Page 114 of Married to Number 22
“What’s happening?” I ask as she sets it in front of me and curls into my side.
“Open your present.”
Scowling, I tug out the tissue paper, pull out the contents…
And freeze.
Because theCongrats, Dad!suddenly makes sense.
Fingers clenching on the edges of the book—thebabybook—I glance down at the woman I love with everything I have in me. “Always surprising me, aren’t you?”
She grins, leaning closer, settled enough inusthat she knows this little—huge—surprise would never be anything but completely welcome. “I know we just started talking about kids,” she says. “But apparently the universe decided it was time for us to expand our family.”
Not start—because we’ve already done that.
The people in this room are evidence of that.
Butexpand—because love isn’t contained, isn’t divided, carefully portioned into bite-sized morsels.
It’s infinite.
It’s showing up for hot chocolate at midnight and sharing a book with a friend. It’s karaoke and twinkly lights and matching rugs on the floor, standing at our sides against people who want to tear us down and filling a locker room with confetti.
It’s showing up, sticking around, and being the steel wall of support as needed.
It’s recognizing the gifts the universe gives us—and protecting them, keeping them safe and secure and fully in the knowledge that there’s nothing they can do to decrease their value.
Because they’re perfect, just as they are.
And…it’s putting aside fear and thoughts ofshouldsandwhat ifsaside in order to just be anus.
“I love you,” I murmur, laying my hand over Luna’s still flat belly.
“I know,” she says. “And we”—she covers my hand with her own—“love you right back.”
My heart is so full it could explode.
Luckily, it doesn’t get the chance to.
“This hot chocolate is the shit!” Smitty booms.
“Language!” my mom warns him even though Bri has heard much worse, many times over.
“It’s fine, Kathy,” she says, right on cue.
“It’s not fine! It’s…”
I sigh.
Luna giggles.
But eventually the trio turns off the antics for long enough for everyone to get in on the conversation, to give Luns and me their congratulations, and to drink their hot cocoas.
It’s messy and loud and filled with teasing.
It’s a family.
Myfamily.
