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Chapter 18
Heidi closed her laptop, letting out a deep breath as she finished attending one of her online classes. Balancing law school, her new Teaching Assistant position, and her pregnancy was a lot, but she was managing, at least on the surface. The house was quieter than usual today. Her father was out at a meeting, and her younger sister was at school. Jalen was outside working on the guest house with his team, the sound of construction humming in the background.
A soft knock at her door pulled Heidi from her thoughts.
"Heidi? Can I come in?"
It was her mother, Sylvia Horner, standing in the doorway with a gentle but observant expression.
Heidi hesitated for a second but nodded. "Yeah, of course."
Sylvia stepped inside, closing the door behind her before sitting on the edge of Heidi's bed. She studied her daughter carefully before speaking.
"I wanted to check in on you, sweetheart. You've been... different lately."
Heidi tensed slightly. "Different how?"
Sylvia sighed, tilting her head slightly. "You've been more reserved. You're not as talkative at dinner, you're spending more time in your room when you're home, and when you are around, you just seem... preoccupied."
Heidi looked away, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her desk.
"I've just been busy, Mom. School, work, helping out where I can."
Sylvia nodded but didn't look convinced. "I know you've got a lot on your plate, but this feels like more than just school stress."
There was a long pause. Heidi could feel her mother's gaze searching for something.
"Is something going on that you haven't told me?" Sylvia finally asked.
The question hung in the air, thick with implication. Heidi's heart skipped a beat. Her mother didn't know, at least not yet, but she sensed something was off.
Heidi looked down at her lap, her mind racing. She didn't want to lie, but she wasn't ready to tell her yet. She needed Jalen to finish the construction on the guest house before she'd be ready to tell her parents.
"Mom, I promise, I'm okay," Heidi finally said, offering a small smile that she hoped was reassuring.
Sylvia studied her for another moment before nodding. "Alright, but if there's anything you need to talk about, anything at all..., you know you can come to me, right?"
Heidi nodded quickly. "I know."
Sylvia leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Heidi's forehead before standing up. "Alright. I'll let you get back to your work, but just remember, I'm always here."
Heidi watched as her mother left the room, gently closing the door behind her. The moment she was alone again, Heidi let out a deep breath, her heart still pounding. Her mother hadn't figured out that Heidi was pregnant yet, but if she wasn't careful, Sylvia would. Time was now more of a factor than ever.
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