“That was nice,” he said. “I’m glad it worked out for you guys. I mean girls. Congrats.”
“Thanks, James,” Laney laughed. “Now, can we please have two lattes?”
“Half sweet, and by half sweet, can we get them like a quarter as sweet as the last ones?” Morgun asked, all sweetness herself.
James grinned. “Two not so sweet lattes, which I’ll probably manage to still screw up because I’m shit at this job even though I do enjoy it, coming right up.”
Laney and Morgun turned to each other while James was making their drinks. Laney hadn’t dropped her arm away from Morgun’s waist and she kept her tucked at her side. “I don’t like this place that much,” Laney admitted. “But I’ll always keep coming here, because now it’s special.”
“I don’t like it either, but that sounds perfect to me. The best.”
Epilogue
Morgun
Morgun couldn’t wait for Laney’s mom to open her gift. They’d told Morgun’s family their news the week before, but they thought it would be most fitting to save telling Laney’s for Helena’s birthday dinner.
Jason and Natasha were there with their two-year-old little girl, Anna. She was totally adorable and Morgun suspected that any day Natasha and Jason would announce they’d be adding another addition to their family. It wasn’t a secret that they were trying for another baby.
“What’s this? You don’t have to get your mother presents at this age,” Helena protested as Laney handed over the gift bag.
“Just open it,” Laney insisted. “You’ll like it.”
Natasha and Jason crowded around. Tom scooped up Anna and held her in his arms. She clung to the beard that he’d grown out. It was her favorite, burying her face in Pappy’s bushy, soft, salt and pepper facial hair.
“Okay, then.” Helena capitulated with a laugh. “But you really shouldn’t have.”
Morgun waited. She could hardly contain herself and it was hard not to smile and give it all away. Luckily, Laney’s mom wasn’t looking at either of them. She was focused on the bag. She pulled out first a lotion and lip balm set, then a bag with loose leaf tea. Laney loved the lotion. She used it all the time, and the tea was Morgun’s favorite. She kept going, producing a blouse that Laney picked out and a pair of slippers Morgun thought she would like. She thought she’d reached the end of the bag, but Laney encouraged her.
“Keep going. There’s a card at the bottom.”
“Oh! I should have read that first.”
“We didn’t want it to get lost, so we put it in the very bottom,” Laney said, grinning so widely it was amazing that Helena didn’t catch on.
She reached into the gift bag and pulled out the card. It was a birthday card, with a picture of a goofy, grinning dog with big eyes on the front. When Helena opened the card, she gasped as a series of black and white pictures fell out.
Her hands flew to her mouth and she turned to them in amazement. “Really? Are you really?”
Laney kept her composure and nodded emphatically. She had tears in her eyes, even though her smile was still huge. “Yes. We’re having a baby.”
“A baby!” Helena said it with wonder. It was clear she had never thought it would become a reality.
“You’re going to be a grandma again,” Laney said.
“Oh my God!” Helena let out a happy scream and burst out of her seat at the table. She’d opened her gifts right after they were done eating. She threw her arms around Laney, who hugged her mom back just as hard. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” Helena shouted. “When?”
Laney laughed and pulled back. “Five months. That’s all you’ll have to wait.”
Helena came for Morgun next and engulfed her in a massive hug as well. Morgun laughed and shed a few happy tears along with Laney’s mom.
“If you look at the photos, you’ll find out if it’s a boy or girl,” Laney prompted.
Natasha and Jason and Tom all stood back with big smiles on their faces, waiting for their turns to offer congratulations. Helena grabbed her card with the photos and studied them for a minute. She blinked. Raised her head. Looked back down. She was clearly puzzled, but then it finally registered.
“Twins?” she gasped. “Oh my God, twins?”
Laney nodded and Morgun set a hand on her belly. There was just the slightest bump starting there. Before the fourth month, she couldn’t even tell she was pregnant, but now, because she knew, she could see it.