Page 60 of Love is Grand
We were still holding hands when the server came over and told us about the specials, one of which was a bacon cheeseburger with hand-cut fries. My mouth watered. It wasn’t something I normally ate, but it sounded salty, cheesy, and just plain delicious.
“Your eyes lit up over that burger,” Cal said after the server had taken our drink orders and hurried off.
“Was I that far gone for a cheeseburger?”
“Oh, you were.”
I slipped my hand out from his to take a sip of my water, and as our hands separated, his pale compared to my brown, I thought about his mom and what she would think.
“Are you going to tell your mom we’re having a boy?”
He shook his head. “Soon, not today.”
“This baby will carry on the family name ... at least, I assumed. Are you ashamed?”
“What?”
“Of me? Weez? Who I am?” Oh no. I was letting my hormones and feelings get the best of me.
“Shell, I’m not ashamed of you or tha you’re having my baby. I’ll admit, we got off to a strange start, but things feel like they’re going to be fine. I would certainly hope my son will carry on my name.”
I reminded myself that Cal was a lawyer. An absolute bullshitter, and I was falling for it.
“Well, you haven’t told your mom yet, so it wasn’t a big leap to make.”
When Cal just took a swig of his water, I worried what that might mean. Nerves? Lying? I didn’t know his tells yet.
“I was going to call her while you told Teddi, and then I thought we could call Rylan and Adam,” he said, and when I didn’t reply, he added, “I thought we’d enjoy this moment just the two of us.”
My eyes widened. “Oh.”
Luckily for me, the server came and took our order, and then it was only small talk until my decadent burger came, and I made love to the entire sandwich and fries with my mouth.
After a steady stream of phone calls to friends and family to share the news, we’d finally made it to Friday night dinner.
Adam and Rylan had been thrilled, but Cal’s mom? I wasn’t sure. Cal had said she was excited, but I was beginning to think guzzling water was a tell of his, because he’d downed a bottle while telling me. Weezie, of course, was ready to take on the little tyke in her army.
“Can I have one more soda, Mom?” Weezie yelled from the kitchen through the open doorway, rationalizing, “I’m the big sister.”
I was busy setting the table outside, trying to still my nerves with mindless work.
We’d come to Cal’s right after school, and unlike me, Weezie made herself right at home. She’d quickly changed and jumped into the pool before settling into the hot tub.
Cal said, “That’s a better place for you,” on her decision to sit in the jacuzzi.
“Why?” my daughter asked, of course.
“It’s not too deep.”
Oh dear. Cal the nervous Nellie is back.
“Would you like a soda?” he asked Weezie, and she’s six, so that was a definite yes.
“Okay, come up and sit here on the side. With your feet in, but that’s it,” he told her, wrapping a towel around her shoulders. “I’ll go get it, but don’t move. Promise?”
Weezie nodded, and off he went to the kitchen. I’d watched all this from my chair in the shade where I was reviewing some contracts on my laptop—a new one courtesy of Adam.
Cal returned in record time, soda bottle and cup in hand.