Page 207 of Pucking Sweet

I put up a hand. “Not necessary.”

“No, it’s happening.” He steps in. “We’re having a tender moment.” He wraps his arms around me, giving me a firm hug. “That’s right, just let it happen.”

“I fucking hate this,” I mutter.

“Hug me back, or I’ll recite this whole conversation to every player on the team. And as you requested, I’ll throw it in that you were crying. A lot.”

I wrap my arms around him, patting his back.

Just then the vet tech comes out. “Which one of you is here with Princess Novikov?”

Langers stiffens in my arms. We break away, and he tries to hide his goddamn smirk.

Sighing, I raise my hand. “That would be me.”

It turns out that, after seven-hundred dollars’ worth of cat X-rays, our little Miss Princess was suffering from bloating in her intestines. That’s right, I paid almost a thousand dollars in emergency vet bills, and outed myself to Ryan Langley, only to be told that the cat who hates me simply needed to fart.

This is my life now.

And goddamn it, I am still so fucking happy.

76

“Poppy, you listen to me now. You cannot do this, honey,” Mom says into the phone.

I sigh, crossing my legs in my reading chair. “Mom, it’s already done. I’m fourteen weeks pregnant. The baby is the size of a kiwi. And he’s a boy. You’re gonna have another grandson—”

“No, I do not accept that,” she says over me. “Honey, you’re not even married yet.”

I nod, stroking Miss Princess on my lap. After her little health scare, I’ve been extra vigilant. “I told you, Momma, we won’t be getting married. Unless it becomes legal for me to marry both my partners, we’re not—”

“Oh, and what is this nonsense about ‘partners?’ You’re not opening a law firm or playing doubles tennis. You are a lady, Poppy St. James. Someday, I hope you’ll become someone’s wife. And when you do, that man will be yourhusband.”

“Well, what if I don’t marry a man?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

I groan. What did I think would happen telling my mom I was pregnant? It’s not possible she could just be happy for me; I knew that going in. But after Colton’s heart update, the three of us made an action plan. Part of that plan involves coming out to our families. We don’t want there to be any questions or confusion as to exactly what we are and what our wishes are.

I mean, god forbid something happens to me, and my mother swoops in trying to take my child away from his fathers. I don’t know that I believe in ghosts, but I would haunt that woman to the grave and beyond if she so much as looked at my child without his fathers’consent.

Meanwhile, Lukas has no family to tell, and Colton’s family has been a literal dream. His mom Cynthia is wonderful, so warm and welcoming. I met her at Christmas, along with his oldest sister Jasmine and her three kids. His middle sister Gloria is married to a woman named Kelly, and they have two daughters. Cynthia cried when we showed her the ultrasound pictures, and Jasmine and Gloria want to plan us a baby shower after the hockey season ends.

I wish my own family could be as understanding…

“It’s not ridiculous, Mom,” I try to reason. “Queer people exist. They fall in love, and get married, and have families, and live perfectly well-adjusted lives.”

“Well, you answer me this,” Mom huffs. “What are we supposed to tell people, Poppy? What do I tell our friends, our family, our pastor?”

“Tell them your daughter is happy and flourishing in a job she loves,” I reply patiently. “Tell them she’s in love with two wonderful men, and she’s having her first child this summer.”

“And that’s another thing,” she says, ready with the redirect. “I can’t believe you would choose to do this now when Deidre has waited so long to get pregnant again. This is just like a slap in the face. How are we supposed to take the time to properly celebrateherwhen we’re all suddenly worried aboutyou?”

I blink back my tears. “You don’t have to worry about me, Momma. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I am so freaking happy—”

“Don’t curse. Honestly, you’d think I raised you in a barn. What would your Nana say?”

I place my hand on my growing baby bump, fighting the urge to scream. “I’m happy, Mom. I wish you could see how happy I am. I swear, I’m not trying to upstage Violet or steal Deidre’s thunder. I’m just living my life. I fell backward into this, and now I’m here. I want this baby, and I love my partners. And if you’ll let me, I’d like to bring them to the wedding. I want you and Daddy to meet them.”