AllFreeNovel
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Katie is on a purpleFrozenbike, complete with iridescentstreamers on the handles and a doll chariot on the back. She’s wearing a matching helmet that’s topped with a purple crown. Tuck is holding the baby in a carrier strapped to his front.
He and Maren are holding hands.
He’s smiling at something she says, leaning in to press a kiss to the baby’s tiny head. Another stomach flip. I feel like there are babies everywhere all of a sudden.
Or maybe baby fever is real, and I have it.
Whatever the case, I feel like I’m on the moon as I approach my friend and his family. Jen and I wave, Jen calling out to Katie about what a good job she’s doing riding her bicycle, and Maren smiles.
Tuck’s expression goes from pleasant toplease diein the space of half a heartbeat. The bruise he left on my jaw throbs. I really don’t wanna be punched again. Maybe he’ll spare me with the kids around?
I park in his driveway. Jen immediately reaches for the bags of food in the backseat, but I beat her to it.
“I got this,” I say. “Go give your niece a hug.”
Jen is all smiles as she sprints after Katie, who dissolves into a fit of giggles when her Auntie Jen catches up to her.
“Y’all brought dinner again?” Maren holds out her arms to me. “Thank you so much. It’s a treat to have all this delicious food around, right, Tuck?”
Tuck just stares me down.
Maren rolls her eyes. “Well, the girls and I are enjoying it, anyway. How are y’all?”
“We’re doing all right.” I hold up the bags. “Jenny and I actually just took a cooking class from Lu. Learned how to make shrimp and grits Joe’s way. It turned out so good we had to share with y’all.”
Katie is looping back around on her bike. Jen approaches, breathless and smiling, her hair flying around her face in the breeze.
She’s the kind of beautiful that has us all staring.
I’m not pretending when I reach for her. Definitely not faking it when I curl an arm around her middle so she fits snugly against me.
And you know, I don’t think she’s pretending either when she burrows into my side. Flattens a palm on my chest and tucks her head against the ball of my shoulder.
My heart is forever skipping beats with her around.
Tuck, meanwhile, has a storm brewing in his eyes.
“Y’all have to try the shrimp and grits,” Jen says. “Abel and I had an epic onion fail, but our lack of skills notwithstanding, everything turned out to be pretty delicious.”
Katie zooms past us. “I like shrimp!” she calls over her shoulder.
Maren laughs. “Sounds amazing.”
“How are you feeling?” Jen asks. “Nursing going any better?”
“It is, yeah. Reese’s latch has improved a lot. And as long as I stay on top of my meds, I feel pretty good. Really turned a corner earlier this week. But my doctor wasn’t joking when she said it’d take the full six weeks to feel like myself again. Progress is slow, but it’s happening.”
I wonder what our baby’s birth story would be. Mine and Jen’s.
I wonder how much it would cost to pay Lu to cook for us while Jen recovers.
I wonder what the fuck is wrong with me. Why am I thinking about these things?
Why have Inotthought about these things before?
“I’m so glad to hear.” Jen glances at Tuck. “And you? How are things going? I know the sleep’s been rough.”
His eyes catch on her ring. He looks at me. “As long as Maren’s good, I’m good.”
