“Sorry I’m late,” I say as I join the group with my glass of iced tea.
“No worries. We’re just getting started, and Mac is speaking first,” Annie says.
Everyone looks at him expectantly.
His face flushes. “Well, Kylie is doing much better. She still refuses to visit her parents in prison, but she’s writing real letters to them and she doesn’t spend every waking moment in her room. And she loves working as a mother’s helper for Sarah.”
“She’s wonderful with the boys,” Sarah says.
“She’s got a real knack with kids,” Annie agrees.
He nods, then sits there silently, as if he has nothing more to say.
“Don’t you have some personal news to share?” Sarah prompts.
“Oh!” His ears look like they could burst into flames at any moment. “I’m, uh—well, Sarah and I are...” He darts a glance at her, and the redness spreads to his neck. “Well, we’re, um, kind of dating.”
“Oh, Mac—Sarah—that’s so wonderful!” everyone murmurs. I smile at Sarah; she already told me this during one of our frequent phone calls.
Mac puts his hand over Sarah’s and gives a bashful grin. “I’ve liked her for a long time, but I was afraid she didn’t feel the same, and I worried I would mess up our friendship.”
“I kept telling you to ask her out,” Annie says.
“Yeah, but I didn’t want to ruin things,” Mac says.
“So how did you two move beyond the Friend Zone?” Lauren asks.
“I asked him out,” Sarah says. “I actually used the word ‘date.’ He waited so long to answer I was sure he was going to say no.”
“I was tongue-tied,” he says. “I couldn’t believe such a great woman wanted to go out with an old curmudgeon like me.”
“You’re not a curmudgeon.” Sarah eyes him fondly. “You’re kind and caring and smart. And you have a highly evolved view of gender roles.”
“What do your kids think?” Annie asks.
“The twins are crazy about Mac,” Sarah says.
“And Kylie adores Sarah,” Mac says. “She wants to be a therapist like her when she grows up.”
Lauren puts her hand over her heart. “You guys are precious together!”
Sarah’s face grows pink. “So what’s going on with you, Lauren?”
She puts her hands on the table and leans forward. “I’m applying to be an adoptive parent.”
Everyone murmurs with excitement.
“It’s a lengthy process,” Lauren says. “I have to go through a home study and background check.”
“You’ll breeze through that,” I say.
“Are you planning to adopt an infant or an older child?” Sarah asks.
“I’m looking into all the options,” Lauren says. “They warn you up front that it’s not easy, it can take a long time, and you might get your heart broken.”
“Any child would be fortunate to have you as a mom,” Annie says.
“Thanks, Annie. I’ve just made the decision, so I have a long way to go.”
