Inflame

Chapter 19

Kale

EVEN THOUGH Lucy’s curled up next to me, fast asleep, I’m feeling restless. Unable to sleep, I think back on our conversation in the car. She caught me off guard with her declaration of Sprout love, and I have to admit, I had a lump in my throat the entire time she was trying to explain her feelings. Just knowing how much she wants this—as much as I do—makes me feel so much more at peace.

I meant what I said when I told her I’d called my mom right away. From the moment we found out about the pregnancy, I never once had a fleeting thought of not wanting the baby. That night when I held Lucy in her sleep with my hand protectively over her stomach, I felt all the love in the world seep into my heart. For him. For her? I don’t know. All I know is that every passing moment I spend with her my feelings grow. And it’s not just because she’s having my child. I was already half in love with Lucy Dawson by the end of our first summer together. Sprout’s just a blessing, maybe a kick in the ass to get us to stop beating around the bush. Either way, I couldn’t be happier, and I couldn’t imagine going back to a time when I didn’t have this, have her, have them.

Knowing I’m too wired to get any sleep, I slip out of the bed, careful not to move her. Like I told her, she needs her rest. I know she laughs my protectiveness off, but I have no fucking clue what I would do if something happened to her or the baby, which is part of why I so desperately want her to move in with me. Okay, I want her there because I hate spending a single second without her and going home to an empty, Lucyless house, but I also want to be around to make sure she’s cared for. I want to be able to take on the full role of boyfriend, father, and whatever else she wants me to be. However, I won’t push her. At least not yet.

Closing the door behind me quietly, I make my way to the kitchen, where I find Mom preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Fortunately for me and the twins, Mom let us choose our own dietary lifestyles, and she remained the only vegan in the house.

“What’s all this?” I ask when I see her checking the temperature of the turkey. Even though the rest of us aren’t vegan, she’s always made Tofurky on Thanksgiving, something none of us ever complained about because it’s actually pretty damn good. There’s a huge spread of food, from mashed potatoes to green beans to a beet salad.

“I thought we’d go a little more traditional this year,” she informs me. “You know, with having a new guest and all.”

I round the counter and give Mom a kiss on the cheek, grateful that she thought enough of Lucy to give into some concessions for the holiday. “You didn’t have to do that, Mom, but I appreciate it.”

“Oh don’t be silly. She’s too thin and we need to put some meat on her bones. Plus there’s no way I was going to feed her Tofurky the first time she came to visit. She might not ever come back,” she jokes. “So tell me, how’s the pregnancy going? Is she still having morning sickness?”

I steal a few carrots off the platter in front of me, and Mom swats my hand away. “It’s pretty much passed now. At least from what I can tell. In the beginning, she could hardly keep anything down in the mornings, but she seems to be doing better. She’s tired a lot, a little emotional. Nothing I’m not used to from living with the three of you.”

She smiles knowingly. Living with three women definitely prepared me for hormonal emotions of a pregnant woman, and I shake my head as I remember all the emotional meltdowns I was witness to over the years from that damned thing known as the menstrual cycle.

“And you, Kale? How are you doing with all of this? Things seem to have changed since the last time we talked. For the better, of course,” she says, reminding me that I haven’t gotten a chance to tell her about the recent developments between Lucy and me.

I let out a slow breath and lean on the counter with my elbows, watching as she begins to prepare a salad. “Things are good. I’m good. Hell, I’m great even. My initial fears turned out to be unwarranted, and looking back, I should’ve known it was irrational, but well, you understand.”

She stops chopping the lettuce and gives me a sympathetic smile. “Kale, it wasn’t irrational. It was a natural reaction that someone like you would have. But I will say¸ I’m so glad they ended up being just fears. I’m not sure how you would’ve handled anything differently.”

I close my eyes, not wanting to even think about a reality where Lucy decided she didn’t want the baby. Shaking my head, I push the thoughts away. “I don’t want to think about that. All that matters is the woman I care about more than anything in the world is carrying my child, and in less than eight months, I’m going to be a father. That’s all I want to focus on.”

Mom nods in understanding but doesn’t drop the subject. “Have you talked to her about it? I mean, does she know?”

Curling my hands into fists, I shake my head and am immediately greeted by Mom’s disappointed look. “This is a happy time for us. We’ve only been together officially for a short time, and the last thing I want to do is put a dark cloud over it. There’s no reason to get into it right now. If and when the time is right, I’ll tell her, but for now, I just want her to be happy.”

