When Leanne's estrangement from the Richardson family became public knowledge, Devin was more devastated than if he'd gone through a breakup himself.
"It's nothing," Curtis said, clicking the pen shut with an air of indifference that made it seem as if they were discussing the unremarkable weather of a typical summer day. "Same as always."
Devin couldn't grasp the situation. "She didn't even show up for Mary's 80th birthday bash. How is that the same as always?"
Curtis couldn't be bothered to explain. He stood up from his chair and playfully slapped Devin on the head as if he were a mischievous pup. "Go entertain yourself."
Joy had been staying at Leanne's Castle for nearly a month by then, arriving just a few days after Curtis had moved out.
Concerned about Leanne's well-being, Joy took all the leave she could from work. She avoided the office unless absolutely necessary, choosing instead to spend her days in the garden with Leanne. Their time together felt more like a vacation than anything else.
The summer in Stonebridge was on another extreme, with the heat crawling everyone's skin and the sun scorching the earth. Only the gardens in this bustling city offered some respite from the relentless heat. What surprised Joy, however, was Leanne's stable mood. She wasn't sad or depressed but spent her days gardening, playing with the cats, feeding the fish, and preparing her application for Medical School in Emberland.
Selina would visit now and then, sometimes bringing beer and crawfish, other times ice cream, cake, and bubble tea.
This time, she brought nutritious chicken soup. After eating their fill, Joy lounged on the rocking chair, sipping on freshly squeezed watermelon juice, and patted her belly contentedly. "Life's pretty sweet when you're eating and resting well.."
Leanne was buried in her textbooks at the table. Despite the heat, the air conditioning was on low for Joy's comfort. Leanne had draped a shawl over her shoulders while a cat napped in her lap. Hearing Joy, Leanne didn't respond.
"You haven't gained a pound, but here you are, packing on the pounds," Selina teased. "You sure you're not pregnant?"
Leanne paused her note-taking and looked up at them.
Joy quickly kicked Selina under the table, causing her to bite her tongue. Wincing in pain, Selina retaliated with a lisp, "She's the one who told me!"
Leanne turned to Joy, "How did you know?"
Leanne's period had been over a week late that month, initially attributing it to stress. On the tenth day, she took a pregnancy test, and the two clear red lines couldn't be denied.
It was only last week's news. She hadn't even sorted out her feelings yet. Somehow, they guessed it as if they could read her like a book.
No wonder Selina brought nutritious soup today.
"I saw the pregnancy test in the bathroom after you showered... Imagine if Laura had found it instead," Joy said, gaining confidence. "Imagine the drama if she accidentally told Curtis." "Exactly," Selina chimed in. "We can't let the Richardson family find out."
"Their kind wouldn't want their bloodline outside the family. If the child grows up outside and then comes back to claim their inheritance, it'd be chaos. But considering Hanley's example, they might not want you to have the baby."
Leanne hadn't kept her breakup with Curtis a secret, not that she could have.
They were resolutely on her side, no questions asked.
Leanne stroked the cat's sleek fur. "I haven't decided to keep it."
"You'll definitely keep it," Joy said confidently.
"Why?" asked Leanne.
"Because I've got a sixth sense about these things. I've foreseen that she's my destined goddaughter," Joy claimed. "Besides, it's not like we can't afford it. If you need help, I'll quit my job and be your full-time nanny. You just need to keep us fed and housed."
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