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“Of course I want to. You’re just … sure?”
I don’t want her doing this for me.
Lili glances between us with open curiosity, but doesn’t ask as Collins nods in confirmation.
“Where’s Charlie?” Collins wonders.
“He’s by the pool, talking to his grandmother,” Lili replies.
“Has she warmed up to you yet?” I ask.
“We had tea last week, and she smiled a tiny bit when I said I was moving to Buckleby, so … progress?”
“You’re moving to England?” Collins glances at me after asking the question, but I’m just as stunned.
Lili’s smile is a little sheepish. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you guys. It’s going tokillme, being away from my nephew?—”
“And your brother,” I interject.
“But it’s what makes the most sense right now. There’s a museum in France that’s looking for a landscape architect to redo their grounds, and it’s a much shorter commute to England than it is back to New York. I’ll keep my place here, of course, but won’t be using it much.” She half smiles. “I told Bash he could use it on his school breaks since Kit kicked him back to Mom and Dad’s.”
“Yeah, poor guy,” I say sarcastically. “Slumming it in a six-story townhouse.”
Lili laughs. “You guys will have to come visit. The estate is this cool old castle, and there’s a pub in town and an ice cream shop?—”
“Howdo you guys sleep through that crying every night?” Bash questions, entering the kitchen. His T-shirt is on inside out, and his hair is sticking out from every possible angle.
“We don’t,” I state.
Bash makes a face. “And that’s …normal?” He sounds aghast.
“Yeah, for the first few months.” At least, Ihopeit’s only going to be the first few months.
“Sorry he kept you up,” Collins says apologetically.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Bash replies. “But now that I know it’s a recurring thing … I might have to buy earplugs for tonight.”
“You can always go sleep at Gigi and Grandfather’s,” Lili suggests.
Bash groans. “Pass.”
This is the first year we’ve stayed at our parents’ house instead of our grandparents’. It’s the first year our immediate family has expanded, me bringing Collins and Dylan, and Lili coming with Charlie.
We finish breakfast. Bash leaves to meet up with friends. Lili heads out to the pool. Collins and I get dressed in suits, which I assure heris entirely unnecessary because there’s no chance we’ll unintentionally end up in the water.
Collins transfers a sleeping Dylan into the carrier that doubles as a car seat, we pack up the endless array of baby necessities, and then I drive us to my grandparents’ down the road. A parade of vehicles is headed in and out of the gates, party preparations already in full swing.
My parents are both waiting outside.
My mom literally bounces when I park.
My dad opens the back seat door before I have a chance to.
They’reobsessedwith their grandson. If my mom isn’t dropping off dozens of new outfits for Dylan, my dad is stopping by to take “Crew Jr.” for a stroller trip through the park.
I’ll never forget the look on his face when I told him one of Dylan’s middle names. He and Mom named Lili after the grandmother who never got to meet any of her grandchildren. I’m glad my dad got a chance to appreciate the tribute.
“Everything should be in there,” I tell my mom, who’s grabbed the diaper bag out of the trunk. “Pacifiers, toys, change of clothes?—”