Page 106 of Chasing Blue

“Monday, no, tomorrow, those glass bricks go, and I’m blocking that wall up,” Jack states.

“Booooo,” both dudes and Finn reply while I stare down at my UGGs.

“Well, show’s over now, so the lot of you can fuck off. What you doing here anyway?” Jack asks.

“Change of plan, we’re going to a party. I’ve still got beers in the outside fridge so came to pick them up.”

“Truck stays here if you’re drinking,” Jack tells Finn.

“I know.” He gestures towards the large wooden fruit bowl I’d bought last week because I was sick of the boys always losing their keys. “Uber’s gonna be here . . .” Finn checks his phone. “Right about now.”

The three boys head towards the door. I keep staring at the floor.

“Night, Mrs Cole, don’t forget to invite us to your next show,” dude on the right calls. Squeezing my eyes shut, my heart and belly don’t react even a little bit to being called Mrs Cole as I keep my face down and smile.

“You’re one lucky man,” dude on the left tells Jack as he passes.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack calls after them. “Fuck off but be safe.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Finn replies. “I think you’re the one who needs to be safe. Not me running around getting two different girls pregnant at the same time.”

“Get the fuck out,” Jack calls.

“Love you guys,” Finn responds.

I hear and feel Jack moving. His feet appear in front of mine before he grips my chin and tilts my face up.

“Open your eyes, Blue.”

“No. If I keep them closed, none of this is real.”

“They’re great tits, I wouldn’t worry. You’ve given three teenage boys a year’s worth of socks to fill.”

“Gross,” I shudder. “If I get pregnant . . .”

“Whenyou get pregnant,” he interrupts and says. I finally open my eyes and look at his staring down at me.

“WhenI get pregnant, it better be another girl.”

“It will, and she’ll have red hair like you.”

“Green eyes like you.”

“Blue, he corrects me. Red hair, blue eyes, but she’ll have my lips and skin colour, and she’ll be fierce and kind, she’ll love to dance, but she’ll never, not ever, soap up her tits and flash them at boys . . . or girls . . . or anyone for that matter.”

My nose tingles and tears burn my eyes. “But what if . . .” Jack’s finger presses against my lips to stop me talking.

“Itwillhappen. More than once. I have a feeling we’ll end up with three girls, and I can’t fucking wait.”

“Three?” I almost screech the word. “I thought we settled on two?”

“You settled on two, I want three. Four kids total, nice and balanced.”

He leans in and kisses me. “Now get some plates out. I’m gonna go take a quick shower.”

“Don’t flash at anyone.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he calls out as he heads down the hallway.