I thought of Trey in the next room, drinking bourbon and watchingFrozen. “It’s a little late for that.”
“You’re right.” She reached for her ponytail. Tugged on curls instead. “Oh God. How am I going to tell Mom?”
“Forget Momma. What are you going to say to Eric?”
She stared at me, her mouth slightly open. “I have to tell him.”
“Er, yes.”
She slumped in her chair. “Crap. Oh crap!” She jumped up. “The corn bread!” She pulled the skillet from the oven and set it on the stove top, tapping, testing the surface with her fingertips. “Only a little burnt.”
“It looks wonderful. Do you want to dish up now?”
“I’m not very hungry,” my sister confessed.
“You should try to eat something.”
Jo lifted an eyebrow at me. “For the baby?”
“For luck,” I said, and got up to set the table.
Idon’t like to think of her all on her own,” I said to John as we got ready for bed that night.
Jo had turned down my offer to spend another night on our couch, declaring she would be more comfortable in her own bed. Anyway, she had to go back to the farm to feed the animals.
“She’s not alone,” John said. “She has us.”
My heart turned to mush.
“Relax,” my husband advised. “Things will look better in the morning.”
“I’m pretty sure she’ll still be pregnant when she wakes up,” I said. “Although I did tell her to take the second pregnancy test. Just to be sure.”
John grunted.
I sat on the closed lid of the toilet, watching him brush his teeth, my quiet, solid, reliable husband. “Sorry about the scare earlier. When you saw the box? I wanted to tell you it wasn’t for me. But I couldn’t. Not with Trey standing there.”
“It would be okay if it was. Yours, I mean.” John met my eyes briefly in the mirror. “If you were pregnant again.”
My heart wobbled. “John... Do you want more children?”
It made sense. He was so good with the twins, such a conscientious provider, such a caring coach.
“I want what you want. You always said you wanted a big family. Four kids. Like your parents.”
“I do. Well. I did.” I cleared my throat. “I actually kind of like our family now. I like our life.”
“Good.” He leaned over and spat in the sink. I waited for him to say something more. He didn’t.
“What about you?” I asked.
“I like our life, too.”
“I thought maybe you wanted to make a change. Start coaching again.”
He filled a glass at the tap. “I am coaching.”
I sighed. “You know what I mean. Go back to teaching.”
