Page 51 of Prayers for the Prickly

“I’ll pick up a bunch of beets at the farmers market then, so I can start making you your own,” I promised, glad I’d at least paid attention in the kitchen when Mom was teaching us the basics.

She’d really instilled in each of us that cooking was better when you did it with someone else. Watching her and Nana working together, I could see where it was a lot more fun. They were always laughing together while dreaming up twists to old recipes. The best part about getting to flex the culinary skills that I did have was that it would also give me some time at the table in the evenings that I could spend drawing and continuing to develop the new ideas I’d been dreaming up.

“When do you think you can get the drafting tables moved?” he asked, his tone curious, not pushy.

“I’ll see who doesn’t have anything going on and we’ll take care of it tomorrow. I’ll take pictures of the space so I can feed them through the design software and start mocking up the sizes of the furniture we’ll need and where everything should go.”

“Oh, oh good. I’ll get that list of furniture to you tomorrow, once I’ve had the chance to pick a few brains around the bakery.”

“Works for me, but won’t they get suspicious when you start asking questions like that?”

“I doubt it, not when they’re already taking bets on when it will happen. At most, they’ll think I’m getting curious and as excited about the prospect as everyone who keeps bringing it up,” August explained. “I mean, I am, but some of them gush about the possibility for so long you’d think they were the ones waiting to hear that they were pregnant.”

“No, I get what you’re saying,” I said. “It’s got to be hard to feel your own excitement when so many others around you are expressing their hopes and encouragement. I’m glad I get to process it without anyone hanging over my shoulder asking me what I’m thinking about.”

“And by anyone you mean Olly.”

“He’s the only one who’d dare to do it.”

“Not the only one,” he reminded me.

Chuckling, I realized that I was going to be in for it once the two of them started conspiring against me. My only hope was that I’d find an ally in Ever or I was going to find myself horribly outnumbered.

“They are going to go nuts when I finally do reveal what’s going on and bury us in an array of amazing outfits.”

“Just because I won’t have someone peppering me with questions every day doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking about them developing inside of you,” I said. “I’m sure I’ll be distracted by thoughts of building them a playground in the yard, and a maze they can play in when they’re shifted. I want to build them a clubhouse, too, something with a table and art supplies, a little reading nook and a place for napping.

“Do you think we can build them a splash pad, too, so they have somewhere to play in summer where they can get wet without trying to go in the pool? I imagine that it would be a big temptation for hot, frustrated kids who might be tempted to sneak down and dip their toes in.”

“And wind up over their heads,” I said. “I see where you’re going with that, and yes, we can. We will also be adding a high fence with a locked gate surrounding the pool to prevent any incidents.”

“Good. I’ll start looking at splash pad designs, we’ve got to get one with the bucket that fills up and then spills over onto the children’s head. That was always one of my favorite parts. I bet our kids would enjoy it, too.”

“All right, then splash pad with bucket is officially on the list of must haves when we start making additions.”

“And a hot tub, too, for winter, so we can sit outside and relax in it while they’re playing in the snow,” I remarked.

“I hope we use it for reasons that don’t involve keeping an eye on our children,” I said, flicking my tongue out at him when he turned to look at me.

“Oh, we will.”

Chapter 20

August

Operation keep impending hoglets a secrets had been rolling along fine for the past three months, one of the few things that had been going well in my life lately. Well, I guess I shouldn’t think of it that way. Things at home were wonderful and Gregor had almost finished planning all of the nursery features and mocking up where we wanted things to go. I’d insisted on including a round table for six, where they could snack once they were old enough to try finger foods. Gregor had designed it to look like a tree trunk with six large roots extending from it, that curved upward to form the backs of the seats he carved into the wood.

Tall dressers interspaced with bookcase shelves would fit the curve of the room better than putting them side by side, especially when he explained about the rounded backs that would allow each piece to fit perfectly in its designated space while still being able to slide along the wall and stay flush when it was moved.

The design worked to allow optimal play space for tummy time and early movement activities while still giving me the table I desired. With the corral and gate he planned to put in, with curved slats that were too close together for little hands to fit through, let alone a head, he’d created the perfect space for them, with a latched gate that would allow us to go in and out while still being able to secure the ones we weren’t tending to.

We were prepared to be told three to five when we did the ultrasound at the end of the week, so preparing for six seemed wise when it came to designing. With all the twins in my family, two sets wouldn’t have been uncommon, either, and after spending some time around his brothers and cousins, I’d learned that it was just as common in theirs.

The crib he was making for them already looked amazing and converted to a bed once they were old enough for some of the railings to come down. I loved that he’d thought ahead to the toddler phase when designing the furniture. Being able to convert the crib to a bed they could use until they were ready for their own rooms meant that we’d still have a nursery space set up, if we decided to try for a second litter down the line. I loved big families, and he’d said he wasn’t opposed to however many the fates blessed us with. His uncles, who would be heading the construction crew for all the renovations wouldn’t be upset about it, either, since they’d have a steady stream of income to look forward to as our house grew with them.

That he was already willing to think about future renovations while we were still in the middle of a massive addition on the first and second floors was another thing I appreciated about Gregor. He took the time to consider possibilities, and never closed his mind to how needs might shift in the years to come. He’d already welcomed my request to expand the pantry and include a refrigeration unit specifically designed for fruits and vegetables, in addition to a wide stand-up freezer.

We were both of the mindset that home cooked was the best way to go when raising our litter, which meant he’d started bringing home cookbooks. With Olly firmly enshrined as the showroom wiz, Gregor had pointed out that he never lacked for carving time, while harvesting driftwood was easy enough to do in the evenings, while I enjoyed one-on-one time with the kids.

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