Page 125 of C is for Comfort

“Always come prepared,” she says as she hands them out. “What have you three been up to today?”

“We looked at a house,” Lexi says matter-of-factly. She selects a red pencil and starts to colour the first band of a rainbow.

Emily stares at me, eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

“We’re not…” Corey begins before shaking his head. “Lexi and I need to find somewhere new to live.”

Emily’s expression falls. “Just the two of you?”

“Yes,” Corey replies.

Emily glares at me. I give her a ‘what?’ look and shrug. I’m in favour of the idea of Corey, Lexi, and me living together one day when the time is right. Of course, having never lived with a partner before, I don’t know when that time will be. I certainly don’t want to suggest it until I’m reasonably sure Corey will at least consider it.

“My bedroom is pink,” Lexi says. “And it’s in the roof.”

“Well, that sounds very exciting,” Emily says.

“We have to leave our house because Uncle Archie is going to move in with a famous author. He’s really nice. Uncle Blake has two boyfriends.”

“Two boyfriends?” Emily asks.

“Yup. They’re nice too.”

Emily gives me a ‘you could have warned me’ look before glancing at her own kids. Not that Tabitha or Robbie seem to be paying any attention to the conversation. Then again, looks can be deceiving. Kids are like sponges. They soak every bit of information up and spit it back out at the most embarrassing moment.

“You live with your brothers?” Emily asks Corey.

Corey nods. “Yeah, but like Lexi says, they’re moving out, so we have to as well.”

“That’s a shame.” She looks to me. “This famous author wouldn’t be Hamish, would he?”

“He would indeed,” I reply.

“Small world.”

“Or we all move in the same circles.”

Corey stares at me wide-eyed. He gives me a reassuring smile. I’m not going to talk about sex parties in front of Lexi, Tabitha, or Robbie.

“I’ve got a van if you need a hand moving,” Aaron says. “There’s no point in paying a removal company if you don’t have to.”

“Are you sure?” Corey asks.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t. If you’re dating Spence, that makes you practically family.”

Heart swelling, I lean over to whisper in Corey’s ear. “Did I mention my sister and her family are a little full on?”

“What’s that?” Emily demands.

“I was just telling Corey how wonderful you and Aaron are.”

She rolls her eyes. “If he’s saying bad things about us, don’t believe a word of it.”

“He already knows you keep trying to marry me off to every eligible bachelor in the city.”

“Hurry up and marry Corey, and I won’t have to worry about matchmaking you anymore.”

I give her a warning look.