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“She’s not sleeping,” Ryan adds, pulling her into his arms and letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
“I can’t get comfortable,” she adds with a shoulder shrug.
“I hear ya. But the good thing is I don’t sleep anyway. Not when these two seem to think sleepy-time is when the crib party starts,” Lexi chimes in, a tired but adoring smile on her face as she stares down at Hemi in the highchair beside her.
“I didn’t party nearly this much in my early twenties as I do now between one and three a.m.,” Linkin adds, picking up a dropped toy that Hudson keeps throwing over the tray of his chair. I’m pretty sure it’s just a game to the little guy now.
“It gets better,” Dean chimes in, his daughter, Brielle, sitting next to him and coloring with Payton.
“I hope so,” Lexi whispers.
“I have an idea, why don’t you bring the boys over to my house on Friday night,” Dad says from his end of the table. “You guys can go have dinner and enjoy your evening.”
“Or just have the sex,” Grandma says way too loudly from the opposite end of the table.
“Grandma,” Abby chastises, her cheeks instantly turning pink.
“What? It’s a part of life, Abbers. Everyone has the sex.”
“Yes, but we don’t necessarily need to discuss it over eggs and bacon,” AJ says.
Grandma waves her hand dismissively. “Pfff. Orvie will have to help you for a bit. I’m signed up to take the women’s self-defense class uptown. In fact, I’ll go ahead and call that sexy karate instructor and tell him I’m bringing my granddaughters.”
Wait. Sexy karate instructor? Is she talking about Nick?
“Jaime isn’t doing a karate class,” Ryan says firmly.
“Neither is Lexi,” Linkin adds.
“Fine, not those two since they drank the Preggers Kool-Aid. They’ll both be busy with the sex that night anyway. But Abbers, Payters, Alison Jane, and Meggy Pie will all be there.” It’s like she’s already decided for all of us.
“Why do I have to take it?” Abby asks.
“Because any one of us could get jumped. It would be good for all of us to learn some basic self-defense,” Grandma says decisively with a firm look my way. I start to blush when everyone else glances at me.
“I’m in,” I tell her before I can second-guess my decision.
“Great! Now the rest of you will join us,” Grandma says before glancing down at her menu. “I think I’ll get the biscuits and gravy today. I love a good, firm biscuit.”
“Me too, my love,” Grandpa whispers loudly beside her. He reaches over and takes her hand, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.
TMI alert.
“You ready to go back to work Tuesday, Meghan?” Dean asks from across the table.
“Wait. Tuesday? I’m going back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Memorial Day,” Levi says.
“Oh. I forgot,” I mumble, surprised that something as big as a paid holiday off completely slipped my mind, and apparently, Nick’s too, since he keeps talking about coming back Monday. Although, it’s not like I’ve been at work, staring at my calendar as a reminder. “Anyway, I guess I go back Tuesday and I’m so ready. I hate sitting at home doing nothing.”
“You haven’t been sitting at home,” Payton says, giving me a look. It says ‘I’m about to bust you out and tell everyone you came up to the flower shop and worked until I sent you home to rest yesterday.’
Sisters are horrible. Don’t have them.
“I’m fine,” I insist, anxious to order food and get on with my day so I don’t feel like I’m being watched under a magnifying glass.
“You are fine, Meg, but it never hurts anyone to take it easy for a few days. We just care about you and want to make sure you’re on your way to being one hundred percent soon,” Dad says with a smile.
