Page 70 of Love is Grand

“I know,” Mom said. “Adam called and said he heard you were having fun.”

Now I saw why she called. She knew I’d have an audience and wouldn’t be able to speak my mind.

Mom continued. “He and Rylan are going to Lake Michigan for the Fourth and invited me, but I have a cookout with the temple.”

Adam and Rylan had called the day before to say hi and to let us know they were heading back to Grand Cayman for August and September. Rylan wanted to set up some projects at work before their baby girl arrived around Christmas.

“We’re on our way to the Hamptons. I figured the girls should see an American beach,” I said into the phone.

Over the last few days, I’d started calling Shell and Weezie the girls, and it made Weezie giggle every time. Right now, she wore Beats headphones over her ears, her hair smoothed back in a braid, her eyes focused on a Disney movie. It was part of the setup with the car company, and a very smart idea. We had two hours to drive.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Mom said. “How does she feel?”

My brows popped up. It was the first time my mom had inquired.

“She’s feeling well. Stomach is all settled, but we’re skipping the boat adventure today.”

Mom rattled off a bunch of questions about whether Shell was showing, was she excited to have a boy, and avoided asking any religion-related questions.

Shell watched me intently but didn’t interrupt. Whether she said it or not, she’d been uneasy about my mom’s opinion of her.

“She’s showing,” I said, thinking it may get me in trouble. “She’s more than halfway, so of course she is, but she looks beautiful.”

Just then Weezie tossed off her headphones, “Mom, look! Lilo lives with her sister and Stitch is kind of like a little brother. Like me.”

“Is that Weezie?” Mom asked, not missing a beat.

“Of course. She’s telling us something about a movie.”

For a moment, I couldn’t believe this was me having this conversation. A few years ago, I rented a bungalow in the Hamptons for the Fourth and had a big party, nothing but bikinis and booze.

“Let me say hello. She’s going to be the baby’s sister. I met her at Adam’s wedding.”

Regret filled me over picking up the call.

Clearing my throat, I turned toward Shell. The sunlight filtered through the window beside her, making her skin shine and her cheeks glow. She’d also pulled her hair back in a braid and was wearing an orange sundress. One thing I was learning was how to temper my desire to get Shell naked with Weezie around.

“My mom wants to say hi to Weez,” I said.

Still with her headphones off, Weezie perked up. “Me? Yay! I met your mom when I was the flower girl. She has shiny blond hair like Elsa.”

I nodded, then mouthed to Shell, Is that okay?

She nodded.

“Put it on FaceTime,” my mom demanded, bossy as usual.

“Really?”

“Yes, Caleb.”

I turned the phone to face me and tapped the icon for FaceTime.

I waited for my mom to respond and saw she was sitting on her patio, her hair pristine, and I’m sure a perfect outfit on. My mother was a perfectionist. I wasn’t sure how she’d raised triplets as a single mom, but she had. Remembering that gave me faith in my own ability to parent.

I handed the phone to Shell as my mom spoke.

“Hi, Weezie. Remember me? I’m going to be your baby brother’s grandma, and so I’ll sort of be yours too.”