Page 85 of Sweet Twins For My Brother's Best Friend

Despite knowing that she means well, hearing my mom tell me to be careful with my money guts me a little. I remember all the late nights spent taking care of myself because my mom and dad were out working their second jobs.

I remember all the things we had to go without and the things that we didn’t go without when we should have. I hold my stomach for a moment, overwhelmed by a strange fear that my baby will feel my memories.

As the fear crystallizes into a childish resentment, I call out across the store, “Hey Chris! Get this!”

Chris’ head pops up from the baby blanket he’s looking at and he turns to look at me. It’s a small boutique, just about 650 square feet, so I’m not hard to hear.

My mom covers her face with her hand, tossing a sheepish look to the owner whose brow is furrowed. Chris tilts his head at me, and I pick up the shoes to show them to him.

“I wanted to get these, but Mom says babies are expensive! Have you ever heard that before?”

“Hannah, stop,” my mom hisses, and I drop the shoes noisily on the shelf before walking across the store back to where Chris is seemingly still looking for the perfect blanket. I collapse into him and let him stroke my back with one hand as he strokes blankets with the other.

“I don’t understand why you are acting so childish. I was just saying that, you know, newborns don’twalk, Hannah,” my mom continues, at my ear, clearly upset.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I just want to make my own choices regarding my babies. Okay?”

Chris rubs my back and turns to my mom. “Everyone’s okay, right? Let’s go ahead and get lunch. I think maybe everyone’s hungry?”

Not wanting my emotions to be boiled down to hunger but knowing it’s a true possibility, I nod. “Sorry, Mom,” I mumble.

“It’s fine,” she bristles. “I am hungry, actually.”

She pulls her purse higher up on her shoulder and walks out to the car in front of us without waiting to see if we follow.

“I’m going to get that blanket,” Chris tells me, kissing my cheek. “Go ahead. You two can figure out where to eat.”

The rest of the afternoon is uneventful. We eat soup and sandwiches. We spend time buying little things we know for sure that we’ll need like diapers and cribs.

My mom shows me a wet wipe warmer, and I remind her that I can just hold a wipe between my hands.

Eventually, she leaves to go home to my dad, squeezing me tightly at the car.

Chris is in his apartment, looking through the window and waving. He’s just a shadow, but we still manage to see him and wave back.

“Sorry that I kind of flipped, Mom,” I murmur into her shoulder, and she shushes me.

“Hey, I know better than to argue with a pregnant woman. I have no idea what I was thinking. Don’t even give it a second thought, do you hear me?”

“Oh, so I get a free pass for the next nine months?”

“Quite possibly. If you play your cards right.”

She tucks my hair behind my ear and asks, “Are you going to be all right?” her smile dropping slightly into a more serious expression. She flips my hair back behind my shoulders.

“Yeah, of course. Chris will take care of me.”

She smiles sweetly and says, “Aw, I know he will. You know what? I was mad when he first told me about the two of you but seeing you together, I can clearly see that he cares about you and will take care of you.” She looks up at him in the window and waves again. “You take care of him, too, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.”

“Call me when you need something. And Hannah?” She walks around to the driver’s seat of the car and opens the door to lean on it.

“Yes, Mom?”

“You two need to talk to Tyler – soon.”

She blows me a kiss before sinking into her seat. I watch her buckle her seatbelt and wave to her from the sidewalk, her words heavy on my heart.

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