“Are you okay, Brooklyn?” Linden asked.
I nodded and hastily put my hand over my mouth.
“Oh, man, sorry,” Mia said. “This is my fault.” She quickly wrapped up the dirty diaper and carted it out of the room.
“Jesus, Mia,” Joni moaned. She got up from the recliner and went to the mantle. She took the lighter and lit a candle. A few moments later, the scent of sandalwood drifted through the room.
“Better,” Allison said. “Much better.”
Mia returned and plopped down on the ground and put Scarlett back in her onesie. “Sorry, ya’ll. I didn’t think it would be that bad.”
“I’m so glad I’m past the wiping of the feces phase,” Darcy said as she came back into the living room. “Now I have a preteen and a six-year-old going on thirty. It’s such a better place to be in.”
“Such a better place, until we get to deal with teenage-boy stink,” Mia said with a grin.
“And crusty socks on their nightstand,” Joni said.
Linden wrinkled her nose. “I’m a doctor. I’ve seen a lot of gross stuff. Likea lot,a lot. But the sock thing? Yuck.”
“Is there anything you guys don’t talk about?” I asked.
“Nope,” Mia said.
“Seriously? Nothing?” I pressed.
“Let’s say Zip and I get into a fight,” Joni said. “And I want to know if he’s being unreasonable or if I am. The only way I can ensure I’m not overreacting is if I ask the peanut gallery.”
I wasn’t sure I was okay with everyone knowing my dirty laundry.
“So, if I tell one of you something in confidence,” I said. “Does that mean you all talk about it behind my back?”
“Absolutely not,” Linden said. “That would be an invasion of privacy and completely disrespectful. We’re all capable of keeping confidences, but…”
“But?” I pressed.
“But we’re family,” Mia said. “We can’t take care of each other if we don’t know what’s going on.”
“That makes an odd sort of invasive sense,” I said.
“How’s the catering business going?” Allison asked.
I shot her a grateful look for changing the subject. “It’s good. We’re getting a lot of steady work and the hours are better.”
“What are you going to do about the bakery?” Linden asked.
“I’m not sure. Until the street out front gets fixed, it is what it is, you know?”
“You could still technically serve food, though, even with yourGrade Pendingsign,” Mia pointed out. “That doesn’t have to stop you.”
“No, it doesn’t. But it’s been an odd sort of blessing. It forced me to take a step back and think about how I need to be more flexible, especially when the baby comes.” I stood up. “Restroom?”
“Down the hall, just off the kitchen,” Joni said.
“Thanks.” I checked my cell phone on the way. I had a text from Jazz asking if I’d heard from Ella. I replied that I hadn’t. I shot off another message to her. It was possible she hadn’t gotten my first message. If she didn’t respond, I’d call her. But her business had just closed. No doubt she was grieving the loss of it and probably not tethered to her phone all the time.
“Colt and I are going to drive up there to see her,” Mia said.
“She’s taking your calls?” Linden asked.