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Afterward, as they lay in a sweating, exhausted tangle, she rolled over and pillowed her cheek on his broad chest. “And I thought I knew something about men.”
He laughed. “You knew more than enough. We’re very good together.”
“Oh, yes. Very, very good.” She smoothed her hand over his chest, deep in thought. “You know, we never spoke about birth control.”
“We never did.”
“Should we?”
“If you want to wait to start a family, we probably should.”
“I’ll be thirty soon.”
He rolled over toward her. “Does that mean something?”
“I’d like to be young enough to enjoy our children,” she whispered with a weary smile. “And Teddie will love not being an only child.”
“In that case,” he murmured, rolling her over again, “perhaps we should be more . . . energetic . . . about assuring that.”
She laughed. “Perhaps we should!”
* * *
Predictably, a few weeks later, Katy started losing her breakfast. Parker was dancing around the room like a wild man, hugging Teddie and swinging her around.
“Parker, Mom’s sick. Why are we celebrating?” she asked worriedly.
“She’s not sick, honey, she’s pregnant!” he burst out.
“Oh, goodness, really?!”
“Really!”
“I won’t be an only child! I’ll have brothers and sisters!”
“Well, maybe brothers,” he said hesitantly. He put her down. “There aren’t any girls in my family. Not any girl children. Except you,” he teased, grinning.
“Except me,” she agreed smugly.
“Could you stop celebrating and bring me a wet washcloth, please?” came a plaintive wail from the bedroom.
“Gosh, I’m sorry, sweetheart!” he said, rushing into the bathroom to wet a cloth.
Teddie sat by her mother on the bed. “I’m sorry and happy that you’re sick, Mom!”
Katy managed to laugh as Parker put the wet cloth on her forehead. “Thanks, sweetheart. I’m sorry and happy myself. Goodness, how will I teach while I’m throwing up?”
“I’ll get you a bucket to carry to work. Not to worry,” Parker teased.
“Parker, don’t you have a first name?” Teddie asked suddenly. “I mean, I call you Dad, and she calls you honey, but don’t you have a real first name? Is it Crow?”
“Not really. My father didn’t like my mother’s family, so he insisted on naming me after a man he idolized.”
“Really?” Teddie asked. “Who?”
Parker and Katy exchanged an amused look.
“Albert,” Teddie guessed suddenly. “For Albert Einstein.”
