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The woman’s face drops and Rachelle’s lips twist in derision. “Oh the things I could say. You don’t want to be psychoanalyzed by me. I’ll make you cry. Go away and leave my daughter alone.”

“I like to make people cry,” Theo growls, making the woman flinch. “Boo.”

She squeaks and runs away with the stroller while I roll my eyes.

“Really?” I ask.

“She was rude first,” Lili says with a shrug, returning to her duty to massage my back. “Should we text your doctor to let her know you’re in labor?”

“Yes, but I’m going to tell her it’s still early,” I explain, fishing my phone out of my pocket to begin texting Dr. Taleigh. “Walking is helping, let’s go see the rhinos.”

“This is even more surreal than when the girls were born,” Theo mutters. “We’re going to be grandparents.”

“You’ll get used to it. Where did Elijah go?” I ask, my fingers moving as I shuffle forward.

“He’s trying not to have a panic attack,” Rachelle explains.

“Why? I’m fine.”

“Jared is also trying to remind Nacio and Elijah that they can’t drive back to Santa Barbara to kill people,” Rachelle mutters, pointing out where they’re arguing. “At least, that’s what I think is happening. I can only read Elijah’s lips from here.”

“That’s a nifty trick.” I tuck my phone away, knowing my doctor will call me if she thinks I need to escalate my situation. Babies are born all the time, right? This is hardly an emergency. “Help distract me by throwing out baby names as we walk. Give me the worst ones possible.”

Liliana grins, knowing a diversion tactic she can get behind. “Papi chulo.”

“My baby is not a gigolo,” I giggle. “Pass.”

“Cletus,” Rachelle suggests.

“The playground won’t ever see him coming,” I snort. “Ignacio would have to teach my son to box right out of the womb. Pass.”

The three of us are all laughing by the time we reach the guys, and they stare at us as if we’ve lost our minds.

“Rachelle wanted to name my baby Cletus,” I explain.

“Oh god,” Jared snorts, moving next to me to pull my arm through his. I’m in the middle of an army of parents, which also makes it more difficult for anyone else to see me. “I read that someone named their child Dynyl and was immediately concerned.”

He spells the name out, and I shake my head as I realize its “denial”.

They keep the game up as we walk, and Elijah gets his shit together enough to play along too.

“Where’s Noo?” Adelina asks from Emil’s arms.

“I’m here,” I tease her, waving at her. She pretends not to see me, and it’s another game we play as we walk.

The next contraction is bad, but I manage to keep moving even as my head drops in pain. Liliana and Jared keep me upright as I work through the contraction and I suck in a breath of relief as it passes. They’re pretty far apart still. We’re good.

My steps become more sure as the pain fades away, and my back labor a manageable level of discomfort as I continue to move.

“Where to next?” I ask as we leave Africa behind.

“Damn,” Jared mutters.

“She’s amazing,” Theo grunts. “Addie, are we ready for monkeys?”

“Monkey!” she squeals. “Ari, ready?”

Ari makes monkey sounds as Julia grins at her, while I shrug. Monkeys it is.