Suddenly

Overthinking Hannah Hart

Grace laughed as she threw the bright orange frisbee in the general direction of Goose. The ever clumsy dog tripped over her paws and fell face first in the grass. To her right, safe on a pink blanket, surrounded by toys Hannah and Mamrie had bought over the last couple days, Ayla squealed in delight.

The dog and the little girl had really taken a shine to one another. It was surprising, considering Goose normally wanted to murder anything unfamiliar. Grace was just happy for the connection. It felt wonderful to have the dog at her side once again. Josh had promised they would send for her while in New York, but now Grace understood that had just been another one of his ploys to get her to move with him.

"Get it Goosie!" She called the dog with a laugh. The dog grabbed the disc and shook it a few times in her mouth.

"Oosie!" Ayla threw her hands in the air and squealed in pure excitement.

Hannah watched the scene from open kitchen window. She couldn't remember a time that she felt so carefree and happy just sitting at home on a Sunday. Grace being here had really lifted her spirits.

The last couple years had been rough. Losing your best friend out of nowhere is rough. Losing your best friend that you happen to have feelings for is even harder.

Hannah quickly shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. Now was not the time to dig up old feelings for Grace. It wouldn't be fair to the other woman to put her in that position right now. Grace had too much on her mind to worry about Hannah rekindling an old crush on her.

The sound of Grace's laugh pulled her from her thoughts. She watched out the window as the woman spun in a circle holding Ayla.

It made Hannah's heart clench.

Grace looked so happy, so carefree, Ayla looked so happy. Why couldn't they have had this all along?

Why couldn't she have just stayed? I could have given her this. Hannah gasped internally at her own thoughts. She needed to stop this thought process before it all got out of hand.

Did she really think she could have stuck by Grace through a pregnancy and a baby? Yes. She thought to herself. She would have done anything to keep Grace here and not lost her they way she had.

Grace had only been back for a few days. Things were about to get very stressful, and possibly very nasty, in the next few days when Josh realized his wife and daughter were gone, then realized she had filed for divorce and a restraining order.

Hannah shivered internally at the thought of that bastard hurting Grace. Grace had always been a ball of light. A silly, bouncing ray of sunshine that made people laugh with her shamelessly candid, quirky attitude. How she ever attracted a guy like Josh was beyond Hannah.

Her eyes went to Ayla, who was now toddling around the grass on still unsteady legs, Grace had said she had been a bit of a late walker, partially due to her early delivery or something Hannah didn't quite understand.

It amused Hannah in a way, to have fallen so deeply in love with someone she had just met. Ayla was every bit Grace made over. Maybe that was the reason.

Hannah let out a slight chuckle as the toddler tripped over Goose's tail and fell to her knees, before popping back up with a wide smile. Yep, she is most defiantly Grace's.

The woman wondered briefly of what her role in this child's life was going to be. How long were they going to be staying here? Not that she minded of course, but her heart hurt slightly of the thought of the day Grace found her own place with Ayla.

She knew it would probably be soon. It would just look better on paper forbGrace to be completely stable and independent when going against her husband. Hannah understood, not that she wanted to. Grace would be welcome here until forever, Ayla too.

Some things just weren't fair.

Hannah wished she could have been there to watch Grace become Ayla's mom. It still blew her mind to think about her former 'I detest children' friend being this person, standing in her yard, playing peek-a-boo with her daughter.

That wasn't the Grace Hannah knew, but it was the Grace she was glad to see her become.

It looked good on her, motherhood. It looked natural. It looked right.

Hannah sighed. She was spending much too much time thinking about her friend. That was all Grace was, her friend. Her best friend.

The friend I kissed in the middle of the night at that lake house.

Hannah groaned at her own inner voice. Couldn't she just knock it off and enjoy this moment? Here she was, watching the two of them out the kitchen window, instead of being out there playing with them.

"You've got to pull yourself together, Harto." She sternly chastised herself.

Quickly, she finished the task she had been sent inside to complete, two talk, cold glasses of lemonade and a sippy cup of a lesser sugary, more watered down version.

She juggled the three cups, did her best to keep her face passive, and made her way back out into the yard.

Grace noticed her first, a bright smile coming to her lips as she rushes forward to grab a nearly spilling glass.

"Did you have to wait for the lemons to ripen?" The blonde effortlessly teased before taking a long drink. It was hot in California, even for midApril.

Hannah stuck her tongue out, "Just got caught up for a sec, no worries! I'm here now!"

She bent down to gather Ayla in her arms. The child squealed with delight as she was spun in a circle and tossed lightly in the air.

"Annie!" She giggled.

Hannah's heart soared.

Yeah, whatever this was, she was going to enjoy the moment.