“I’m sorry I missed it. Hey Ann, did youlike it?” I look over at my sister as she piles food on her plate.
“Yeah, it was very nice. Did you get allyour papers signed?”
“I did. It was long and boring. I’m sorryI didn’t get to go with you.” I shrug with a sympathetic smile. It would havebeen better than what really happened to me. Except I got to spend the rest ofthe afternoon with Cole, which was amazing and made up for all the bad thathappened.
“Me too. Kate, are you feeling all right?You look pale.” Annie asks.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a long day is all,and I’m hungry.” I can feel Cole’s eyes on me. I glance at him and he narrowshis eyes, but then goes back to working on his tablet.
“Oh gosh, me too. I’m starved.” Anniecontinues to pile food on her plate.
Laura comes up next to me. “I don’t knowwhy. She had a large soda, popcorn, and milk duds at the show.”
“I heard that, Laura,” Annie snorts asshe stuffs a roll in her mouth. “It’s called: I’m eating for two. I’m almostsure I’m having another boy because all I want to do is eat and eat and eat.That’s how it was when I was pregnant with the other boys.”
“Not fair! I want to have a baby, if itmeans I can eat whenever I want,” I say dryly. Then my mother couldn’t give methe evil eye.
“All in good time, sis, I’m sure.” Anniesits down at the table next to Cole.
“Or you might be having one now?” Laurawhispers in my ear.
I give her a mock silent laugh. “Veryfunny.”
She gives me a sly smile, winking.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“They’re in the other car. They should behere in a minute,” Laura says on her way to the table. As if they have beensummoned, I hear my mom and Kathy laughing. I love my mom’s laugh. It meansshe’s happy.
“Hey honey.” My mom comes up, giving me aside hug, kissing my cheek. “Did you get all your business taken care of?”
“I did. How was your day?”
“It was very nice. I’m sorry you missedit.”
“Yeah, so am I. Tomorrow maybe.”
My mom pushes some tendrils of hair outof my face. “Are you feeling all right?”
Oh no, not my mother, too. Do I look thatbad? I thought I was doing and looking fairly well for my day, especially aftermy afternoon tryst with Cole. “Yeah, I’m good, just a little tired.”
My mom nods and smiles, patting my shoulder.I take my second plate over to the table. I try to sit next to Cole, but at thelast second; he grabs my waist, sitting me on his lap. Keeping his arm aroundme, his hand splayed out across my stomach. He hasn’t touched his food. “Aren’tyou hungry?” I ask.
He looks up from his tablet. “No, I hadtwo bowls of cereal.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve succumbed to Kate’scereal habit?” Annie muses.
“Guilty.” Cole grins.
“Her and Kurt can go through a box ofcereal in one sitting.”
“Hey, Kurt’s the one who uses mom’smixing bowls as cereal bowls. Besides, he only eats Honey Bunches of Oats whenall the other cereal’s gone.”
Annie thinks about it. “That’s true. Cometo think of it, if Kurt’s around, he and the boys can go through a box offruity pebbles in about ten minutes.
“I miss the captain. Why didn’t you bringhim?”
“I wanted to.” My mom sits down. Shegives Cole and me the once over, pursing her lips but doesn’t say anything.“But he didn’t want to come.”
