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“Hungry?” Eddie made a comical face. “Hasn’t mama fed you?”
Charlie slid me the slyest of looks and I raised my brows. The little sneak was so good at convincing everyone he needed food. The playful streak was just a little too mischievous sometimes.
“Want candy. Gandpa candy.”
I swallowed another smile and had to bite the inside of my lip.
“Ah…” Eddie hummed and slid his hand into a pocket before he pulled out the butterscotch treats he’d started to carry with him. Something that Grandpa Ted had used to do with Archie when he was little. The first time Archie saw his dad sneak one to Izzy, he’d been a little rocked by it.
“I forgot…” The whisper and the missing in those two words had me wrapping him up in a hug. Grandpa Ted always came with candy, so now, Grandpa Eddie did too. I rather loved it for all of them.
Charlie lit up and held out his hand, then looked Eddie right in the eye. “Thank you, much.”
I had to turn away to keep from laughing. He was so incorrigible. The little snotweed absolutely could charm his way to what he wanted. As soon as Eddie unwrapped the softer butterscotch, he put it in Charlie’s palm.
“Remember,” Eddie told him. “We suck on it. No chewing and swallowing.”
“Unda my two-ng.”
“Yes,” Eddie watched him carefully then resettled him before he finally looked at me again. “Good morning, Frankie.”
“Good morning, come on in.” We were still standing in the doorway. “Did you forget your keys?”
“No, but I don’t like using them unless we’ve already planned for it.”
I could respect that. “There’s still coffee in the kitchen, I was going to take this one up and give him a good clean up and change his clothes.” He was still in diapers, but potty training had been going well, even if he preferred his diaper at night. Sometimes, I wasn’t as in a hurry as I should be to graduate them up. He would be fully potty trained before the new baby came.
Oh—had Archie told Eddie yet?
“If you don’t mind making me a cup,” Eddie said. “I’ll take this little buster up and get him ready. I’ve got a couple of hours and wanted to visit. We can go over some of the new figures if you’re up for it.”
“Absolutely,” I told him. “Play clothes for him? They’re in the third drawer. He is in a blue phase and will absolutely not wear anything red or purple.”
“Got it.” Then he was striding up the stairs, totally comfortable with the drool escaping Charlie and the way he tightened his fists on the suit. Eddie had been spit up on, actually Josh had an accident on him mid-diaper change, and Izzy threw up after a rather rambunctious ride at the park. It never fazed him, he just stripped off his jackets and rolled up his sleeves.
Dad told me more than once that Eddie loved being a grandfather. He was making up for all the missed time with Archie, but our kids weren’t a replacement. He was also building a strong relationship with Archie. They were in such a better place now. In the kitchen, I poured my decaf into a cup before I made Eddie a latte. The fact he enjoyed the indulgence hadn’t been lost on me. Still, I was glad that he indulged himself.
After his coffee was ready, I pulled out my phone and messaged Archie.
Me: Have you told your dad yet?
The decaf was still hot. Jeremy had found a really nice blend since the last pregnancy. It almost tasted like the real thing. Granted, cutting it back was smart and I did all the things the doctors told me to do. But giving up coffee wasn’t an option I really wanted to explore. The fake out my brain method worked for me.
My phone buzzed.
Archie: No, I keep forgetting and you usually like to wait to the end of the first trimester.
He wasn’t wrong.
Me: That’s next week. We have the ultrasound then too.
Three little dots blinked up at me before his new message showed up.
Archie: Wanna take him out to dinner and tell him?
Me: Yes. He’s here to visit Charlie and to talk business, so I wanted to check.
Archie: Babe, do you want to go ahead and tell him?
