AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Great, got it,” I say.
“Don’t say that likeyou’renot also constantly talking about babies,” Gillian teases.
“I never said I wasn’t!”
I’m feeling a little faint at the thought of my sisters all openly gabbing not just about their children but procreating. It triggers that green-eyed monster in me. Even though I’ve always said I’d wait until I was in my thirties, late thirties if I can help it, I can’t help but feel like I’m sticking out like a sore thumb in the Solace family.
“Wouldn’t it be great, Gilly, if we both got pregnant around the same time and they could be –”
“Stop, that would be so cute,” Gillian says, clapping her hands to her face.
I glance over at Lola who looks at me sympathetically. At least someone understands me.
Amy pulls out her phone and starts to navigate toward her menstrual tracking app. “Okay, well, I’m sure our cycles are pretty much synced, so –”
“You’re not seriously considering organizing your pregnancies, are you?” I say.
“What’s wrong with that?” Amy asks, totally affronted by my question.
Gilly laughs. “I think Kira’s right. We don’t have to get too technical about it. But you must admit, Kiki, it’d be cute, right?”
I look between my sisters, imagining little versions of them running around, holding hands, being the best of friends.
The jealousy. It boils inside me. “Really cute,” I say with a forced smile.
I decide not to say another word on the subject, let them gab and giggle at the idea of their joint baby showers and maternity shoots. It’s all great in theory. But pregnancy and children aren’t just fun times to be had and not worry about anything else. Those things should be planned and calculated. Life has to totally stop for a thing like that.
I swallow down the rest of my scone.
For the first time, I think I wouldn’t mind if my life stopped for something bigger than me. Not the Leon Prep project, but something I could dedicate my life to.
Shaking off the thought, I reach for another scone.
My life doesn’t suit that. Besides, I don’t have a man to share it with. That’s step one of any sort of plan in having a baby, isn’t it?
Orlie pops into my mind. I bat the thought away repeatedly.
Even if things made sense between us, he’s gotten his tubes tied. And that’s as clear a message as any.
Orlie Wynters will never be my future.
14
ORLIE
I dropthe box of bagels on the central table of the HR office and then the vat of coffee. I’ve been making my rounds this week to every department, providing them with some morning treats just because. I’m not sure what compelled me. Maybe it was an effort of distraction. Focus on projecting all this pent-up energy outward, somewhere good.
And I have to say, the thanks I’ve gotten has made it that much more worth it.
“What’s all this?” Meghna, the head of HR, comes over, dipping her head down and scanning the table as if she’s never seen a box of bagels in her life.
“It’s hump day. Thought you all could use a pick me up.”
She smiles at me. “What do you need, then?”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Treats only come around when someone needs something.” Meghna folds her arms over her chest and taps her acrylic nails on the inside of her arm. “So?”