“Okay, fine. I can understand that. But, Kale? You can’t keep it from her forever. And it’s going to eat at you until you finally let her all the way in. You have to trust that she’ll be able to handle it. Now that’s all I’ll say on that, but just know I’m always here if you need to talk, okay?”

I know she’s right. If Lucy and I are going to have any chance at a future, then she needs to be privy to every part of my past, even the most painful ones. The thing is that I don’t want to let Lucy into that part of my life yet. She’s my light. My sunshine. She’s the brightest part of my day, and I’m just not ready to invite her into the darkness. In fact, I’m not ready to revisit that part of my life either. I spent years locking it away. Right now all I want to do is focus on Lucy and Sprout. When the day comes that I’m ready to talk about it, I’ll figure it out, but until then, I’m pushing it out of my mind.

“I’ll deal with it eventually. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it or even hint at it.”

She huffs and gives me a glare. “You know me better than that, Kale Montgomery. I’d never meddle. That’s not my style, and I resent that you even felt the need to mention it.”

Sighing deeply, I know she’s right. “Okay, okay. My bad. I just want to make sure everything stays right between us. I’ve wanted Lucy for a very long time, and it only took me a year and a half to make her my girlfriend. Forgive me if I’m a little worried about keeping everything perfect.”

“Relationships aren’t about being perfect, honey, and the sooner you realize that, the better. It’s about love, trust, honor, and respect. Master those things and you won’t have to worry about perfect. Plus, perfect’s boring. Some of the most fun can be when you’re arguing as a couple. How do you think the twins were conceived?”

I bring my hands to my ears and cover them as I start to walk out of the room. “I’m going to pretend you did not just say that.”

She’s laughing and yells after me. “You’ll understand one day, and then you’ll be thanking me!”

Shaking my head, I slip outside and down to the beach, settling in the sand as I try to get away from the demons that are threatening to surface. Somehow I’m able to get lost in the sounds of the waves crashing, but I can still feel them in the back of my mind, banging on the closed door, begging to get free. I turn my thoughts to Sprout and imagine him being here, playing in the sand, making his first castle, getting his first experience in the water, and those thoughts beat the demons back until they’re nothing but a tiny whisper drowned out by the sounds of the ocean.

“HEY, YOU,” I hear from behind me, and I turn to see Lucy heading towards me.

She looks refreshed from her nap, and I’m grateful that she had a chance to rest. When she reaches me, she holds out her hand to help me up, but I pull her down to me instead, causing her to land in my lap. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle against her neck, basking in the warmth of her.

“Hey yourself,” I whisper against her skin as I place slow kisses along her throat.

She shivers in my arms, and I reposition her so she’s cradled in my arms and looking up at me. For a moment, we’re searching each other’s eyes, and I wonder if she can read me, if she can tell I’m fighting like hell to keep my emotions from rising to the surface and bubbling over.

As if she can read my mind, her small hand comes up and caresses my cheek. “You okay?” she asks quietly, almost as if she doesn’t want to know the answer.

My mind is screaming at me to let it all out, once and for all, but some part of me just isn’t ready, and I don’t think she is either. I steel my nerves and finally do one last push to forget everything Mom’s talk brought to my mind. I’m here with Lucy, and I’m going to make the most of it and not let my own issues mess with the weekend.

Leaning down, I cover her mouth with mine, kissing her senseless, and she returns the favor. She’s the antidote to my plaguing thoughts, and I can’t get enough. Finally, she pulls away, breathless and panting with pink cheeks and desire in her eyes.

“If you keep that up, we’ll be putting on a show, and while your mom may be a free spirit, I highly doubt she wants to see you naked on the beach with me mounting you like a cat in heat.”

And just like that, all is right in my world again.

Laughing, I stand up and set her on her feet. “Yeah, that’s a visual for my eyes only. I might be into some things, but exhibitionism isn’t one of them, especially right outside my mom’s house.”

She cuddles up into me as we watch the waves crash against the shore. “You seemed lost in thought when I came down here. Are you okay?” she asks again.

Slipping an arm around her waist, I bend down and give her a kiss on the top of her head. “I am now,” I answer as honestly as I can—at least for now.

“Good. I woke up and you were gone. I hate waking up without you, you know?” she says, and I immediately take advantage of the situation.

“I know one way to make sure that never happens again. Or well, rarely happens,” I tease her, and she gives me a mocking glare. “Seriously, baby. I know you think it’s too soon, but we’ve been having sleepovers for a long-ass time. You moving in will change nothing aside from us no longer having to draw straws to decide whose place to stay at.”

