Page 41 of Indescribable
“Why not today?”
“You know my ex-girlfriend Lola? The one with the bakery? She and her husband just had a baby so I’m going over to see her.”
“Dad told me she had a baby. That’s cool.”
“Yes, it is. About a week ago but I haven’t seen her yet, so that’s why I’m going today.”
“Can I come?”
“We’ll have to ask your dad first. He might have plans for you two this afternoon. If he says it’s okay with him, I’ll check with Lola. But that’s why we’ll do Waffle House next time.”
He raises a hand with one pinky extended so I wrap mine around his and he says, “Deal.”
“No going back on a pinky promise.”
“That’s why I made you do it,” he replies proudly.
“Batting cages after breakfast?”
“Yay!” he cheers.
Despite everything bad in the world, spending a few hours with Cody can just about cure anything. It makes me long for one of my own, too. Which is something I haven’t thought about in several years.
He demolishes his entire breakfast, which makes my stomach hurt to watch. I have no idea where all his food goes but I suddenly understand the term hollow leg that my mom used to mutter about how much food us kids would eat.
And he does pretty good at the batting cages. He’s still learning and it’s not his favorite sport, but he has fun with it and that’s all that really matters.
Boone approved of him going to see Lola and the baby with me, and Lola was all for it because she hasn’t seen Cody in a while.
After alonglecture about being quiet and gentle around the baby, he proves to me that one day he’ll be the best big brother and big cousin there is.
“She’s so little,” Cody coos, playing with her tiny fingers. He’s seated on the couch with baby Evelyn on his lap and stars in his eyes. “Can I see her hair?” he asks.
“Of course,” Lola replies, removing the little cap from her head.
Cody smiles and leans down and kisses her forehead then rubs her blonde head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person so little before,” he murmurs.
Lola looks up at me and smiles. “She’s pretty tiny, huh?”
He nods and keeps staring at her, inspecting her feet, ears, hands.
We stay for a bit longer, me taking a turn holding Evelyn, which Cody tries to pout about for a few minutes before we remind him that we take turns. Once she starts getting a little fussy and crying, Cody announces that it’s time to go. Babies are only cute when they’re sleeping and quiet, according to him.
That makes us all laugh. We leave the baby gift of some baby Lake Electrical merchandise along with a few things from her registry and head out to the truck.
As soon as he’s buckled in and we’re heading toward his house, he announces, “I can’t wait until you and Auntie Naomi have a baby, too.”
I startle and cough. “Say what?”
“Dad said that’s who already spoke for Naomi. You. So I figure soon you’ll have a baby so I can hold him. I also figure a boy won’t cry so that’s why you’re gonna have a boy. Maybe a few of ‘em. Right?”
I’m at a loss of words and want to ask Boone why he didn’t warn me.
“Your dad told you that?”
He nods. “Last night, when he was tucking me in. I asked him who it was that already spoke for Naomi like we talked about when we were eating dinner and he said that you’ve loved her your entire life. Now that Wyatt isn’t around, it’s your turn, right? She had to go through a bad relationship to get to the good one? That’s what Nana said when I asked her why Auntie Naomi got a divorce. So now you’re going to be the good one and we’ll have Auntie Naomi around more often.”