She ran down the stairs, wanting to get the door for Gretchen and shield her from Caleb if he was going to be rough. She peeked through the small window in the front door and saw Amanda walking up the path with a bunch of shopping bags. She threw the door open and rushed to help her.

“Did you buy the whole supermarket?” Jax grunted when she took a particularly heavy bag.

“She needed coffee and a few other things.” Amanda shrugged the best she could while her arms were weighted down.

“A few other things?”

“I thought I had a BMW,” Gretchen said, stepping around Jax and Amanda.

Jax noticed how much healthier she looked in the daylight rather than the buzz of fluorescents. Even after weeks in the hospital, Gretchen still managed to glow. “You couldn’t choose between the BMW and the Audi, but the Audi won because you liked the color better.” Jax peeked in the bag she held. “Sprite and coffee? You haven’t had either of those in years.”

“I want them again.” Gretchen walked into the house, and Jax couldn’t get around her fast enough to block a charging Caleb.

She watched with a grimace as he squeezed Gretchen. “Careful, Cricket, remember what I told you.”

“Me and Bug will make you better.”

“I’m Bug,” Jax said for clarification. “You didn’t like me calling him Cricket, so you started calling me Bug.”

Gretchen looked disinterested as she nodded. This reunion was not off to a promising start.

“I think this is everything,” Amanda said, placing Gretchen’s large hospital bag on the couch just inside the front door. “Do you want me to stay? Do you need anything else?”

Jax was already nodding. “You should stay.”

“You can go,” Gretchen said at the same time. “We’re fine. I’ll talk to you later.”

Amanda was hesitant to leave, but she eventually did, and all that could be heard in the house was Goofy.

Jax followed Gretchen into the kitchen. “We opened up the wall after Caleb was born. So we could watch him and eat in the kitchen still.” Gretchen said nothing. “You were really happy with the result.” She watched Gretchen until she turned the corner toward the bedroom. She dashed back to the living room for Gretchen’s bag and walked into the bedroom just as Gretchen took a seat on her bed.

Her last memory in the space was far from pleasant. Jax hadn’t been back in this bedroom since the night she left. She needed to keep talking to stop herself from reliving it all in her head. “We moved my office upstairs to the addition, so the nursery could be down here. The guest room is where I’ll be.” When Gretchen remained silent still, Jax knew it was time for her to go. “If you need anything, just holler. I’ll be in the kitchen cooking.”