from one chapter to the next

 It felt like an endless summer. Even now the days felt hot and restless. At times, Char felt like a beached whale, but it was winding down now. Perhaps, the baby would come early.

Not that she was ready, but would she ever be?

As luck would have it she got on at the Veteran's hospital in a job where she talked to patients on the phone who were getting ready for surgery. It was a job close to home and far from the hospital. The pay was great and she and Diago had better insurance now. 

Yes, there was a lot to be thankful for. She was thankful for friends who helped her get the position. Still, she wished she could do more for Ste and Amira (friends who helped her and Diago with their small business). They truly were the mainstays even if they weren't making a fortune with the bakery and sandwich shop. The last month or so she hadn't been able to help out on weekends, but Diago worked hard, and if he could find anything else to do ... well, he worked.

She'd gotten used to his sister Iona and Micah. They were a couple now after their trip to the Black Hills over the summer. Hopefully, the house would be warm and cozy this winter.

Diago and a couple of his friends put in new windows so the old house was snug now. If anyone could nest it was Diago. Honestly, Char wasn't sure what he was doing to the old place, but it was always something. And now it would soon be the five of them.

Char could hardly imagine it. But the baby would kick throughout the night that it just might be a night owl. Her stomach swelled so she was certain she'd never be the same again. Perhaps her mother felt the same way when she was in this condition, only she was off in Arizona with her new boyfriend.

From her last phone call, her mom was living the life. Finally. She felt better about a lot of things. Her new home. Her financial status. Char knew not to ask her for much, but to listen to her adventures in her new life. It was too late to bicker and asked why they weren't close anymore. Char vowed she'd never be this way to her own child.

And just when Char accepted that she and Diago would somehow get by, the letter arrived with a bank card. Her mother wrote, "This is for anything you might need for the baby."

Naturally, Char was overcome with a certain sadness. A part of her wanted her mother around, but she  supposed her mother would always remain a mystery.