Page 19 of Better Than Baby
“Sooner rather than later would be ideal,” Lena said with a conspiratorial wink.
I chuckled, my mind instantly catapulting to three or four months from now. Lena would have a baby bump and she might feel the baby kicking and geez…we’d know if we were having a boy or a girl and?—
“Matthew, are you all right?”
I snapped out of my daydream, squeezing Lena’s arm before stepping aside. “Yes, I’m fine. Hey, my mom does yoga too. She’s been doing it for years.”
“Oh, wow, that’s great,” Lena enthused.
It was, and as an avid tennis player, golfer, and health nut, fitness was one of my mother’s favorite topics. I silently applauded my genius. Mom might not realize it yet, but she was going to want to know every little detail of Lena’s routine and she’d approve of her fitness-forward lifestyle. This would give them something to bond over…in addition to the baby.
Shit, I was smiling again.
My mother wasn’t. She studied Lena like a lioness sharpening her claws and asked, “Do you have a boyfriend or significant other?”
What the fuck?
“Mom!”
“I’m just curious,” she replied evenly.
Lena was unfazed. “No, I’m not really in the market right now.”
“Ah.” Mom’s errant hum was tinged with a trace of venom as she tucked her short blond hair behind her ears. “Matthew, honey, I think this is the first time you’ve stepped away fromyour barbecue all day. Did you eat? Aaron put the potato and pasta salad away. Let’s grab you a plate…inside.”
And yes, I caught the tone, but her mood shift was strange. She’d been fine a couple of hours ago. How could Lena have pissed her off? She was too sweet and too perceptive. She wouldn’t have messed with my mother.
Something was up, but I refused to entertain any negativity today. Mom would have to wait.
“I’m fine. I’ve had plenty to eat, and I’m saving room for a brownie or five.”
Lena brightened. “Brownies? Aaron told me he was making his famous double-chocolate brownies. But I should probably eat some real food first.”
“Good call. I made veggie burgers too. Pescatarians can eat those, right?” I asked, aware of my mother’s laser-sharp stare.
“Yes. Thanks so much,” she said, lowering her voice to a teasing lilt. “Are they any good?”
“Oh, yeah. Maryland’s finest,” I bragged. “I’ll make you a plate.”
Lena curled her fingers around my forearm. “No, it’s okay. You socialize. I’ll help myself. So nice to meet you, Mrs. Sullivan.”
Mom made another humming noise. Great. I sought Aaron out, shrugging helplessly at his quizzical expression. But I also caught his silent plea to keep the peace. No problem.
“Can I get you a glass of wine, Mom?”
Her nostrils flared slightly and her mouth twisted in a grimace. “No, thank you.”
“Are you sure? You seem tense.”
“I’m fine.” And with that, she headed into the house with a huff.
Okay, then…
Thankfully, my dad was here. He could take over.
I found him near the dessert table, dabbing crumbs from a mostly demolished plate. Dad and I were roughly the same height and build. We’d even had the same dark blond hair before his turned more salt than pepper. “You look just like your father” was a familiar sentiment, but it was also a funny one since he wasn’t my biological parent.
Dad had adopted my sister and me after marrying Mom when I was little. I couldn’t remember anything about my bio father. He’d never been a presence in my life. But this man…my real dad—had done it all. He’d slayed imaginary dragons, volunteered to coach every sport I’d signed up for, taught me how to read, how to ride a bike, how to drive, how to shave. He was the reason I’d wanted to adopt.