“Maybe. Probably,” she admits. “Does… does it bother you?”
“What? No, absolutely not.” I give her a cheeky grin. “I fucking love that I get a side to you that no one else does. I like that you’re comfortable around me.”
“I am. Don’t fuck it up,” she deadpans.
I hold three fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor.”
“You are no Boy Scout, Benoit Bardot,” she teases. “I’m going to the porch to put my feet in the sun in hopes that the entire bottle of nail polish you used on my toes dries eventually, and then we need to pack up. C’mon, Ernest.”
The dog follows her obediently out of the bathroom, and I don’t think I’ve ever related to a dog more. I would also follow Colette anywhere she told me to go.
Sighing, I sink further into the hot water. It’s been a perfect weekend and I don’t want to leave. I want to stay holed up here with her and Ernest forever.
Unfortunately, reality is calling and we have to answer.
I’ve been doing the weekly story time at the Sassafras Public Library ever since this past spring when Ethel volun-told me. There was a week I couldn’t make it and I recruited Gabe to take my place, so now he and Jules join me every so often.
When Chloe started Kindergarten last month, I begged to swap to the afternoon slot so we could still hang out. I’m pretty sure Ethel pulled a few strings in the way only she is able to do, but I’m not going to question her tactics.
I’m setting up the puppet theater when Jules and Chloe bust into the room. Well, Chloe busts… Jules scrambles in behind her looking a little dazed. He really got thrown into the whole dad thing—baptism by fire and all that.
“Benjamin!” Chloe calls, adopting the nickname from Cole.
She drops her backpack unceremoniously on the ground next to me. She has one pigtail that’s hanging by a thread and the other one has fallen out completely. Her shirt is only half tucked in, and there’s an unidentified brown smear near the collar.
“Hey, Princess Chloe! How was school today? Did you have some chocolate in your lunch?” I raise my eyebrows questioningly at Jules.
“It was SO good! I love school. Did you know that blue whales have tongues that weigh as much as an elephant and their heart is the size of a car? They are also the loudest animal on Earth.” She lets out a loud cross between a moan and a screech. “And yes, JuJu put M&M’s in my lunch today. How’d you know?”
I clutch my chest after Chloe finishes her diatribe, exhausted just from listening.
“Yes,” Jules answers my unasked question. “This is what it’s like every day after school.”
“It’s a good thing you are an excellent listener,” I joke before turning my attention back to Chloe. Now that I know it’s chocolate on her shirt, I pick her up and twirl her around. “I had no idea about blue whales. That’s so cool, Chlo. We should find more books about whales while we are here.”
She perks up. “That is a great idea!”
“How’s Thea?” I ask Jules. He immediately takes his man bun out and reties it, his nervous tic.
“She’s good. Ready to have the baby. Only a few more weeks.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth.
“How about you, bud? How are you feeling?”
He nods a few times before answering honestly, like I knew he would. “Absolutely terrified.”
I clap my twin on his shoulder. “It’s going to be great. I’m excited to be an uncle again!”
“We’re uncles again?” Gabe asks, hustling into the story room with Anders and his daughters right behind him.
“Not yet,” Jules answers. “Soon.”
Gabe looks back and forth between Jules and I. “We already knew that, didn’t we? That Thea was due soon? This isn’t, like, new information.”
“No, Gabriel. We were just discussing it before you got here. Now, both of you grab a puppet and look over your lines before the rest of the kids get here.”
“I want lines next time,” Anders whines. “I’m kind of an expert at this sort of thing.”
“Sure, Anders. You’re welcome to join anytime,” I acquiesce. “But right now, it’s showtime—go sit down and enjoy.”
