Page 48 of Broken Grump

“Right. Baby steps, right?”

“Exactly.”

Next, Claire grabs onto my arm with her sweaty hand.

“Oh, my gosh. Claire—” I glance over at her, and I see that her face is completely green.

“I . . . I really don’t feel well.”

Oh, no.I spring into action mode, help her to her feet, call out for Hayden to watch Luna in my absence. I then sprint with her inside the house and into a nearby bathroom.

We just barely make it over the toilet before she releases the contents of her stomach.

“Here. I’ve got your hair.”

Before Luna, assisting someone barf would’ve made me sick myself. But now, I really don’t mind.

When she’s finished, she sits next to the porcelain thrown with her knees bent in the air.

I crouch next to her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m so, so sorry.”

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary at all.”

Then, I notice her counting something on her fingers and then looking aimlessly in the distance.

“Claire?” My hand waves in front of her face. “Are you going to be sick again? It’s okay if you are. I’m right here to help.”

After gulping hard, she admits, “I think I’m pregnant again.”

Holy shit!

“Would you mind? There are tests in the medicine cabinet.”

Oh.I scramble to my feet.Of course, she keeps them around. Someone as fertile as her, even at her age, would need to.

I get one out and hand it over to her. “Okay, so I’ll just be—”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.” I leave and close the door behind me.

A few minutes later, she opens it with a somewhat defeated yet happy look.

“Well?”

She sniffles and then holds up the positive test. “There’s going to be a ninth O’Brien.”

I wait a few minutes to gauge for sure how she feels about this newest addition.

But after she smiles and gives me a hug, I’m more comfortable openly celebrating with her.

From there, I walk out with her before she pulls her husband aside from the other men and tells him about the good news in private.

“What’s that all about?” Hayden approaches me from behind with a hamburger in his mouth.

“They’re having another baby.” I’m sure they don’t want those who are close to them to know so soon, but it doesn’t really matter for nobodies like us.

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