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Avery nodded in confirmation. “That’s true, but Jim’s teddy bear and CEO sides are very different personalities.” She rubbed my shoulder, “Jim will speak to you first to ensure how you’d feel about John returning if that’s what he’s meeting with him to speak about, of course.” Her vibrant blue eyes locked onto mine, “You’ll get the teddy bear side of my husband, so just be very direct, upfront, and honest with him. He’s a stiff asshole when he needs to be, but he also considers everyone’s feelings.”
“And with the way that man just up and abandoned everyone there,” Nat said, “Jim should immediately refuse that boy’s access.”
“I see you’ve all met the reason my wife sells the majority of the most expensive real estate in Southern California,” Spencer said as he approached with all the men in tow.
Nat snatched her purse from the table and turned to capture Spencer’s lips with hers while offering a low moan that prompted a laugh from all of us. She turned back to where we sat, watching the daytime drama play out between her and her handsome man.
“Listen, no more of this supernatural talk,” she eyed Ashley and gave her ponytail a little tug. “It’s cute, but this goes far beyond triplet souls or whatever you were chanting about.”
“Twin souls,” Ashley corrected her with a confident grin.
Nat rolled her eyes. “It’s all the same. It's strange and completely too far out there. Sometimes it’s cute, and it fits the cure for a broken heart, but this time, your cute little Universe interpretations are just condoning bad behavior from a man who chose his family over the woman he said he loved.” She paused and smiled at me, “And for whatever it is worth, I know heartbreak is bullshit, but just be thankful you didn’t enter a twenty-year marriage with the man only to find out his first loyalty is to his family before his wife. That’s all I’ll say, but you’re all fools if you don’t listen to my advice.”
“You remind me so much of my husband’s sister, Mickie’s Aunt Beverly,” my mom said with a laugh.
“I’m truly flattered as this is not the first time I’ve received that compliment. I just hope she’s as an incredible personality as Vivian Winthrope?” Nat winked at me, then stepped back from the table. “We need to get going, but first, I need to sneak upstairs next door and give sweet Elena my get-well-soon wishes.”
“Elena is sick?” I questioned. I realized that I hadn’t seen her, but I figured she was running around organizing things or something.
Avery chuckled, “She didn’t want to spoil your surprise party by letting it be an issue. Everyone was under strict orders to not bring it up unless asked where she was.”
“Well, spoiling the party would fall under the category of bringing up John being in town,” I teased Avery.
“No shit,” she agreed. “Listen, take it with a grain of salt, especially what Sister Ashley Crystal Moonchild here says," she said, tossing a crumpled-up napkin across the table to Ashley. “All of it. Just do your thing and try to act like he’s not even in town.”
“True,” I answered, smiling at Ashley’s blush red cheeks, “you know we all love giving you a hard time, right?”
“My husband is the worst about it,” she rolled her eyes. “Hey, I don’t care. We all believe in something, right? Trust me, I’m used to the denial.”
“Denial my ass,” Breanne said. “You know that some things are hard to wrap your mind around.”
Ashley shrugged, “And that’s why all of you deal with anxiety and depression,” she poked back at everyone teasing her.
“You’re right,” Lydia said, nodding at Ashley. “I agree that closed-minded people definitely appear to be higher-strung.”
“Who are you to talk?” my mother laughed. “You’re the most anxious one in the whole family.”
“That’s because I’m always treated like an outcast,” she said.
“Outcast, she says,” I mocked. “Hey, thank you, all of you, for this night. This has been more than expected, especially with Ash giving us all these far-out love lessons.” Ash smiled triumphantly. “I want to point out how amazing I think you are, Ash, for how you remained so courageous and fought off cancer the way you did.”
“What can I say? It was the Universe,” she chuckled. “In all honesty, it was just trying to remain hopeful. I wasn’t going to let it take me from my kids like it took my mom from me.”
“Because of you, and watching you absolutely thrive during the hardest times of your fight, I gained a new sense of confidence and found a desire to investigate pursuing oncology as another specialty.”
“Oh, wow,” my mom said with a smile. “This is news.”
“Truth,” Avery chuckled. “I’m happy to hear that Ash could steer you down a more positive path because I was worried you’d never get there after you told us about your friend. If we’ve learned anything from John’s abrupt exit from the hospital, we could use more OBGYN Oncologists at Saint John’s.”
“Well, now that the best part of the party is over, I’m going to head up and check on my little Latina love, who’s sick in bed,” Collin said, stepping over to the table, before making his exit the same way Spencer and Natalia had left a few minutes ago. He looked at me, “Elena wanted me to extend her apologies for not being here. She caught some stomach bug that took her down just before noon today, but that?—”
“Collin?” we heard a cheerful voice say from behind where we sat around this table covered in crumpled napkins and cake crumbs. “I’m sorry to interrupt you guys, but you’ll never believe this.”
“Holy shit, mi amor. You look fucking horrible…but happy?” Collin answered with humor in his voice as he made a direct line to his wife. “I mean, that sounds bad, and I’m sorry, but what are you doing out of bed?”
“I’m pregnant!” she laughed and cried out simultaneously.
“What?” Collin said in shock as she rushed to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. “How? I mean, I know how.”
