Marco saw what his brother did and scrambled to get to his feet as well.
The adults turned on their camera phones and aimed them at the two babies.
“They’re competing,” Antonio said in delight. Joan’s chest filled with happiness at the sight of Antonio’s smile. She hadn’t seen him this happy since - well, the first time she’d met him in Paris, so many years before.
“There they go,” Susy shouted.
Hunter, who had zero interest in walking, took that moment to do a baby downward dog and watched the competition with his diapered butt in the air.
“Ryland’s going to be the first to walk.”
“Want to bet?” Julio said. “It’s going to be Marco, he’s my little athlete.”
“I’m not going to bet,” said Antonio, but he was laughing.
“Come here, Marco, come to Papa,” Julio shouted, as he stepped inside the playpen and began encouraging Marco to come to him.
“No, you don’t,” Lissa said as she joined him, shoving him aside. She slapped her hands on her knees, calling out to her prettiest child. “Come to Mama, Ryland, You can do it!”
Both boys hung onto the edge of the sturdy playpen wall, their legs wobbling as they looked at their parents and the other adults in the room.
Marco let go of the rail and stood there, wobbling, arms out for balance, but he didn’t fall. Julio let out a roar of pleasure and pride. “He’s walking. Look, my boy is walking.”
“He’s not walking, he’s standing,” Lissa retorted. “Look, so is Ryland.”
Sure enough, Ryland had done the same thing. He’d let go of the rail and he was standing on two feet.
At the same moment, they both took their first steps, walking towards their parents. The video camera’s continued to capture the moment. One step, two steps, and then they both fell down.
“You did it!” cried the parents, as they rushed to their respective babies.
Hunter rolled over onto his butt and let out a burp, and everyone laughed.
The parents took turns hugging and congratulating their two walking boys.
Susy spoke. “Well, I guess it’s a tie on who walks first. Who do you think will talk first?”
Joan was relieved that Marco had never spoken again since the night she’d heard him say Auntie Joan. No...She still held out hope that the first words would be something more palatable like Mama or Papa, or at very least, just plain no
Hunter was sitting on his butt, fingers clutching his toes as he spread his legs, and Joan wondered if he was feeling neglected as his thinner, more agile younger brothers were getting all the attention. Joan quietly let herself into the enclosure and went to Hunter. She sat down in a cross-legged position and lifted him into her lap.
Hunter held her stomach, then spoke.
“Baby,” he said, in a very baby-like voice.
Everyone stopped what they were doing. Even Marco and Ryland turned around.
Joan was stunned. Her face split into an enormous grin of delight. Baby was a good first word, she thought, and wiped her brow with relief. The two parents came over to their son, and Julio lifted Hunter into the air. “Did my brilliant son say his first word? Will you say it again?”
Hunter stretched and pulled and pointed at Joan, who’d gotten up from the floor with Antonio’s help. He was pointing right at her belly.
“Auntie Joan has baby in tummy!”
Lissa swooned and Antonio lunged to stop her from fainting. She recovered and fanned herself as Hunter spoke another full sentence. “Auntie Joan and Antonionno have baby.”
Joan and Antonio looked at each other.
“Oh, my God,” Susy screeched. “I’ve never heard of a baby speaking his first words in full sentences. I bet he’s a genius.”
Joan felt green. “Father,” Antonio said, clearly the secret was not something they were trying to hide. “Would you mind if I took this beautiful creature to the drug store? I’d like to know if I’m going to be a father before I go to prison.”
“No trouble at all, son,” said the Viscount.
Joan and Antonio went to the drug store, and she took several pregnancy tests while they were there.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, he stopped her from talking.
“Don’t tell me, don’t say another word. Not until you answer one question.”
He got on his knees before her and, in what was perhaps the least romantic proposal of all time, he asked her to marry him.
She said, “Yes. Oh, yes!” and kissed him, like lovers do.
When the kiss was over, he said. “So, is Hunter a psychic as well as a genius?”
She grabbed his arm and took him over to the testing strips, which she’d left in a paper towel by the door. Five separate tests all agreed.
He was pleased as punch and so was Joan.
They bought five more tests, just to make sure that everyone else agreed with Hunter’s proclamation, and walked back to the apartment hand in hand.
They didn’t quite make it to the front door, though, because Antonio couldn’t keep his hands off his fertile bride to be.
“Antonio, wait until we get home,” Joan said as he moved her into to the back of the foyer, where there was an unrented apartment with an estate sign touting its benefits. He tried the door.
“Damn it,” he said. He had his hand up her blouse and he was fondling her breasts, kissing her, pinching her nipples.
Joan’s pussy clenched with desire. She couldn’t wait until they got home. It was quiet in the foyer, no one would come. He dropped his pants, and she lifted her skirt and yanked off her panties, giving him access to her dripping sex.
“Oh God, woman, I’m going to die in prison. I’m going to think about your pussy every second I’m there.”
“I need you inside me,” Joan said, grabbing his hard, hot member and sliding it across her wetness.