Page 24 of Cowboys at Coconuts

“I can’t believe how well Violet gets around. They grow so fast.”

Vanessa stared at her baby. “You should see her do the Army crawl. It’s hilarious.” As if on cue, Violet crawled off the quilt and onto the grass. Both women chuckled and raced toward her.

Enjoying the shade of a mature oak tree, Suzy settled back into a lawn chair. In the daylight, Vanessa’s freckles were more prominent than ever. Studying Vanessa’s auburn hair and porcelain skin, Suzy peered at the mirror image on Vanessa’s lap and wondered if her twins would inherit her fair skin and red locks or Ken’s brown hair. “Thanks for the impromptu invitation. You really brightened our day.”

Her son, Jon, stared at his shoes. Suzy glanced up in time to see his jaw clench as Fernando flipped burgers. Something was off. Her mother’s intuition kicked in. “Guys, is everything okay? Is this an impromptu visit or something else? Why am I getting a weird vibe?”

“Let’s eat first, Mom.” Jon avoided her gaze.

Suzy’s face fell. “I knew it. What’s going on?”

Holding the spatula in mid-air, Fernando said, “Sorry, Mama Suzy, but we’re going to Europe.”

“Who is?” Suzy asked.

Fernando pointed the spatula one by one toward Jon, Vanessa, and baby Violet. “All of us.”

“All of you?” Suzy’s eyebrows shot up. “What? When? For how long?”

“I knew you’d hate the idea.” Jon glanced at his husband. “I wanted to ease into this.”

“Pshaw. It’s better to rip the bandage off.” Fernando slung his arm across Suzy’s shoulders. “We’ll have Skype and can send photos back and forth. Besides, Mama Suzy, we’ll be back in no time. No longer than a few months.”

“Months?”

Fernando flipped another burger and added cheese slices on top. “You’ll be so busy with the twins you’ll never miss us.”

Eyes filling with tears, Suzy said, “I know Mama Gia wants to be a part of Violet’s life but the timing is”—she sniffed—“crummy.”

“Sorry, Mom. Mama Gia and Fernando’s brothers, Luigi, Frankie, and Vinny, are dying to see the baby. I know it isn’t perfect timing, but she won’t stop pestering us.”

Fernando shot Jon a look.

“Well, she won’t.” Jon threw both hands in the air. “You know your mom texts daily and insists on constant photos of Violet.”

Shrugging, Fernando sighed. “Can you blame her for wanting to see her bambina?”

Crossing the yard, Ken embraced his wife. “We were looking forward to being empty nesters.” He chuckled. “At least for a few months, we will be.”

Vanessa handed baby Violet to Suzy. “You can take her home for a couple of nights if you want. We’d all love a good night’s sleep.” Her comment broke the ice.

Reaching for the baby, Suzy said, “Everyone’s leaving us, Ken.”

“We’ll be fine. I can change a diaper.”

“Plural. There will be two babies needing diaper changes in a few months.”

Winking, Ken said, “Surely you’re not afraid of something that’ll weigh less than ten pounds.”

“I’m very afraid,” Suzy quipped. “It has been a long time since I changed Jon’s diaper.”

“Mom.”

Fernando put the steaming cheeseburgers on a platter. “Let’s discuss Jon’s diapers after we eat.”

They ate mostly in silence after the wet-blanket news. Soon, Violet squirmed, squealed, and decided to have a good, ear-piercing cry.

Suzy bounced the baby and kissed her cheek. “That’s how I feel, Violet.”

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