Page 6 of Capitally Unexpected

I listen to Spencer and Preston argue about some nuclear energy bill being proposed in Congress as Margaret stage manages another family into a successful group photo.

“So, we have that reservation at Joe’s Café for dinner. Everyone still coming?” my dad asks.

Preston and Jax exchange a look. “We’re so sorry, but Senator Marsden needs us to drive over to Rhode Island and meet him tonight, ahead of an event tomorrow. He put it on our schedule yesterday.”

Duncan looks at this phone, curses, and shakes his head. “I’m out too. Something’s up with the Asian markets and I need to look at this before we have a major crash on our hands.”

The warmth slowly seeps out of me, even though Iunderstand. The fact we were all in one place on a non-holiday is a feat.

“Well, I can’t wait for some sangria and a cheeseburger as big as my head,” Spencer says, clapping his hand on my shoulder.

“We’ll be there too,” Hayden says. “We’re staying with Charlotte’s parents tonight, but they don’t expect us until late.”

I smile gratefully at them.

“Okay, hugs before those of you leaving hit the road, please,” Margaret says with a proud smile. “Everyone else, we’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

As Duncan releases me from a hug, he grips my shoulder. “I’m really sorry I have to go, Hunt. There is something I want to talk to you about, but I think it’ll have to wait. Why don’t you come to DC for Memorial Day weekend, and we’ll do it then?”

“Awesome, something to obsess over for a few weeks,” I say, rolling my eyes, but softening it with a smile.

“It’s good news, I promise. At least, I think it is. I’ll have Brenda arrange the details,” he says, turning to walk to his car, his face already buried in his phone.

“You fired Brenda two months ago,” Hayden yells after him, his arm around my shoulder. His body shakes with laughter against my side when Duncan flips him off from two rows away.

“All right, mister culinary man,” he says, yanking on the corner of the cap I somehow forgot I’m still wearing. “Let’s go let our parents pay for our food. Nothing says fresh college graduate more than that.”

“Community college,” I say, not sure why I add the qualifier.

He spins around in front of me, bracketing me on both shoulders. “Hey man, don’t do that. You set a goal, and you accomplished it. School isn’t going to be everyone’s thing, and community colleges are a backbone of workforce preparedness. Be proud of yourself.”

“Thanks, Hay,” I say.

“Anytime.” Changing focus, he shouts, “I call shotgun,” and runs off toward Dad and Margaret’s SUV.

I shake my head, following to drop off my cap and gown before I get on my bike to ride over to dinner. Maybe I’m not the only one who still hasn’t grown all the way up.

Chapter

Five

Michelle

Ten weeks pregnant

Ishift in the uncomfortable olive-green chair, wincing in the fluorescent lighting. The waiting room of this OBGYN office doesn’t look much different from the ones I’ve sat in the rest of my life. Except this is the first time I need the services of the “OB” part of the acronym.

“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” My friend Jax asks from the burnt orange chair next to me. What does it mean I chose the green chair over the orange one? Green radar means light rain, maybe only a drizzle. Orange radar means shit is about to get very real, very fast. An orange chair is more appropriate for my current life stage.

“No, I’m fine.” I look at my phone to check the time, again. “I hope they call me back soon. I know things happen, but it took me two weeks to get an appointment early enough I could come before I need to be at the station.” The weird hours of local weather news don’t always line up with things like normal business hours.

I glance over at the to-do list Jax is working on. “You don’t have to wait, you know. I know this is one of your off days from the senator’s office. You must have a million things to get done.” Jax recently had the secret pen name she writes romance under exposed. Long story short, her career has exploded, and I’m positive she has better things to do than sitting here with me.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jax fixes me with a stare that would stand a chance of stopping an avalanche. “You’d be here alone right now if I hadn’t walked in on you staring at your bouquet of pregnancy tests when I came back for my laptop charger. Admit it.”

She has me there. “I might have told Laurel ...” I trail off, my tone unconvincing. My cousin will probably try to make me move in with her and her wife to keep an eye on me. I need to have a plan in place before she learns anything.

“Sure, Jan,” Jax snorts, confirming I don’t fool her. “And even if you had, she’d be in Marsden’s office right now anyway. So, I’m pretty much the best woman for the job.”

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