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She laughed. “No, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant, as a mother, you’re constantly worried that you’re screwing up your kids. But so long as they’re healthy and happy, you’re doing fine.”
“It’s not that simple, is it?”
“Why does it have to be complex?”
“I guess it doesn’t,” I allowed. “My parents screwed me up royally.”
“Have you forgiven them for it?”
I sighed. “I’m trying. I don’t know if it’s working.”
“Drink more beer. It helps.”
* * *
“But I don’t like chili!” Lily whined.
“Yeah, and beans make me fart,” Cam added.
I coughed into my napkin as Darcy glared at her children.
“I told you not to talk that way at the dinner table,” Darcy admonished.
“Can I have another bowl?” Silas asked.
“Kiss up,” Cam said to him.
“Hey,” Darcy warned. “Thin ice, buddy.”
“Hard pass,” I muttered.
“What was that?” Joni asked.
“She saidhard pass,” Rachel said with a raise of her brows.
“Er—I’ll explain later.” I looked at Lily, who was scooping chili out of her bowl and not too discreetly feeding it to Captain, Silas’s rag-tail mutt.
“Fine. Today, the heathens win,” Darcy said. “Peanut butter and jelly it is.”
“Yippee!” Lily yelled.
The rest of us ate our chili, which by all accounts was delicious.
“Crow missed his calling,” I said. “Forget being a biker. He should open his own restaurant. He’s a stellar cook.” The prospect hadn’t just made us chili, but homemade bread to go with it.
“Some woman is going to be really lucky when she nabs him,” Mia said, rising from her chair at the kitchen table. She went to the sink and leaned over, placing her hand on her belly.
“Mia?” I asked. “You okay?”
My question drew everyone’s attention, except for Lily who was badgering Darcy for creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Her face was pinched, and her cheeks were white with pain.
Joni and I exchanged a look and both of us rose from the table.
“How long,” I demanded.
“How long what?” Mia repeated.
