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Avery loved the neighborhood walks and I loved seeing him so happy so I grabbed the wallet and we headed off in Sebastian’s direction. The early morning air was cool and the manicured lawns around us were dew-tipped. The silence was as peaceful as it was stressful in the way that parents with loud children knew it could be. I expected Avery to burst into a carefree shout at any moment but he was happy singing quietly to himself as we walked.
I was paying attention to him so I didn’t notice the two people walking out of Sebastian’s house until I was already in his driveway. I glanced up and smiled, unsure of how to proceed when I saw two teenagers staring back at me.
Lifting my hand in a small wave, I laughed awkwardly. “Hi. I’m Fiona, a friend of your dad’s… I just came to drop something off for him.”
“We know who you are. Dad told us all about you.” The girl walked towards us with a broad smile on her pretty face. “I’m Sam. That’s my brother, SJ.”
“A friend or girlfriend?” SJ crossed his arms over his chest and stared me down.
“SJ. Be nice. Jeez.” Sam rolled her eyes. “He’s an ass first thing in the morning. Sorry.”
Grumpy teenagers I could handle. They were a lot like big cats in the wild. Showing fear was dangerous. I stared back at him without flinching. “Girlfriend.”
He grunted. “That’s what I heard. Just making sure you’re not screwing around with him.”
My lips stretched in a wide grin that I couldn’t control. “You were looking out for your dad, huh? Good job. I am his girlfriend and I’m really happy about it. I’m sure you’re aware, but your dad’s really great. Anyone who would screw around with him is an idiot.”
Sam laughed. “Yes!”
I put my hand on Avery’s head and pushed him forward. “And this is my son, Avery. Avery, these are Sebastian’s kids.”
Avery tilted his head and looked at SJ with a slight frown on his face. “Be nice to my mom.”
Sam laughed but I choked out a gasp and knelt in front of Avery. “Hey, bud. He’s just making sure I’m being nice to his dad. The same way you’re trying to make sure he’s nice to me. Even if he wasn’t being nice to me, Mom can take care of herself. Right?”
He crossed his arms in a rare stubborn display and kept his gaze trained on SJ. “His dad thinks you’re an angel.”
SJ sighed and walked over. To my surprise he knelt next to me and nodded at Avery. “Sorry, kid. I’m not really a morning person. I’ll be nice to your mom. Okay?”
Avery looked at the fist SJ stuck out and bumped it with his own after a few seconds. “I like your shirt.”
I tried to hide the fact that my hormones were getting the best of me and that I was crying but SJ chuckled and awkwardly patted my shoulder. I laughed it off and stood up. “That’s embarrassing. Ignore me.”
Sam looked at my stomach and bounced on her toes. “My science teacher got pregnant last year and she cried every single day about something. One time, she cried while talking about osmosis.”
SJ stood up and flashed a smile that was uncannily similar to his father’s. “Dad said you’re having twins.”
Sebastian came rushing out of the front of the house like a bull, his hands full and his eyes cast down to his phone. “Guys, did you eat? Breakfast is still just sitting on the table. If you’re not going to eat it, at least help put-”
“Dad!” Sam rolled her eyes. “We don’t eat breakfast. We tell you all the time.”
Sebastian looked up and his face brightened with a happy smile as he saw Avery and I standing there. “Hey!”
SJ groaned. “Oh, yeah, he’s got it bad.”
Sam nodded. “He looks like a dork. Why’s he smiling like that?”
“Dad, play it cool!” SJ looked back at me and shook his head. “He’s the reason I have no game.”
I met Sebastian’s warm gaze and laughed. “I don’t know. I think that might not be your dad’s fault.”
Sebastian laughed as SJ made a gagging sound. “What are you two doing here? What’s up, Avery? Did you come to brag about beating me at baseball yesterday?”
Avery’s little chest puffed out. “I creamed you, crab!”
Sam let out a shockingly loud laugh and then slapped her hand over her mouth. Her cheeks went red and she seemed embarrassed. “Sorry. I have a stupid laugh.”
I frowned and reached over to lightly squeeze her shoulder. “Why are you apologizing? You have a great laugh. It reminds me of my sister. She’s the life of every party because of that laugh.”
