“There we go,” Leigh said with an exhalation of relief that Gwen knew well.
“How long have you guys lived here?” Gwen asked.
Leigh’s eyes rolled up in mental calculation. “Almost two years,” she said. “Nathan’s parents used to own it, so we sort of inherited it from them.”
Nathan. So that was the husband’s name.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did they pass?”
Leigh’s mouth formed a big O. “Oh my god, no. I didn’t phrase that well. They wanted to move to Oregon. Cannon Beach. We were living in Santa Cruz at the time, but it was a good time for us to move.”
“I’ve heard Santa Cruz is beautiful,” Gwen said.
“It is. I didn’t really want to leave, but Nathan did. So ... yeah.”
Gwen sensed Leigh didn’t want to say more on that particular topic, so she switched to another: “Are your parents nearby?”
Leigh shook her head. “They’re in Santa Rosa. We were close to them when we were in Santa Cruz, but not now.”
“Jeff and I don’t have grandparents around either. I always envy people who have grandparent help.”
“Same. But even if my parents or Nathan’s parents were close, I don’t think they’d want to be that involved in the day-to-day stuff, honestly. My parents like to travel a lot. Nathan’s parents raised eight kids, so they’re pretty done with all that.”
“Eight kids?”
“I know. Insane. Can you even imagine?”
“I literally cannot.”
“I keep telling Nathan he needs therapy. He was the seventh. Basically raised himself. He absolutely cannot understand why I want to, like,tendto our child.”
“My husband’s an only child, very tended to, and still seems mystified by the whole thing.”
“I really don’t see how we’re supposed to do this together.”
Gwen wasn’t sure if she was talking about the two of them or what.
“Men and women. Raising a child,” Leigh clarified.
“I think that’s why they say it takes a village.”
“Except none of us have villages. We just have our stupid partners,” Leigh said. “I told Nathan we need to create some kind of commune situation like Angeni Luna’s so I don’t kill him.”
“Oh my god, you follow her too?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“I don’t know, I would think she’s too crunchy for some people.”
“All the good mothers are too crunchy. And we all want to be good mothers.”
She had a point.
“I can’t decide if I have a crush on her or on her hot husband,” Leigh said.
Belle pulled off her boob, and Leigh cradled her head and pressed her back on.
“Her husbandishot,” Gwen said.
