts and uncles. Alec and Haley, especially, took their godparent duties extremely seriously, volunteering nearly every day to babysit their favorite niece.

On a day on which I was feeling particularly contemplative, I was sitting on a bench near the window admiring the way the sun hit the grass when I was interrupted by a low cough.

Turning my neck, I found Connor standing cautiously behind me, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans.

A weak smile spread across my face at the sight of him. "Hey."

His eyes furrowed with concern as warily tried to gauge my current mood. "How are you feeling today?"

I allowed my smile to widen in an attempt to lift his spirits. The truth was I didn't give Connor nearly enough credit. He was the most considerate, understanding, compassionate boyfriend a woman could ask for, and it was moments like these in which I realized how much I took him for granted.

Ever since finding out about Maggie's deteriorating state a few weeks ago, my mood changes had been difficult to predict. Some days were filled with light while others were gloomy and dark. Still, no matter how I acted, Connor stood by me; constantly ensuring I felt safe, loved and protected.

"I'm good," I replied softly, shifting in my seat to face him, "it's pretty outside."

He nodded, his gaze lifting to glance out the window before once more settling on me. "It is nicer than usual. Would you like to go up to the roof?"

I nodded, still smiling as I rose from my seat. Fresh air and sunshine would no doubt lift my mood even more. The weather was not cold enough to require a coat, so I grabbed a cardigan, pulling it on as Connor and I walked out the door.