A chair that meant a lot to him, one that had been Monica’s, was sent to a carpenter friend of mine and turned into a bassinet, which was lovely. He cried when I presented it to him, and it was wonderful to see how he integrated it into baby Bella’s life. It meant so much to him, and I was happy to do it.
Finally, it was time to return to work, and with it, opening the restaurant. I thought Derek was going to bounce off the walls in the week leading up to the opening, and my parents came down to help out during the transition. They took time off from the university to be doting grandparents and were staying just down the street from the vineyard, meaning they could babysit during the hours I was at the restaurant and Noah was working.
Still, I didn’t like being away from her much, and Mom tended to bring her to the restaurant, hanging out in the seating area with her while I cooked and prepared for the big opening.
It was finally time. Bella was in a baby sling, and I stood in front of the restaurant, holding Noah’s hand in one hand and my mother’s hand in the other. Dad was standing beside her as we looked at the doors. I took a deep breath and smiled. It had been months of craziness and nights of worry and tears to get to that moment. But it was finally there, and I stood with the man I loved, the baby that was my heart, and my parents backing me up.
With all that support, I knew that I was going to be able to continue to pursue every goal and dream I ever had, and maybe a few ones I never even thought of before.