Mona flinches back, surprised. That’s the most direct thing he has ever said to her. And it was nice. Go figure.
Dinner moves along at a slow pace. I eat small bites now, since there is not enough room in my body for eating and breathing at the same time anymore. But it is okay. I am enjoying myself anyway. I love having everyone around, all talking and smiling, laughing. This is good. I never got a chance to really appreciate family gatherings when I was little, but I appreciate it now. And I’m determined to appreciate it going forward.
Mona talks with her hands, sort of ostentatiously flashing that ring every chance she gets. I can’t blame her, I know, but it does kind of dig at my soul a little bit. She went the traditional route. One man, one engagement, one marriage, and birth control up until the time they feel like getting knocked up.
The boys and I picked a different route. No way to marry, a secret romance that is maybe not entirely secret, and babies out of wedlock.
We are just unconventional people, is all.
After dinner, I don’t have to do anything. Everybody jumps up to do the dishes, clear away plates, put away stuff. I already did my part, and everyone else is eager to help.
“I hope we can do this every Sunday,” Mona smiles as she hugs me goodbye late in the afternoon.
“I would really like that,” I agree.
“Okay, you call me if anything happens with the little guys, all right?”
“I will, I promise.”
My dad ties his scarf around his neck, smiling wistfully as he says goodbye. There is probably more that he wants to say, than there is time to say it. It will be all right.
“How’s the promotion?” he asks gruffly before he leaves.
“Oh! It’s good,” I shrug. “You know, I didn’t think I would like it, but I do. Management is fun. It’s like yelling without yelling. You know how it is.”
He cracks a smile, a real one. The one he saves just for me.
“Yeah, it’s nice to be in charge, right?”
“It’s the best,” I answer as he kisses me on the cheek, and heads out into the snowy night.
Will comes down to help me back up the stairs to the living room, and maneuvers me to the sofa. He picks my feet up in lays them on the foot rest. Cass comes over to join me and the three of us sit there, as the snow silently continues to fall outside.
“That was wonderful,” Will observes, smiling. “Kind of a Hallmark moment.”
“I was going to say Norman Rockwell,” Cass interrupts.
The babies tumble over each other in my belly, making strange shapes on the outside of my blouse. It seems surreal. There are people in there! People we made. People we are bound to love forever.
“Are you really up for doing this every Sunday?” Will asks.
I think about it for a minute. It’s work, but I can see it unfolding in front of me. Friends in the house. Babies, then toddlers. Then maybe more. All of it stretching out in front of us, just waiting for us there.
“Yes, absolutely. I can’t think of anything better.”
Excerpt of TWIN TEASE
Chelsea
Adjusting the brim of my hat to shield my eyes better, I nudge my shoulders against the cushions of the lounge chair, careful to leave my ankles a safe distance apart. I want a nice, even suntan. That means lying here like a scarecrow with careful distances between my thighs and my arms. I even remembered to raise my chin a little bit so that my neck is not ghostly white.
My best friend, Yoyo, doesn’t have this problem. She just lies on the lounge chair next to me with a certain casual pose, like she was dropped there from a hot air balloon or something. The cord of her earbuds trails across her shimmering bosom and I bet she isn’t even worried about a line from that. She just always has the best skin. Glimmering, evenly toned, a perfect shade of caramel.
I can get there, I think. If I set a timer for twenty minutes and remember to flip over onto my stomach as soon as the timer goes off, then repeat that ritual four times, I can get a pretty nice glow as well. I have my grandma to thank for that. She was one of those dark-skinned Italian ladies who passed on both her curly hair and her pasta recipes. Maybe one day I’ll get to pass on one or the other. At least the hair, I hope, though I’m blonde now.
It’s hot. Uncomfortably hot. I can feel little trails of sweat trickling between my boobs as the sun beats down on us. I just have to remember that this is all in the name of summer strapless dresses. It will all be worth it.
A slight breeze swirls over the patio, breathing coolness across my belly. With longing, I gaze out over the rippling surface of the swimming pool water. I’d love to just jump in there and cool off, but I still have a bunch of time left on the timer.