3D: Baby Fever

Going back to work wasn’t as hard as Skyla anticipated. There were no feelings dread or anxiety. It felt more like coming back home after a long vacation. Everyone was glad to have her back, and she jumped right back in step as if she never left.

When she was a child, she wanted to be a painter and live in a big house. That never changed. She was not exactly the kind of girl who always had her head in the clouds, but she believed it was possible. Miracles did happen, and it could happen to her. She could go from being dirt poor to filthy rich although she didn’t know how it would happen or how long it would take. Then she met Jonathan, and he made all her dreams come true with four loaded words: will you marry me. She became a Pruett and never had to worry about money again; at least she thought she wouldn’t. She painted and furnished the Pruett estate with dozens of beautiful paintings. She even sold some to art galleries. Getting a job was never part of her plan. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to work, but there wasn’t anything she wanted to spend her days doing outside of painting and raising children.

Being back in her childhood home, shaping it and making it her own, and raising Jonathan’s children was enough for her; she didn’t need anything else. Asking her to join him in business was a huge ask, and it terrified her. She had never done anything like that in her life and had no idea what she could bring to the table. But, there she was all that time later, walking the floor of Viviana’s and making customers happy like a boss. Funny how life works sometimes.

Owning a business was an amazing experience. True, she had no work experience to compare it to, but she knew what people thought of their jobs. Even her own employees. She could go and come as she pleased. Nothing at home got neglected. And, she was able to shape the future of the business with one quick conversation with Jonathan. It was almost like the renovation project at the Pruett Estate she did but better…and less stressful.

During the day, she missed her baby, but not like a depressing “I want to go home” type of longing. It was more like an excitement. Oliver was on her mind all the time. She talked about him and was excited to get home and see him.

She wasn’t sure if it was her age, the fact that she hadn’t been around babies in a while, the fact that she was now a working mommy or the fact that he was a boy, but she seemed to be different this time around. Everything was about babies, and everyone needed one according to her. Especially Archer and Savannah who each only had one child. She told them their children were lonely and needed siblings. They promptly refuted the idea and claimed to barely make it with their one child. Skyla debunked their claims stating that it would be easier with two because they could keep each other company. They didn’t believe her and probably grew tired of the baby talk.

Skyla snickered at them under her breath and thought that today’s young parents were so weak and whiny. Back in her day, parents often had multiple children in diapers at the same time. Thinking about things from “her day” made her realize how much older she was than the rest of them. She was definitely getting up there in years, and it was kind of depressing. But, thinking about baby Oliver helped.