Behind the toddler, an older girl with a backpack bigger than she is.
Behind her, a dog.
I blink.
I blink again.
The dog makes direct eye contact with me and barks as if to say,you signed up for this now.
“Oh wow,” Lani whispers. “Brace yourselves. Pickle is always carnage!”
Savannah groans. “I’m hiding the pastries.”
The pregnant woman, beautiful, glowing, overwhelmed, lets out a long, tired sigh.
“I swear,” she mutters, “these kids conspired against me today. Max, don’t touch that. Mia, please stop licking the window. Lucy?Lucy? We do not run away from Mommy in public places! These triplets… Come on, Max and Mia, stop fighting, please.”
She turns to the older child before I can even catch my breath.
“Penny, do you have the wipes?”
The girl tries to drag the backpack off her shoulder. “Mom, your water bottle spilled in my bag, and now everything smells of cucumber.”
“I’ll deal with it later,” the pregnant woman cries out, waving frantically. “Olivia, did you remember Jacob’s snacks?”
Behind her marches Olivia, elegant as hell with a sleek ponytail and a toddler, presumably Jacob, on one hip, and patience worn thin across her face. “I tried to remember snacks, Ivy, but Pickle stole them.”
Pickle barks proudly.
Ivy sighs. “Why does this dog hate me?”
Lani swoops in with snacks for the kids like a well-trained disaster response team member. Savannah brings wipes. Penny starts distributing crayons and coloring books from a bottomless tote bag.
Max immediately tries to eat the blue crayon.
Mia escapes toward the espresso machine.
Lucy climbs into a chair like a mountain goat.
Jacob starts crying because Pickle barked at him.
Pickle circles the table, barking at the air.
I just sit there, stunned, clutching my iced coffee.
“Delaney,” Savannah calls across the café, “welcome to Coyote Glen.”
I’m not sure if she’s joking.
Ivy finally collapses into a seat, letting out a breath that could power a small windmill. “Sorry about all that. We aren’t usually this…”
“Much?” Olivia supplies.
“Unhinged?” Penny adds.
“Covered in dog hair?” Lani suggests.
“I was going to say lively,” Ivy says. “I’m Ivy. This is Mia, Max, Lucy, Penny, and the menace here is Pickle.”
