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“Next year, we’re sharingone cake. I don’t care how many tears are shed,” Maliki says. Walking over to us, he’s shaking his head, while Molly is behind him, counting down the reasons she needs an iPhone.
“Have fun convincing Rex of the one-cake rule,” I comment as Rex slides a stack of plates down the table to make room for the unicorn cake.
“I’m cool with that,” Rex says. “Just make sure the boys are okay with a pink cake.”
“I never said it couldn’t be the one that my son picks out, which it will be. I said,one,” Maliki corrects.
“Of course,” Sierra mutters with an eye roll.
A baby boom hit Blue Beech. The same day I planned to announce my pregnancy, Sierra did, too—neither one of us knowing about the other. Four days after I gave birth to Esme and River, Sierra had her baby boy, Jax. He’s a mini Maliki, exactly like his daddy with dark hair and his laid-back attitude.
That same year, another three baby girls came into the Blue Beech world. Kyle and Chloe adopted Callie. The sweetest in the bunch—sorry, Esme—who always shares her snacks and doesn’t mind being last in line. Gage and Lauren had their little girl, Ava, who’s as outspoken as her mother. Then Mia came, Stella and Hudson’s glamour girl, who’s already a fan of makeup and handbags. Dallas and Willow’s son, Easton, was also born that year. While Callie is the sweetest girl, Easton is the sweetest little boy.
Our nights out have turned into playdates. We make them fun, and it helps that Sierra created the perfect backyard oasis. They had a pool installed and a massive custom play set built, and they have a roomy outdoor grill area. The kiddos love the pool, and since there are so many of us, each couple takes one-hour shifts, watching them swim.
“Dad!” Molly whines, interrupting us. “My birthday is in two months. Let’s call it an early birthday gift.”
Maliki shakes his head. “I’m not buying you a phone to text Noah all night.”
“That’s herboyfriend,” Jax says, running over to us in his swim trunks, Scooby-Doo floaties wrapped around him.
“Ugh, he’s not my boyfriend,” Molly yelps.
“But she wants him to be her boyfriend,” Maven, Dallas’s daughter and Molly’s best friend, cuts in.
Molly shoots her a dirty look.
“I think it’s cute,” Sierra says, sitting down at the table. “Maliki’s daughter dating his best friend’s son.”
“She’s not dating anyone,” Maliki growls.
I grab a soda and sit down next to Sierra. “Noah is Cohen’s son, right?”
She nods. “He’s such a sweetheart. Cohen got him a phone, and he loves texting Molly.” She glares at Maliki. “He texts her onmy phone, which means Molly always wants it.” She holds her arm up. “I vote yes to the phone.”
Molly jumps up and down, clapping her hands. “Yay!”
“I need to talk to Cohen about this,” Maliki grumbles. “No way am I having my daughter date a kid who hits on all the waitresses at his dad’s bar.”
Sierra rolls his eyes. “He’s a preteen.”
“Preteen or not, I don’t give a shit.”
Rex collapses in the chair next to me with a bottle of water in his hand, and I tune out Molly, who’s still presenting her cell phone argument.
I relax in my seat, watching them play in the pool. “Can you believe they’re five years old?”
“Time has flown.” Rex reaches out and squeezes my thigh. “I say, we make another.”
* * *
“Time for bed,”I call out.
Esme yawns, tipping her head back to look at me with sleepy eyes from where she’s sitting on the floor between my legs. “But, Mommy, I’m not tired.” Another yawn.
“Honey, you can barely keep your eyes open.” I wrap the hair tie around her braid before kissing her forehead.
She loves when I braid her hair before going to bed, and then I undo it in the morning since she got her mama’s hair—thick and dark.