She’s about to protest, but I cut her off. “And just think. You won’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning. I’ll do all that stuff for you so you can just relax and keep your energy up for you and Sprout. Not to mention I give a pretty mean massage. And then there’s the whole hormonal thing. I read that women get super horny when pregnant, and I promise that if you move in, I’ll be at your sexual beck and call. Whenever you want me, you got me.”

She giggles at the last little bit and just shakes her head. “Well how the hell am I supposed say no to an offer like that?” Lucy turns her head to look up at me and then stretch on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my lips. “Don’t worry, Montgomery. It’s only been a couple of weeks and you’re already wearing me down. Anyways, we can discuss that later. Your mom sent me out here to get you. She said dinner’s just about ready. Can I just say that I’ve never had Tofurky but I promise to be open minded about it? I had no idea she took this stuff so seriously. If it sucks, I’ll choke it down, but then later on tonight, you better find the nearest Whataburger so I can feed myself some real meat.”

“I was just teasing you with the Mom’s vegan dining, babe. There’s going to be a real turkey so you can get your protein fix. I promise,” I assure her as we make our way back up to the house.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she says, her voice filled with relief. At the same time, her stomach growls and she gives me a sheepish grin. “I wondered what was going on because your sisters were snickering the entire time your mom was explaining it to me. I figured they just were laughing at my reaction, which I did a horrible job at hiding. No wonder they thought it was funny.”

“Trust me. She was just messing with you. She’s the only vegan in the house and ‘in your condition’— her words, not mine— you need to eat more.”

Her stomach answers for her as it echoes its earlier cry for food. When we enter the house, the delicious smells of Thanksgiving dinner assail my senses, causing my mouth to water. Lucy’s eyes widen when she see the long island filled with food. Almost as if there’s a gravitational pull, she drops my hand, heads straight for the basket of homemade bread Mom makes every year, and grabs a piece.

I watch in pure amusement as she swipes a piece from the top and devours it, moaning after the very last bite.

“Jesus, Kale, you need to make sure she’s eating enough so she doesn’t have to scavenge for herself when she’s starving,” Mom scolds me, and Lucy jumps at the sound of her voice, apparently not having noticed anyone else in the room.

Her eyes widen and she drops a hand to her belly. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. That was incredibly rude of me, but the moment I smelled fresh banana bread and saw it sitting there, I had to have some. I just couldn’t help myself. For what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure it’s the best I’ve ever had.”

Mom leans over and pats Lucy on the shoulder. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re family now, and you know that saying. What’s mine is yours, yadda yadda yadda. I want you to feel at home here, and since you’re carrying my grandchild, you eat every bit of food in this house and I won’t mind. You’ve got to keep your strength up. Plus, if that little one is anything like his daddy, he’s going to be a grower. I swear, I was hungry twenty-four seven with Kale. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a sweet tooth or I probably would’ve put on a hundred pounds. I had a garden at the time, and I was eating more than I could produce. Of course, that was after twelve weeks of the worst morning sickness known to man. Has Kale ever told you the story of how he got his name?”

I groan as a slow smile spreads over Lucy’s face. She leans against the counter and grabs another piece of bread, tearing off an end and popping it into her mouth. “You know, Ginger, I’ve always wondered where his name came from, but he’d never tell me. I think it’s important that I know everything about the father of my child, and I’d love to hear the story.”

Mom’s eyes light up and I groan again. I should’ve prepared myself for this, the trip down Memory Lane, but I was so caught up in the excitement of Lucy’s meeting my family that I forgot how much of an oversharer Mom is.

She claps her hands together, all too delighted for story time. “I completely agree. Kale, go get your sisters so we can sit down to dinner and embarrass the hell out of you. Oh, this is going to be so fun!”

Shaking my head, I know there’s not much Mom can say that’ll faze me when it comes to Lucy. She already knows which subjects to avoid. As I go to find the girls, I only hope that they’ll do the same.

Lucy

GINGER’S DONE everything to make me feel at home, and I breathe out a sigh of relief knowing that Kale’s going to be the subject of dinner conversation. I was hoping not to get grilled the way Mom did to him, and it looks like I’m in the clear on that one—at least for a little while. The truth is that Kale hasn’t let on too much about his childhood and I’m excited to hear about him as a boy, especially from the mouths of the women who I can already tell love him more than anything.

After Kale rounds up his sisters, we fill our plates buffet style before sitting down around a round table that overlooks the gulf. Ginger does a quick blessing, and my cheeks flush when she mentions being grateful that Kale and I could both be here with them. I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep them from welling up.

