Friday morning arrived with crisp air and a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at. Allison woke up feeling lighter than she had in months. Malcolm was already awake, standing by the bedroom window with his coffee, looking out toward the horizon. She watched him for a moment, admiring the strong line of his shoulders.
The way the morning light outlined his silhouette. Morning handsome, she said, stretching in bed. He turned and his smile seemed genuine. Morning, beautiful. You ready for our adventure? More than ready. She sat up, the baby shifting inside her. I barely slept. I’m so excited. Me, too. Malcolm set his coffee down and came to sit on the edge of the bed.
He placed his hand on her belly and for a moment Allison saw something flash in his eyes. Sadness, doubt. But then it was gone, replaced by that charming smile she’d fallen for. Let’s get you two fed Anne on the road. By 9:00, they were driving north on I 85, Atlanta skyline shrinking in the rear view mirror. Malcolm had rented a black Range Rover for the trip and Allison reclined in the passenger seat, watching the Georgia landscape blur past.
They talked about small things at first. the new Italian restaurant that opened in Midtown. Their neighbors ridiculously elaborate Halloween decorations. The way gas prices kept climbing. But as they crossed into the mountains of North Carolina, the conversation shifted deeper. “Do you ever think about your mom?” Malcolm asked suddenly.
Allison glanced at him surprised. “You rarely brought up her mother.” “All the time, especially now being pregnant. I wish she could be here to meet her grandchild. she’d be proud of you, of the woman you’ve become.” Allison felt tears sting her eyes. Her mother had died of cancer when Allison was 22, just before she’d met Malcolm. I hope so.
She always said the most important thing in life was family. “Well, building something that lasts beyond just money or success.” Malcolm’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Your mom was a wise woman. She would have loved you,” Allison said softly. But even as she said it, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, “Would she? Would her mother have seen something in Malcolm that Allison herself had missed?” She pushed the thought away.
That was just pregnancy hormones, making her paranoid. They arrived at Mountain Serenity Resort just after 2:00 in the afternoon. The place was even more breathtaking than the photos. Their cabin sat at the very edge of a dramatic cliff with floor to ceiling windows that opened onto a view of endless mountain ranges painted in reds, oranges, and golds.
A wooden deck extended out over the edge with a hot tub and comfortable lounge chairs. Below, hundreds of feet down, a river cut through the valley like a silver ribbon. “Oh my god,” Allison breathed, stepping onto the deck. “Malcolm, this is incredible.” He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his hands resting on her belly.
