“You don’t have to be okay, Jay. This is a shock and something you have to process. Don’t shut that away.”
He closed his eyes to break the contact. “I’m a big boy, Blue. I don’t need you to help me process this. I’ve had worse shocks, believe me.”
The flicker of sadness that chased through her pretty eyes was gone in seconds. “Okay, sure, but if you need someone to talk it through with you, I’m here.”
He nodded, and thankfully someone knocked on his door, which he wouldn’t usually be thankful for, but this time, he was.
“If that’s my brothers, I’m killing both of them,” Blue said, getting out of her chair.
“I’ll get it.” Jay grabbed her arm, but she’d evaded him and was running for the door.
“Don’t run!”
“Why?” She shot him a look over her shoulder.
Hell if he knew, but felt like it was something he should say considering she was pregnant. Jay needed to do some more reading, or at least talk to the women he knew who’d carried children.
I have a sister.Fuck me, he wasn’t sure what the hell to do with that information.
She opened the door before he reached it, no doubt ready to blast her brothers. It wasn’t Lynx or Finch who stood there.
“Blue! How wonderful. This saves me visiting your place, dear,” Mrs. C. said.
“Hello, Blue and Jay. Lovely to see you both,” Bart said.
“So lovely,” Dr. Hannah added.
Her outfit was pretty spectacular. Stretchy Lycra leggings and a knitted cardigan buttoned to the throat, while Bart and Mrs. C. wore shorts—his of the floaty, revealing style—both with matching red square-dancing shirts and white fringing.
Jay stood at Blue’s back and looked at the three locals.What the hell are they doing at my door?
They clearly didn’t feel awkward about finding Blue in Jay’s house with him at her back at—he looked down at his watch—10:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. All three were smiling like it was a completely normal occurrence.
“We actually came to see Jay because I’ve decided to relocate,” Mrs. C. said, waving both Blue and Jay back inside so the three of them could enter.
Blue shot Jay a look. He shrugged in response.
“I want to look through your books, dear. I’m thinking compact because that waste-of-a-space son of mine, who is about as useless as the ‘p’ in psychology, has decided to move in with a girl!”
Jay winced as the last word came out a shriek.
“I tell you, that boy hasn’t washed a dish or piece of his clothing since he was old enough to. Now he’s going to live with a woman. Well, I say good luck to her, poor thing.”
Clearly Mrs. C. was hurting about her son’s defection, and the anger was helping.
“So,” she said, pressing a hand to her heaving chest, “I’ve decided to move because I only stayed there to honor my late husband’s memory?—”
“May he rest in peace,” Dr. Hannah said.
“Amen,” Bart added solemnly.
“But now I want my own place. A place I can put my mark on,” Mrs. C. finished, finally running out of steam.
“Well now, that’s exciting,” Blue said. “Don’t you think, Jay?” she added, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow.
“Really exciting. Do you want to set up a time to?—”
“Now is fine. If you have the time.” Mrs. C.’s eyes went from Blue to Jay.