As we begin to dig in, Ginger speaks up. “Okay, son, I know this is your first Thanksgiving home in years, and I normally wouldn’t do this to you, but since Lucy’s here, it’s my duty as your mom to tell all the stories I can about you. Since I only have a couple of days, I’m going to start now, going back to the conversation we were having in the kitchen.”

Kale chokes on a bite of turkey, and I watch in amusement as he takes a sip of his water to clear his throat. He sets down his fork, holds up a hand, and stops her. “Can I say something first?” he requests, and she nods her head, waiting for him to start.

This feels all so reminiscent of the scene from just last night, except instead of my mom grilling him, his is ready to spill all his secrets. I let out a small giggle at the thought, knowing that he’s had it much worse than I have on this trip even though I’m the pregnant one. He looks over at me and gives me a wicked grin, which I return. Knowing I have his mom’s acceptance means the world to me, and I’m ready for him to finally spill the beans to his sisters.

He takes hold of my hand and places our entwined fingers on the table. “Umm, well, before we get into the ‘how far can we go to embarrass Kale session,’ I’d like to make an announcement.”

Before he can say anything, the twins start spouting off guesses. “You’re getting married?” Kaylie asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

“You’re gay!” This comes from Kalli, who’s quickly on the receiving end of a slap to the arm. “Hey! What was that for?”

“You’re an idiot. Of course he’s not gay. He’s here with Lucy, you twat,” Kaylie mutters, her voice laced with incredulous exasperation. She gives me a sympathetic smile and shakes her head at her sister’s antics.

“She could be his beard! Come on. You know I’ve always wanted a gay brother, and well, Kale hasn’t dated since— ouch!” She’s cut off when Ginger leans over and pinches her.

“That’s enough, Kalliope Montgomery. Your brother isn’t gay and Lucy is most certainly not his beard. Now shut up, you two, and let him speak.”

Kale glares at his sister, who’s sitting up defiantly, not fazed by her mother’s scolding. “I can’t believe you think I’m gay, Kall.”

She shrugs her shoulders and grins at him. “You haven’t brought a woman home in years. For your sake, I was hoping it was because you preferred men. Now that I know it’s because you couldn’t get a date, I just feel sorry for you. But that’s okay. You know I love you, big brother. Always have, always will.”

“Jesus Christ! Shut the hell up and let him speak, Kalli, or I swear to Zeus I’m going to duct tape your mouth shut,” Kaylie threatens, and I can’t help the laughter that escapes my lips. She looks at me with bright eyes. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m an equal opportunist when it comes to deities. I’m kind of obsessed with all things religion and mythology. It’s a gift and a curse.”

“Good fucking God,” Kale mutters before standing up and pulling him with me as he wraps a protective, possessive arm around my waist. “We’re having a baby. I’m not gay, we’re not getting married— at least not yet—and Lucy sure as hell isn’t my beard. What she is is the mother of my unborn child and you’re incessant freaking chatter just made me break the number one rule of not swearing around the baby.”

Complete silence fills the room, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Their ‘incessant chatter,’ as Kale so eloquently put it, was endearing, and I loved watching the back and forth between the siblings. But this? The silence is unbearable as two sets of eyes look back and forth between Kale and me, then to Ginger, who’s smiling brightly, and then back to us.

It’s almost more than I can bear, and I’m about to excuse myself when I hear Kaylie whisper, “Jupiter’s balls,” and the room erupts.

Kalli scoots back her chair and jumps up. Then she runs around the table, and I’m completely unprepared for her collision as she throws her arms around us, jumping up and down at the same time.

“Oh my God! That is so much better than you being gay! I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d totally love you either way, but I’m going to be an aunt?! That’s the best news ever! You know how much I love kids!” She pulls back and my heart warms at the sight of the excitement on her face. “This seriously is the best news ever. Sorry I called you a beard, Lucy.”

“It’s no big deal. I promise.” I laugh.

A moment later, Kaylie pushes her sister aside and gives us both a hug as well. She’s less rambunctious than her twin, a fact for which I’m grateful because two of them would be way too overwhelming.

When she lets go, I can see that she has tears in her eyes and she’s focused solely on her brother. I step out of the embrace, letting them have their moment. Kalli’s chattering in my ear, but I don’t take my eyes off them. Kale must see her tears, and I watch as he places his hand on the back of her head and draws her into his chest. I can see her shoulders shaking as he caresses her hair reassuringly. I strain to hear what they’re saying, but it’s too low for me to make anything out. I’m confused at Kaylie’s reaction, and for a moment, I feel like I’m missing out on something important, but I have no idea what. Looking over at Ginger, I see that she’s watching them with tears in her own eyes, but as if she can feel my eyes on her, she turns to me. Wiping her eyes, she laughs it off.

