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I groaned, looking down at my own flat stomach. “Don’t you dare.”
Denise laughed at me. “Yeah, but don’t rush too much, though. Enjoy it. With Levi, I always wanted him to be close by, calling me Mommy. One day it changed to Mom, and the next thing I know, he’s an adult who’s going to be a father. Being a mom is like that. You want your kids to be independent and grow up healthy and happy. But you also want them to need you. Even when they’re adults.”
“Levi talks about you guys all the time.” I felt like hugging her, and I wasn’t sure why. “He tells me all the fun things he did as a kid. In all honestly, I’m jealous. I wish that it was like that for me.”
“The good thing about not having the best childhood is you know exactly what to do to make sure that your kids do.”
I hadn’t thought about it that way. I—Levi and I—would now be responsible for another person’s life, to make sure he or she didn’t end up a black rainbow, stripped of colors.
“Thea?”
“Huh?” I snapped, reaching to take the spoons from her. “Sorry, it just kinda hit me again. There is a person growing in me.”
“Freaky, but cool, right?” She smirked, just like Levi did when he guessed what was on my mind.
“Exactly,” I replied as I saw her moving to take the plates. “Oh, I got it!” I tried to take them back from her, but Denise was too quick and had already grabbed all the plates and silverware, and moved to the kitchen, much faster than any other sixty-year-old woman in heels I’d ever seen.
“The food was amazing; you’re a much better cook than I was at your age.” She smiled, placing the dishes in the sink and rolling up the sleeves of her two-hundred-dollar cardigan. “I’m so happy, I have to put it to use. After his divorce, I worried he’d just be Levi Black, the amazing lawyer.” I liked how even she called him the amazing lawyer. Though I knew she was teasing a little bit. “Then you came. And now our family has gotten bigger and much brighter. I want you to know I’m grateful. And I want you to also forgive me in the future because I’m really going to spoil the heck out of that kid.”
She pointed to my stomach and sounded so excited. I laughed.
“I can see it now. This kid is going to have coats in ten different colors with matching shoes and hats.”
“And gloves, and scarves, and tiny dresses or suits.” She was giddy, which was making me giddy. “And that’s just the first year. The moment he starts getting older, you’ll see Walter riding up on different sized bikes.”
“Oh gosh.” I remembered Bethan, with her room of dresses, and I imagined needing a larger place soon.
“I want you to know, you’re my daughter, too, Thea. So that means I’m going to invite you for lunches and shopping, and to get our hair and nails and anything else done that I can think of. You’re important to us, too. So even if Levi tries hogging you, you will have tell him to sit in the corner to hang out while you are spending time with his old, attention-begging mother.”
My throat went dry, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at her for a moment, only nodding and folding the towel in my hands. “I … thank you, Denise.”
“I’ll accept that for now…” She hugged me. “But let’s work up to Mom, okay?”
I hadn’t had a mom; my actual mother didn’t feel like my mother. And so this … this was special for me. “Yes … Mom.”
“Perfect.” She squeezed tighter.
LEVI
When I didn’t hear water, or them muttering back and forth again, I glanced over my shoulder. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but seeing them embrace was what I’d hoped for and gotten.
“You’re getting your ass kicked.” I looked back to my father as he stared down at the chess match in front us, his eyes unwavering. He took my knight and then looked back up at me. “I fear for your clients.”
“My clients are fine, thank you.” My jaw cracked to the side as I looked at the hole I’d fallen into … wait. Relaxing my face, I glanced back to him. “Really, Dad? You’ve resorted to cheating now?”
“Cheating?” He huffed angrily. “You rude little—”
I reached down and rearranged the pieces. “This was the last move I made so how in the heck did my rook move all the way over there?”
“I pray you have a son who’s exactly like you,” he muttered, leaning back in his seat. I chuckled and glanced over my shoulder once before pulling out the flask near the arm of the chair. He glanced back to them before he slid his cup of cranberry juice closer.
“My boy.” He nodded proudly.
“Oh, now you’re happy to have a son like me.” I snickered, adding some to my juice before hiding it again.
“I never said weren’t both a joy and a frustration.” He tipped his glass.
“Levi Roman Black!” My mother called. I jumped before the glass got to my lips. “Did you spike your father’s drink?”
