Baby (Laundromat Chonicles Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Lena and me. We spend them at the laundromat. It’s not bad. It seems to be the same group of people every Saturday night for the last month or so. They seem nice enough. Lena loves going and even though we’ve yet to talk to any of them she says she loves watching them. I don’t hate it, but I would rather be at home on the couch with her curled up beside me.
    “Looks like the gang is all here,” she squeals before opening the door, too quick for me to respond. I follow her in, the larger of the two baskets in my arms. She goes to our usual machines and starts the process while I set up our sack dinner at the table we sit at every week. I unwrap the sandwiches and open her bag of chips, setting it nicely as though we are out at a fancy dinner. This is our fancy dinner. I pop open her can of Sprite just as she sits down.
    “Thanks for dinner, babe, looks delicious.” I lean over to kiss her, gently patting her leg.
    “It’s just sandwiches,” she retorts.
    “No, it’s not. It’s dinner made with love.”
    “You’re sweet.”
    “Thank you.”
    “And girly,” she said with a giggle. I toss a chip at her in mock offense. “Hey!” she exclaims pretending to be wounded. I love this side of Lena. I love every side of her, but this is my favorite. Her smile is infectious. Her laugh better than any anti-depressant on the market. She’s going to be a fantastic mother. We continue eating and laughing causing all the exhaustion I felt earlier to dissipate. The bell on the washer sounds breaking up our little party. I stand to help her transfer the clothes to the dryer. Before I take a step, the little old lady who’s in there every Saturday night steps in front of me.
    Her face shows faint signs of aging, and she wears her hair long unlike most older women I see. She always has her makeup on and tonight is no different. Light blue eye shadow, pink cheeks and red lips. She’s quite beautiful for a woman her age, and I always wonder what she’s doing in a laundromat. She doesn’t look like someone who needs to do her laundry here.
    “Hello, can I help you with something?” I ask when she stands firmly in front of me.
    “I’m Ruby Green.” Her mouth curves into a smile, her hand stretches out to mine. Not wanting to be rude I take it in my own.
    “I’m Hap Lansing and that’s my girlfriend Lena Johnson.” I tip my head toward Lena, who stopped switching clothes to watch the exchange. The woman named Ruby smiles at me then at Lena.
    “It’s nice to talk to you both. I see you in here every week and you’re just so darn cute. I had to say hello.”
    Lena abandons the laundry switch for the time being and came to stand by me. “It’s nice to talk to you as well, Ruby.” A smile spreads across my girl’s face as she looked at the woman.
    “May I ask you a question, dear?” Her voice was soft, gentle.
    “Of course.”
    “Are you with child?” The words were nearly a whisper in an effort to keep our secret from the other laundromat patrons.
    Lena giggled. “Yes, almost five months actually. I’m really starting to show aren’t I?” Her hands fall to her growing belly. The t-shirt that was once loose on her is now flush against her skin. She is showing more than I realized. “You don’t have to whisper. We’re not ashamed,” Lena says proudly, her free hand reaching out for mine which I promptly hold.
    Ruby smiled sweetly at us. “Cash, get over here,” she calls out to a man sitting in the farthest corner of the laundromat talking to the blonde girl who usually keeps to herself. Reluctantly, he stands up and moseyed over to the woman.
    “Cash, I’d like you to meet this nice young couple… Hap and Lena,” she introduces.
    Cash stretches a hand out to both of us. “Nice to meet both of you,” he said with a smile that mirrored Ruby’s. It’s obvious they’re related somehow. Also, like Ruby, he looks a bit out of place here.
    “Lena is going to have a baby! Isn’t that exciting?”