“The Montgomery women are an emotional bunch.”

Upon hearing this, Kaylie moves away from Kale, giving her mom a glare. “I’m not emotional. I’m just exceptionally overwhelmed at the prospect of another Montgomery in the world. That’s all.” She turns to look at me, giving me a tight smile, which causes a tightness in my heart. “I’m very happy for you both. Now that the excitement’s out of the way, let’s get back to eating. We don’t want it getting cold.”

We all settle back in at the table and Ginger takes over the conversation. “Okay, where was I? Oh yes! How Kale got his name,” she remembers cheerfully, causing both girls to groan.

“We’ve heard this story a thousand times,” Kalli complains.

“Well, Lucy hasn’t, so you’re going to have to suffer hearing it once more. Anyways, as I was telling you, I had the worst morning sickness when I pregnant with him. I couldn’t keep anything down, and even when I could, I felt too nauseated to eat. It got to the point where I was exhausted all the time and I had no energy. I was a horticulture major at the University of Alabama at the time, and one of my professors brought in a juice recipe for me to try out. She said it’s what saved her in her first trimester. It was a blend of kale and ginger, the latter being the important ingredient in helping curb the nausea.

“To be honest, I almost disregarded the notion, but finally I was so desperate that I’d try anything. I sent his dad out for all the ingredients and then realized I had no idea how to make it. Now back in those days, juicers were expensive beyond belief, but I think he was as miserable as I was and he surprised me with one.” She smiles at the memory before continuing the story.

“That was their dad. Sweet and thoughtful, just not meant to stay in one place. He had a restless heart. Anyways, the first day when he set the thick green liquid in front of me, I almost gagged. The ginger smell was so overwhelming, and I couldn’t even stomach drinking it. Eventually he realized he was only supposed to use a bit of the ginger and not the whole root. So he tried again the next morning, and surprisingly, I liked it. It was fresh and delicious, and most important of all, it worked. I don’t know if it was the ginger or the kale, but I didn’t have another bout of morning sickness for the rest of my pregnancy. When it came to naming the baby, it was a no-brainer. The irony didn’t cross my mind either. Ginger and Kale. That was me and my little boy, and he couldn’t have been more perfect.”

My eyes are brimming with tears as she smiles at her son, who smiles right back. I can feel the love between them, and I’m wondering when the hell these emotional waterworks are going to cease.

“That’s a beautiful story, Ginger. And I agree. It’s a perfect name for a perfect guy.”

Kale leans over and places a kiss on my cheek before his lips come up to my earlobe. “Told you, babe. Kale does a body good.”

I’m about to answer when Kalli interrupts the moment. “All right, now that the name story’s over with, it’s my turn. Oh, I have a good one. Lucy, has Kale ever told you about the time he let us dress him up as a Cabbage Patch doll?” Her eyes are gleaming with excitement as I tell her no. “Perfect! Oh, wait! I think we even have pictures. I’ll be right back.

We all watch as she leaves the room to search for the evidence of Kale’s dress-up days, and he groans next to me. Ginger gives me a knowing smile as her daughter exits the room.

“Don’t worry about her, Lucy. She’s just excited to see her big brother home and happy. We all are.”

“Oh, I don’t mind her. Now I know Kale’s always had a thing for role-play,” I blurt out, immediately covering my mouth, unable to believe what I just said. He chuckles beside me, and I look around the table as Ginger and Kaylie both try to cover up their laughter. “Can I blame pregnancy brain on that one? I sooo didn’t meant to say that out loud.”

Kalli chooses that moment to return to the room, and I could kiss her. “I found it!” she says, stopping when she sees my red face and the others laughing. “What’d I miss?”

Kale shakes his head and motions for her to sit down. “Nothing, Kall. Picture time can come later. I’m starving, and all this talking is putting me in a bad mood.”

I laugh as Kalli starts to pout, but he stops her.

“Later,” he says firmly before turning to me and pointing at my plate. “Eat. Now.”

Biting my lip to keep from giggling at his forcefulness, I dig into my plate as Kale takes control of the conversation, keeping both of his sisters busy by asking questions about what they’ve been up to. They’re both all too happy to be getting attention from him, and Ginger and I eat in silence as we watch them. When she sees my empty plate, she nods her head towards the kitchen, and I follow her there, leaving Kale deep in conversation with the twins.

