Page 59 of Third Time's the Charm
This Christmas was a giant family Christmas. All the Kaines, all the Andersons, and all the Cassidys. Even with Chris’s vacation house, we still ended up needing to rent one more to fit everyone. Our three families were starting to morph into one giant clan with lots of babies on the way. Which was why there was an alcohol bar for the ones who could drink, and a chocolate bar for the ones who could not.
“Hey guys?” Chris called to us. “Can you come help set up the other tables?” He was lugging a folding table.
We hurried over. “Where is this one going?”
“In the kitchen I think? Lucy?”
Lucy, Scott’s wife came running over. “Oh good! Yes right over here. The kitchen will have to be a one way road until dinner is over.” We got that table set up and then came back with chairs and another folding table and even more chairs. Lucy put tablecloths over them and in the blink of an eye the dining room had expanded into the kitchen.
It was the warmest Christmas Eve in years, so all the doors and windows were closed and the air conditioning was pumping hard to keep all the pregnant ladies cool. After dinner there would be beach time for the kids.
Ma came over and gave me a hug. “Maybe we can rotate every year? Calusa Key one year, Mistletoe Key the next?”
“I think that can be arranged. How’s Antonio taking all this?” It was...a lot. But it was also really beautiful to see so many friends become relatives and our families grow together.
“He loves it! He’s next door putting the finishing touches on the vegetables.”
There was no way we could cook everything in one kitchen, so half of the food was being prepared next door at Olivia’s house. And when an emergency baking situation popped up in the early afternoon, pies were run down the street to Chris’s neighbor, Trent, who was also joining us for dinner.
“So giant, loud family gatherings don’t scare him?”
Ma laughed. “Honey. He’s Italian.”
“Fair point.”
“How’s Berlin? Has the morning sickness finally stopped?”
That was the flip side to impending fatherhood. A lot of the time I was the ridiculously proud peacock, but there was a good amount of time I simply felt helpless. Berlin’s morning sickness was bad. Like, really bad. And there was nothing I could do to help except rub whatever part of her she asked to be rubbed, bring her all the ginger and tea in the world, and keep the toilet sparkling clean.
“It’s better in the sense that it’s just in the morning now.” For almost two months it was all-day-sickness.
My very lovely wife came scurrying over. She whispered something in my mother’s ear that made her smile and nod. Then she beamed at me. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
I knew that look. She had something up her sleeve. Normally I’d ask her what it was or tease it out of her, but she would get none of that from me while she was miserable. She more than earned her little secrets.
“All right everyone!” Chris threw his hands in the air. “Dinner is ready!” He paused while people hooted and hollered. “Due to logistical issues we will be eating family style. The food is on the tables and will be passed clockwise. Find your seats!”
I guided Berlin to the dining table. We had seats right in the middle so it was best if we got out of the way first. Once everyone was settled the dishes were picked up and we began passing.
I selected the roast pork and held it while Berlin chose what she wanted. Behind her I caught a glimpse of Aurora doing the same at the kids table. I nodded her way. “Next year our kid will be there. No more empty space.”
Berlin chuckled and her eyes glistened with mischief. “I think the table might be a bit much. They’ll probably be in a highchair.”
I moved some meat to my plate and passed the platter to Erik. “Not even one of those little tables? You know, the really low ones with the tiny chairs?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” Her eyes kept twinkling and her grin got bigger.
I plopped mashed potatoes on my plate. “You found out what we’re having, didn’t you? I knew I shouldn’t have missed that appointment!” Stupid out of town games. I missed one—one!—doctor’s visit and my mischievous wife sits on the gender of our child!
“It’s okay to miss an appointment, Jack. They ended up needing to do an ultrasound. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t like you deliberately avoided the doctor.”
She poured gravy into her mashed potatoes and handed the boat to me, then placed her hand on my arm and leaned in to whisper in my ear.
I probably shouldn’t have started pouring the gravy but I wasn’t really thinking. All I knew was I was supposed to pour gravy into my mashed potatoes, so that’s what I was doing.
“I just think,” she whispered, “with two we’re going to have our hands full. We might need to corral them in their highchairs instead of letting them sit at an itty bitty table.”
I kept pouring the gravy as I stared at Berlin. “What did you just say?” Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware the room had gone silent and all eyes were on me, but I was too focused on Berlin to really take that in.
Later I’d find out everyone knew but me and this was my wife’s biggest surprise yet. I kept pouring gravy. It leaked out of my mashed potato volcano, onto the plate, and then oozed onto the table until there was nothing left in the dish.
“I said,” she smiled at me with all the love in the world, all the love I craved and worked so hard to deserve, “we’re having twins.”
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The end…(fornow.)