“Don’t worry,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. “There’s no quiz later.”
It was a little overwhelming, even though they were a very likable bunch of people. Like agreeing to learn the doggy paddle and being shoved off the high-dive board. And to keep things interesting, somebody told Bobby, Kevin’s youngest nephew, the baby could hear stuff and he was determined to make his new cousin his BFF in utero. It was a bit disconcerting having a kid randomly tell bad jokes to her stomach. Like now.
“Why did the weasel cross the road?” he yelled at her belly button. “To prove it wasn’t a chicken!”
Then he laughed so hard he almost fell over. He was a cute kid, she thought, and then it hit her—a little over seven years from now, she might have one just like him. Some faceless, nameless boy with too much energy and the knees almost worn out of his jeans, telling jokes to crack himself up. Maybe, if they were lucky, he’d look like his daddy, dimples and all.
Bobby stopped laughing and craned his head to look up at her. “I hope it’s a boy.”
“So does your Uncle Kevin.”
“I’m sick of being the smallest boy. We need another one so I have somebody to pick on, too.”
“Oh…great.” It was scary to think her baby was going to be the low man on the totem pole of trickle-down family dynamics.
The home-baked cinnamon rolls made her a fan of Mary Kowalski for life, though having to pass by the gigantic urn of coffee almost killed her. She was trying to go caffeine-free so she made do with instant decaf even though she could have used the high-test to keep up with the Kowalskis.
Friendly, warm, numerous and—holy hell—loud. They ate and laughed and ate and argued and ate and laughed some more. The green-bean casserole was wicked good and the baked yams with melted marshmallows were absolutely to die for, just as Kevin had promised. As the day wore on, the background noise changed from the parade to football, but the family cacophony never dimmed. It was so different from the quiet meals she’d shared with her parents in the past, she spent most of the day reeling from something akin to culture shock.
When the opportunity arose, she ducked through the sliding doors onto a spacious back deck. Fortunately, it was a mild day for late November and, even without her coat, she wasn’t too chilly.
Folding her arms across her chest, she looked out over the sprawling backyard. It was chaotic, just like the family. Immaculately tended gardens. Sports debris strewn from one edge of the lawn to the other. A sagging volleyball net.
It was a home.
The realization her child was going to belong to this insanity brought tears to her eyes. He or she would run amok in this backyard with cousins. Play and laugh and argue and then laugh some more.
The mixed feelings made the corners of her lips tilt up even as a tear ran over her cheek. She wanted her baby to have this—the loud and loving family. Would she pale by comparison, though? Just boring old Mom who sucked at sports and couldn’t bake cinnamon buns or name all the balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What kind of kid would want to hang out with her when the Kowalskis had all of this?
“Hiding?”
She whirled around to find Kevin’s sister-in-law, Lisa, behind her. “Oh, I didn’t hear you come out.”
“I was being quiet so nobody would know I escaped. Here, move to the left and we can’t be seen from inside.”
Beth shifted to the left as instructed, though she wondered if she should go back inside and let Lisa have a few minutes of peace. They’d spoken a few times over the course of the day, but she didn’t know her very well.
“I’m impressed you haven’t run screaming into the street yet.”
Beth laughed. “I tried. Came out the wrong door.”
“We can be a bit…much.”
“No, you’ve all been really wonderful. Especially considering…the circumstances.”
“The baby? Please. We’re all thrilled about the baby. And so is Kevin.”
He really was and that’s part of what worried her about him. Beth didn’t have a lot of experience with failed birth control, thank goodness, but she’d somehow gotten the impression men didn’t usually react so well to discovering they’d been caught up in an accidental pregnancy. Kevin, on the other hand, had taken to it—and to her—as if they were a real couple and making a baby had been the reason they’d fallen into bed in the first place.
“I think you guys are doing the right thing,” Lisa said. “Not rushing into anything because of the baby, I mean. Mike and I got married because I got pregnant with Joey.”
“Do you ever…” She let the words die away, unsure how to intrude on Lisa’s marriage without being rude or hurtful.