“There’s plenty more, so help yourself. Those two can keep him entertained for hours if they get the chance. Feel free to relax or steal him away whenever you want.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I know he doesn’t get to come home all that often. I’m okay with hanging out in the background while he spends time with his sisters. In fact, it’s fun just to sit back and watch. You did a great job raising them. I hope I’m not out of bounds by saying this, but from what I can tell, I hope I’m half the mom you are.”

Ginger’s eyes well up and she pulls me in for a hug. “That’s a sweet thing to say, Lucy. And I have no doubts that you will be. If you love this baby as much as you love my son, there’s no way you won’t be a great mother.”

She lets go of me and moves around the kitchen, refilling her plate. I’m frozen at her words, and I have no idea where she got that idea. “We’re not. I mean, I’m not…” I start to stutter, not sure how in the hell I’m supposed to tell my unborn child’s grandmother that I’m not in love with her son. I can’t get the words out, and she gives me a small smile.

“It’s okay, Lucy. You don’t have to say anything. Neither does Kale. I know what I see when you two look at each other. I see how tender he is with you, how you pull strength from him. You might not know how you feel yet, but the rest of us can see it. You’ll get there. And don’t let an old woman rush you. It’ll happen sooner or later, but let it happen naturally. Anything forced is just a disaster in the making.”

Swallowing hard, I can only nod. Do we really give out the vibes that we’re in love? I can’t deny what she said. Instead of dwelling on it, I push it aside and move to get some more turkey as I change the subject.

“Where did you get this turkey, Ginger? It’s so freaking good. I’m usually not even a big turkey fan, but I can’t get enough of this stuff.”

Ginger’s about to answer when I feel strong arms wrap about my waist. Kale’s chin falls to my shoulder as he studies my plate. “Umm, babe, which plate are you eating your turkey from?” he asks, and I wrinkle my nose as I point to the only plate with turkey on it.

He begins to chuckle and Ginger’s trying to hide a smile.

“I may convert her yet, Kale,” she tells him, laughing as she leaves the room.

I turn in his arms, and he’s grinning down at me. “What’s so funny?” I ask, having obviously missed out on a joke.

“I’m pretty sure you just made my mom’s day. That turkey you were just raving about? Yeah, totally vegan. You remember me mentioning the Tofurky, right?” he teases, and I turn around to snatch another piece from the plate, eyeing it suspiciously.

“Seriously? I did think the texture seemed a little off, but I just figured it was how it was cooked. Wow. I had no idea just how good that stuff could be.” And I mean it. I make a note to look it up at the grocery store when I get home because it’s really that good.

“Yeah, the real turkey’s over there,” he tells me, pointing at a plate next to the stove I obviously bypassed earlier.

Ignoring him, I pile the Tofurky on my plate and cover it with his mom’s to-die-for gravy. “Hey, I like it, and I’m sticking with it,” I call to him as I leave him in the kitchen and join the rest of the women in the dining room.

As soon as I sit down, Kalli comes at me full force with questions. “So, Lucy, what do you think you’re having? Do you want to find out the gender? I hope you have a girl. That’d be hilarious. All Kale’s dealt with all his life are females and I’d laugh my ass if he has a daughter.”

Meeting her eyes, I give a slight shake of my head. “I know it’s cliché to say, but I don’t care what the gender is as long as the baby’s healthy. But I think Kale would be perfectly fine having a little girl. Think of all the experience he has growing up with all women. I think he’d be able to handle it just fine.”

Kale walks in just then and gives me a quizzical look. “Handle what, baby?” he asks as he takes his seat next to me.

“Oh, Kalli’s wishing a little girl on us so you continue to be outnumbered, but I told her I think you can handle it.”

“Kall, have you forgotten about Lily? I’m practically her second father. I don’t care if I’m outnumbered or not. I just want Lucy and the baby to be healthy,” he tells her, echoing my own sentiments.

Ginger interjects before Kalli can argue with him. “And I’m sure you’ll make sure that they’re well taken care of, just like you did for the three of us all those years.”

Kale’s face softens and he nods, indicating that he’ll do just that.

I take a moment to look around the table, overwhelmed with how right this seems. Rubbing my belly, I silently let my baby know that he’s going to be so loved. Kale must notice my movements, because a moment later, his hand’s covering mine. When my eyes meet his, I see the love in them, and once again, I know Sprout’s going to be the luckiest kid in the world.