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"Already got some!" Pixie pushes through the wall of men in front of me and thrusts a glass of white wine into my hand.
"Thank you, babe. Where is little Bug?" Angling my body out of the path she created through the muscle, I finally break into testosterone-free air.
Gabby's pink bob is curled tonight, and the cozy-looking red dress she's wearing is absolutely fabulous. Her cherry red smirk is aimed towards the kitchen, where I find Layla sitting on the counter with a charcuterie board splayed out in front of her.
"Try this," Jude murmurs, offering her a new concoction of meat, cheese, and crackers.
"That one looks funny." Her nose crinkles as she eyes the food in his fingers. She accepts it anyway, gives it a little sniff, and takes a small bite of it.
Now a few feet away, I see the moment Bug's eyes light up in delight. With a happy dance, she pops the rest in her mouth and munches while Jude thinks of a new way to test her taste buds. He looks really damn focused and proud of himself for each new thing she tries.
"If that was anyone but my brother, I would be half in love by now," Gabby murmurs into her glass, snorting when I jab her in the side with my elbow. "What's for dinner?"
Jude startles at the sound of Gabby's voice. I sip my wine, enjoying him being caught off guard for once. "Uh…" Marcus cuts his nervousness off, flaunting his way into the kitchen.
"I heard about something called a Girl Dinner, where you just eat snacks and drink wine or juice." He nods to Layla when pointing out the alternative.
"Oh my god!" Gabby and I hit each other at the same time. Our wide eyes lock on each other and immediately lose it. There is no way Pixie or I could have held in our laughter at his proud declaration and our mutual reaction. You know when you are so damn happy and can't contain the laughter ripping your insides to shreds, so you and your friend trade blows? That's how hard we laugh. And damn, it feels good.
When Jude blanches a sickly shade of white, I chortle out the most unladylike snort. "Dam—dang it, Marcus! I told you it wasn't a good idea!"
Taking a deep breath, I attempt to control myself when I see them looking genuinely upset. "No, it’s not." I giggle. "It's perfect. Sorry." Another huff slips free when Gabby shoves me a little again in an attempt to rein herself back in.
"Why are you laughing?" Marcus pouts, shifting back and forth, uncertain what to do with himself.
"I don't think they are laughing at you," my child says haughtily, like she can't imagine how they didn't notice that Gabby and I seteach otheroff, not them. "Pixie and Mommy are laughing at each other."
"Wait, what?" Jude's confusion makes him even cuter.
"Good lord, they got so excited about Girl Dinner, they hit each other."
"What he said." I toss my thumb over my shoulder where Jackson's voice comes from.
"Oh, so snacks and wine are okay?" Marc still looks afraid, so I give him a peck on the cheek before snatching a piece of salami that Layla offers me.
"Mommy loves snacks!" Layla's larger-than-life smile makes my chest squeeze with joy.
"Yes, Girl Dinner is perfect, thank you, guys." He seems stunned at my closeness, so I wander away and ask, "Are there any games we can play?" My tummy drops when the guys trade glances, and I know I'm going to hate the answer.
The silence is relieved by the sweet one. "We were hoping we could all get to know each other." Fuck. Of course, Leo would be the one to drop the bomb.
So, thisisan intervention.
"Alright, what’s your favorite color?" Hopefully, I can steer the conversation if I start first. I take a seat at the table while Jackson and Jude bring out plates of random bite-sized things.
I'm only mildly distracted by Leo depositing Bug on his lap across from me, but I still catch Marc's response, "Green, how about you, little miss?" He boops Layla on the nose before giving Leo a kiss on the temple. The whole scene is really damn attractive. For another woman.
"I like blue because my eyes and Mommy's are the same. Lee's too! My daddy has black eyes, so I really love Mommy's, and I'm happy I have the same ones."
Where's the wine?
"My favorite color is blue, too, Nugget!" I could kiss Jude for avoiding the baggage that just spewed out of my child. "Rylee, what's your favorite color?"
"Pink."
"What?! Really?" Jude's jaw is on the table.
I'm startled by his outburst, but his wide eyes are quite amusing. I tilt my head, my long hair tickling my bare arms. "Why is that so shocking to you, Jude?"
