Page 25 of Bump in the Night
Pumpkin
Thanksgiving
My dad sent me home with John and Elliot that night because he wanted to ask Cynthia for a divorce in private. He knew she’d likely throw a hissy fit and didn’t want me to be there for it. I actually would have liked to see ithappen.
She threw my mom’s diamond earrings down onto the kitchen table and said I was a spoiled brat. Ireallywish I’d seen that so she could say it to my face. I would have acted stoic in the face of her bitchiness. Screw fighting fire with fire. Icing her out would have feltsomuchbetter.
My dad saidshewas the brat – and told her he’d give her a million dollars in return for the divorce. She’d married him for the money to begin with, and she was happy to walk away with a lump of cash and not have to deal with me or dad everagain.
The act she’d put on at the Halloween party, when news of my capture had hit, was actually caught on camera by a local news channel camped out in front of the Waldorf Astoria, where the party had been held. She’d made it all about her. This was the nail on the coffin for my dad. He hadn’t told me before all this that he’d already been on the fence about asking for a divorce, but I can’t say I wassurprised.
He’d considered selling the brownstone, but he kept it even though it’s too much house for one person. He kept it because he knows I’ll want to visit. An argument could be made that he should have sold it to move on with his life. It’s so much a reminder of the life we had before my momdied.
But that’s also part of why he decided to keep it – that, and he knows he’s going to want lots of room for his grandkids to visitsomeday.
Somedaysoon.
I moved in with John and Elliot, naturally, and they always insist on driving me to campustogether.
John likes to put me in tight little dresses and high heels and show me off, taking me to nice restaurants and cultural events. Elliot grunts after us with his arms folded across his chest, biting back sneers whenever anyone looks at me, and when we get home, he gets to be the first to do whatever he wants tome.
When it comes to Elliot’s turn to plan date night, we all stay inside – and when our dinner deliveries arrive, he shoves a wad of cash at the poor delivery guy and slams the door in his face. I make him tip the full bill when he does that to make up for how brusque heis.
I love them both with all of my heart. One hundred percent of my heart belongs to John, and one hundred percent belongs toElliot.
I dream about both of them every singlenight.
I took a test last week and yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment to confirm it. I don’t know which one of them the biological father is, but I know who the father is in spirit. It’s both of them – and this kid is going to be so damn spoiled by all three of us – and my dad – that it’ll give Cynthia whiplash if we ever run intoher.
My heart is so full, and it’s about to getfuller.
“You are so fucking gorgeous,” Elliot says as he comes into the kitchen. I breathe him in. Deep caramel and whiskey. It makes a little ribbon uncurl behind my belly button. He wraps his arms around me from behind and puts a kiss on the back of my head. “I likethis.”
His fingers find the edge of my little black dress and he starts to peel it up mythighs.
“I can’t,” I laugh. “Dad is going to be here soon and someone has to get the mashed potatoesstarted.”
“I’m on it,” John says as he comes into kitchen. I turn to catch a peek at him. There’s a spring in his step. He flashes this knee-weakening smile atme.
“Listen, boys,” I say to both of them. I steady my shaking fingers on the edge of the counter. I take a deep breath. “I have…news. I-I took atest.”
Elliot sweeps me up in his arms and kisses my hand like he’s kissing a queen’s ring. John throws his arms around both ofus.
My heart is so alive. In bright, blinding color. Neither asks me who the biological father is. I know they both wish it were them, but hey – we know we’ll want more kids, so we’re pretty sure they’ll both have that opportunity. And if not? Well, we’ll have so much love around us that it’ll be hard tocomplain.
Everything is already so good, and it’s only going to get better. The doorbell rings and I quickly rub my hands on my apron as I go to answerit.
John and Elliot had told my dad about their feelings for me – and my feelings for them – when they’d dropped me back at home once Cynthia was done moving all her stuff out. I eavesdropped from the staircase. They didn’t say anything I hadn’t expected – but they were so delicate and careful about explaining things to my dad. The way they described their feelings was surprising. They were deferential to my dad’s feelings. They told him in no uncertain terms that they both love me and want to take care of me asequals.
For a second, I’d thought my dad actually blacked out. He said nothing for a good, long while. I let out a big chuckle from the stairs and I know they’d heard me because they’d laughed too. I think if I hadn’t laughed at that exact moment, the three of them would have sat in silence together forever. Like, literallyforever.
Dad’s always been perfect, so I didn’t hold it against him when he said he needed time to process everything. My feelings toward two men surprised even me, so I didn’t hold it against my dad that he was surprised, too. Hell, sometimes I’ll still wake up in the morning surprised at how lucky I am to have both John andElliot.
There have been little bumps in the road when it came to my dad accepting us, but not in the way I’d expected. He’s more concerned about how society at large will see us. Many questions have been asked, and not all of them have been answered yet – not fully, anyway. We just don’t know how to answer them, but I know Dad has so much respect for the guys – and loves them like family – that he trusts we’ll figure everything out along theway.
Some of the questions, though – they’ve been pretty funny. Some of them have been pretty damned outthere.
What will you tell the doctor when you go in for your pre-natalappointments?
