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Mel clapped. “Our babies are going to be twinsies. Ours is due in five and a half.”
Calla took a drink of her sparkling soda to swallow down her jealousy.
Mel’s face went sour. “We tried to find out if they were a boy or a girl but they wouldn’t give the nurse a clear shot during the ultrasound. I swear,” she glared at Xavier, “if you give me another boy—”
Xavier just grinned and held a forkful of potato salad toward his wife’s lips.
Mel shoved the fork out of her face. “Which do you want?”
“I want a daughter but Hunter wants a boy.”
“Just think about when they’re a teenager,” Hunter broke in. “If you have a boy you only have to worry about one dick. With a girl you have to worry about all the dicks.”
Calla almost spit out her soda at that. Isobel smacked Hunter on the arm as everybody laughed.
Calla smiled. Good. She could be happy for Isobel and Hunter. It would be okay. She could keep her emotions in check.
“You’re a smart man.” Liam fist-bumped Hunter. Then he shook his head, “Jaysus, you’re both braver than me. I never want kids.”
Calla’s chest clenched and she clutched her glass of soda. He never wanted kids?
“Never?” Mel echoed her thoughts, one eyebrow arched.
“It would cut into his time staring at himself in the mirror,” Mack muttered.
Liam smirked at Mack. “Oh let me guess, you think you’ll be father of the year whenever you have kids? All your tattoos on display when you pick them up from preschool?”
Mack held up his hands. “No kids for me either.”
Oh don’t hold back now. Anyone else want to shove a knife in her guts while they were at it?
Calla’s lips pursed and she took another long sip of soda.
“Well I’m having a passel of them,” Reece said from the end of the table, leaning in so they could hear him over the noisy restaurant.
“Oh yeah?” Jeremiah looked at his twin. “And how exactly are you going to support them?”
Reece rolled his eyes. “Don’t go getting all high and mighty on me just because you’re Mr. College now. The rest of us get by just fine. I’ve got a fool-proof plan, if you must know.”
“And that is?” Jeremiah asked.
Reece bounced the baby on his knee and grinned. “I’m gonna marry a rich woman, obviously. Well,” he bobbed his head, “that’s Plan B anyway. Just in case I don’t win the lottery.”
Jeremiah’s eyebrows lifted. “What concerns me is I can’t tell if you’re serious or not.”
“What?” Reece sounded offended. “I’m a catch.”
Jeremiah snorted but Reece ignored him and went on, “I’ll be the perfect stay-at-home dad while wify goes off and earns the bacon. And twins run in the family. So we’ll have a few pairs of them. And Liam,” Reece turned toward him, “Don’t think I buy it for one second.”
“What?” Liam popped a handful of beer nuts in his mouth.
“You say you don’t want kids now,” Reece shook his head. “But you’ll feel it one day. Just look at this adorable little guy.” He grinned down at the baby while he spooned some sort of mushy orange goop in his mouth. The baby shook his head back and forth and the spoonful went all down his front.
Then he started wailing while Reece dipped the spoon back into the small jar on the table and made choo choo noises as he lifted it back to the baby’s mouth. “Train’s coming. Yummy train is coming!”
Liam just stared on, shaking his head. “Sorry, don’t see meself suddenly deciding I need me eardrums shattered on a regular basis. Or that I really hate getting a good night’s sleep every night.”
Isobel smacked Liam on the back of his head.
“Thank you,” Mel smiled at her. “I couldn’t have reached him from all the way over here.”
But Liam just held up his hands. “Hey, I just know me own limitations, that’s all.”
Calla tipped her glass up and drank more. About now she was really wishing there was some actual vodka in her vodka soda, instead of just soda. Soon the cup was empty but she kept it tipped up, not ready to deal with the conversation or anyone at the table yet.
She stood up abruptly. “I’m gonna go get a refill.”
She didn’t wait to hear anyone’s response. She made a beeline for the restroom. She had to get her shit together before she could face anyone or she was gonna freakin’ lose it.
She went straight for the sinks, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on her cheeks. Then she looked at herself in the mirror.
She barely recognized herself. Mel had helped her put on some mascara and lipstick before they came out, and to style her hair in loose waves. She backed up from the mirror and ran her hands down her body, breasts to hips. In the purple top and sleek black skirt she’d borrowed from Mel, the illusion was almost complete.
