Page 11 of Wherever You Are

Lily’s gaze drifts to aCelebrity Crushtabloid on the counter behind Lo, and her smile fades. “What is…” She seizes the tabloid.

I crane my head, trying to read the headline.

[POLL] Which Calloway sister has the cutest baby?

That’s fucked up.

And the poll won’t blow over well with Ryke, Daisy, Connor, or Rose either.

They’re all insanely protective of their kids. Like they should be. Parents should protectallof their children. Not just the ones they like the most.

Shit, if I had a baby right now, I’d be gutted every time their name was in print.Ican’t even handle media attention. How could I expect my kid to deal with that?

And why the fuck am I thinking about a baby?

I’m twenty-one.

Willow and I are in the rockiest place we’ve ever stepped foot in. We may not make it totomorrow. Babies are an unquantifiable part of my relationship. The more I think about the foggy future, my stomach knots.

Pain suddenly flares in my ribs as I focus more on the injury.

So I turn my attention.

Lo rips the tabloid out of Lily’s hands.

“They polled our babies by cuteness,” Lily explains. “They can’t do that.”

Lo’s brows bunch. “They can do whatever they want.”

“I just wish there weresomeethical limitations,” Lily says while Lo flips to the right page. Lily tries to stop him, pushing his hands. “Don’t! What if Moffy is ranked the ugliest.” She lowers her voice. “We’ll know and we’ll feel bad and it’ll give him a complex.”

I look around for Maximoff. The three-year-old is playing patty-cake with Jane on the carpet.

“That’s not going to happen,” Lo says. “We have anadorablebaby.”

“So do Rose and Daisy.”

“You don’t have to look,” Lo tells Lily.

But I’m positive he can’t help himself. I chew another chip and watch this go down.

I don’t even know what I would do in their position. Maybe burn it. Stop the temptation.

While Lo reads through the article, Lily slides towards me and we chat about movies. I think it’s helping distract her from the tabloid, but I haven’t seen as many films as she’s mentioning. Ever since Willow left, I haven’t had the energy to go to the theater.

After a few minutes, Lo finishes reading the article and drifts back to us with chips and salsa in hand. “Little ‘puff,” he calls out to Lily.

Puffis just in reference to Hufflepuff, herHarry Potterhouse. Willow made me take the sorting quiz too, and I’m Gryffindor like my girlfriend.

I almost smile remembering how Willow spent an hour explainingourhouse to me and the history behind it. She said Gryffindors are brave, and I get why she’s meant for this house—she’s the most courageous person I’ve ever met. But I’m not sure I fit the mold. Really, of anyhouse or secret club or thing.

Lo stands behind Lily and rests his chin on her shoulder. His eyes flit to me and then back to her. “What are we talking about?”

“Nothing,” Lily says too fast and spins around to face her husband.

Lo stuffs the chip bag underneath his arm. “Nothing?”

“That’s what I said,” she snaps.