Page 137 of Resorting to Romance

Kalaine is standing next to Bodhi. He’s got his arm around her back and she’s got one hand behind him and another resting softly on her abdomen.

Kalaine and Bodhi came back from their honeymoon and lived with Kai for two months. They put an offer in on this house the day it went up for sale. It’s only one block over from Kai’s home. The day after they bid, their offer was accepted. Two days later they left on their next surf trip. This time they were gone for a whole month.

Bodhi looks at Kalaine. “You want to tell them what to do next or should I?”

“You,” Kalaine says.

Bodhi smiles around at the group of friends gathered in their home. “Around the room, you’ll see envelopes sitting in stacks. We’d love it if each one of you would grab one and not open it quite yet. Just hold on to it. When I count down from three, everyone open your envelope at once. Okay?”

The group of about thirty people gathered in the front living room all say, “Okay.”

Kai grabs two envelopes and hands me one.

People murmur, trying to guess what’s inside.

I look up at Kai. “It’s their housewarming, and they're giving us a gift?”

He shrugs.

Once everyone has an envelope in hand, Bodhi looks at Kalaine. “Count down with me, Mavs.”

The two of them count down together. “Three … two … one … Open!”

I tug at the seal of the envelope as the sound of ripping paper fills the room, followed by gasps and exclamations of, “Oh my gosh!” and “Congratulations!”

Kai’s mouth drops open. He runs over to his sister and Bodhi.

I reread the announcement in my hand.

Get ready to welcome the next surfer

to the Merrick family.

We’re expecting!

Bodhi & Kalaine

Kai’s hugging Kalaine and then he and Bodhi embrace and clap one another on the backs.

“You’re officially an uncle, bro!” Bodhi says.

People crowd around Kalaine and Bodhi, congratulating them and giving them hugs.

Once the excitement dies down, we move the party to the back yard where Kai and Bodhi man the barbecue. People fill their plates with grilled meat and side dishes from the folding tables off to the side of the lawn. Twinkle lights have been strung overhead, and clusters of patio furniture tastefully sit around the firepit and on a few other patios. The property has a long yard that stretches back, so even though the houses next door on both sides are relatively close, there’s a lot of room for entertaining.

Throughout the night, Kai’s eyes keep finding mine. Whenhe’s finished manning the barbecue, he’s at my side, looping his arm around me and kissing the top of my head. And when everyone’s finished eating, I’m sitting sideways across his lap as if I’m in my twenties, not a thirty-year-old mom with a seven-and-a-half-year-old son.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Kai murmurs into my ear.

I giggle. “In this?”

I’m wearing a white tank top and the orange oversized sweater I brought to ward off the chill of the evening breeze. My hair is up in what was a pulled-together messy bun, but after a night of helping Kalaine with setup for the party and being held by Kai, I’m sure it’s putting themessyin messy bun.

“You look beautiful in anything and everything.”

“Hey, you two!” Ben shouts over at me and Kai. “Want to share with the class?”

Summer playfully smacks Ben on the arm. “Leave them alone. They’re adorable.”

---