He laughs and points through the glass. “I’ve got one of those bad boys. Best money I’ve ever spent outside of rings for Jolie.”
ThankGodwe stopped in at a jewelry store and I bought her an engagement ring before we got home. There’s no way her family would’ve believed we were getting married without one. “Okay, we’ve got a plan in place. I can stop for the meats on my way over, Dex.”
He starts laughing even harder. “Dude, we’ve got multiple freezers full of meat.”
“It’s not thawed, Dex,” Jolie interjects.
Dex shakes his head but gives his wife a smile full of adoration. “And we can make that happen, babe. I don’t anticipate that y’all will be back in an hour.”
She snickers and replies, “You’re right. Okay, ladies, let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
Standing, I help Mindy up and kiss her temple. “I’ll see you in a few hours. You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I think so,” she whispers.
“I hate that she wants to keep this from them,” Dex says as we stand at the grill watching the meat.
“I do as well. I feel like it’s going to blow up in her face, but I’ll respect her decision and be there should it all implode. We’re not saying anything about the pregnancy yet since it’s still early, though. Did you say the JP was good to go?” I ask.
“He is. Abuela has a book club with his wife and she made the call while Nonna was making some of the side dishes for this cookout. Did you reach your family?”
I made the calls while I was out picking up some things for the evening since I had some privacy in case they got invasive and asked questions that I don’t want others to overhear, and after both of my sisters ensured I’ll never hear clearly again, they said they’d be there. My folks are coming as well, even though my mom gave me shit about ‘keeping Mindy a secret’. “They’ll all be here,” I confess. “I suspect your grandmothers and my mother in the same room might be chaotic.”
“Those two women are chaos on their own merit,” he admits. “So, adding another to the mix should be workable.”
I wish he understood the tornado that is my mother. She’s something you have to experience for yourself though, so I never try to explain her. She’s so full of life and energy that most people have a hard time keeping up with her. What I can vouch for is that she is the best mom my sisters and I could’ve asked for. She stepped up to the plate when she didn’t have to and took in three emotionally distraught kids and helped us cope and heal. We got all the therapy needed to overcome our beginnings.
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” I ask.
“And we’ve got plenty of room, so they’re welcome to stay here since both yours and Mindy’s places are small,” he adds. “In fact, Jolie insists.”
“Of course, she does. I’m glad though, because I’ve seen glimpses of Mindy today that have been absent since that night,” I admit. “Shit, I just realized I need to look for a house. I’m sure her staying in her place doesn’t help her heal, and they’re not all that big to begin with, as you just pointed out. Plus, she’s gotta have an office for work.”
“Funny you should say that because the farm across the road just came up for sale. As for Mindy, she'll get through all of it,” he says, glancing around. “But I still worry about how Brock’s going to handle things because that shit’s bound to come out.” I read between the lines and add that it’ll hit the fan once it does. I can see how that’ll happen because it’s exactly how I’d react if the roles were reversed.
“You and me both,” I say.
“Dex!” Arya exclaims, yelling like a banshee while running over to us and hugging him. “Jolie says we get todecoratethe backyard for a wedding!” Her little face is so excited and some of her enthusiasm rubs off on me. Somehow, despite what happened to me, I’ve been folded into a unique family unit, one that reminds me a lot of my own.
“Yes, you do,” he says, leaning down to pick her up. She’s old enough that she doesn’t need to be carried, but Dex doesn’t seem to care. “I’m sure Jolie, Nonna, and Abuela will love having your help, too.”
“Me and Ani got new dresses,” she whispers. “And Jolie said she was going to curl my hair!”
I shake my head as I wonder what Mindy is going to have. No, whatwe’regoing to have. Part of me hopes it’s a little girl, but at the end of the day, as long as both the baby and Mindy are healthy, I don’t care.
