“Of course we are,” Ben replies calmly. “I thought I’d win this week for sure. Sure, you always think there’s something wrong with the guys, but this time, you agreed to have dinner with him. I figured you’d make it through the main course. Sixty minutes, that was my number.”
I always think there’s something wrong with the guys? Does Ben think I’m being too picky? Too critical? What the hell?
“Nah, he ordered for her,” Andre says. “A medium-rare steak. It was pretty good, actually. I had it for breakfast the next day.”
The little traitor. I can’t believe he was timing my date. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I tell him bitterly. “You owe me sixty bucks.”
Andre opens his mouth to say something. So does Aurora. Ben leans back to watch the chaos unfold. We love each other—very much—but our fights as kids were legendary. Papa looks like he remembers and clears his throat. “That’s quite enough,” he says firmly. “Ben, stop betting on your sister’s dates. Aurora, send Soph half your winnings. Sophia, no charging Andre for the steak.”
“You heard him,” Dad says mildly. “Hank has spoken.”
Aurora nods meekly. Ben looks a little mutinous, but he grunts, “Fine. Who’s next? Simon?”
“I’m not done,” I interject. “Andre and I were talking after my date, and he made me see I’ve been going about this the wrong way. I’ve made a decision.” I suck in a breath. “I’m going to look into sperm donors.”
I brace myself for their reactions. Brace for one of them to tell me that it’s extremely difficult to be a single mother, and am I sure? But of course, that doesn’t happen. We might squabble like a barnful of cats, but when it matters, we’re always there for each other. “That makes sense,” Dad says. “You were in such a hurry to find someone that it made me nervous. People think that a bad partner is better than no partner, but they’re wrong.”
“I have an appointment on Wednesday.”
“Good for you, Sophia,” Papa says. “Simon, how’s work going?”
“Busier than ever,” my brother replies. “It’s a good time to be a contractor. Ben, you don’t want to move here, do you? I could use a hand.”
I’m sittingin the backyard after dinner, enjoying the warm September night, when Aurora texts me.
Hey, I’m sorry about the bet. I didn’t mean to be an asshole.
No worries. You might be an asshole, but I love you anyway. I sent Dawn something, by the way. It should be there tomorrow.
More Duplo? You spoil her.
I’m not the only one; we all do.
JP has two sisters. Dawn sees them all the time. If I have to resort to shameless bribery to be her favorite aunt, I will.
You’re going to have to work harder. Heidi is getting a puppy.
Oh, that is not fair. That bitch, I write with fake indignation. JP’s sister Heidi is the sweetest person ever, but come on? A puppy? The contest is over.
Aurora sends me a laughing emoji.
So, you’re really doing the sperm donation? I’m glad. You’re going to be a great mom.
You think?
I KNOW. Will you stay in Highfield? After the baby is born, I mean.
I haven’t thought about it. For the first year after I moved to the East Coast, I felt acutely homesick. Things are different now. Highfield feels like home. We finally finished renovating our house. Okay, Simon did most of the work while Andre and I hovered around pretending to help, but still.
My friends are here. My job is here, and I like it. I really enjoy working with Patricia Adams, the Director of the Highfield Community Health Center. My health insurance won’t cover the cost of fertility treatments, but I can access six months of maternity leave, which is really generous.
I might not be able to afford it. It might not work. Too soon, you know?
True. Hey, I’m sorry again. Whatever reason you have for not trusting men, I know you, and I’m sure they’re justified.
I trust men, I type automatically. Then I stop myself and delete the words.
My siblings aren’t wrong. I used to trust everyone. I used to take people at face value. Not anymore, and I don’t have to look too deep in my heart to know when that changed.
I don’t want to rehash the past. I haven’t thought about Mrs. Caldwell in years, but seeing Damien and Julian at the fundraiser brought back those feelings. My composure is unraveling. All weekend, I’ve been on edge and off-balance, and I don’t like it.
Time to get back on track. I have goals. I want to have a baby, and I need to raise more money for the health center.
Damien Cardenas and Julian Kincaid are part of my past. Their reappearance in my life is a blip that I will get through.