Page 20 of Dad's Best Friend Scientist
“Don’t worry about it,” she says. “I’ll call and let her know. You know what? I’ll tell her you’ll stay the night in our house.”
“What? Wait!” I protest and head toward the door.
But David pulls me back. “Sounds good, Mom!” he shouts at the door. “In the meantime, we’ll make more babies before dinner. We promise!”
I glare at him while Linda chuckles before walking toward the kitchen.
As soon as we hear the footsteps descending the stairs, David carries me out of the study and into his bedroom.
“Ready for more?” he whispers into my ear.
I giggle like the happiest girl on earth. “Yes, sir!”
Epilogue
Zena
Five years later
I’m helping Linda, my mother-in-law, pick figs again in the backyard.
My children, Matt, Eddie, and Pete, are with us. Matt, the oldest, is holding a basket for his grandma. Eddie is looking for bugs in the ground, and Pete is chasing a squirrel.
“Do all fruits have seeds, grandma?” Eddie asks while staring at a fruit bitten by a squirrel.
“Yes,” Linda says.
“Do people have seeds, too?”
“Of course, baby,” Linda chuckles. “You’ve got tons of seeds in you.”
“Does it mean I’ll have trees growing inside me one day?”
Linda and I laugh, and I ruffle my son’s hair.
“No, silly boy, but your seeds will turn into babies one day,” Linda says.
His eyes widen. “How?”
“That is a question for your daddy, honey,” Linda says with a laugh. “But you’re all made of your daddy’s seeds, including the little one in your mommy’s belly.”
Shit. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. My mother-in-law is never tired of the reproductive topic and doesn’t even bother to be modest in front of the kids.
But I have no complaints. Thanks to Linda’s subtle intervention, David and I got together. And thanks for her tireless encouragement, we’ve made one baby after another over the years, without a break. Although sometimes I think I’m just a baby-maker to her, I can’t say I’m not proud of myself for the healthy kids I’ve brought into this family. Besides, baby-maker or not, Linda has been treating me like a princess since I moved in with them. She convinced my reluctant parents that David and I were perfect for each other and threw us a lavish wedding when we got married. She’s also been the best nanny on earth, making it possible for me to pursue a nursing career instead of being entirely a housewife. David moved back to Oak Valley like he had promised me and got a job at a robotic lab near where we live. He is no longer the workaholic he was before, but stays home a lot to be with the kids.
The engine’s sound in the driveway gets our attention and we all look its way. David is home from work. I run toward him along with the kids. The boys get to him first. Matt and Eddie each grab an arm and Pete hugs his legs. “Daddy, Daddy!” Mat asks. “How do you turn seeds into babies?”
Oh Lord. I chuckle embarrassedly, watching my husband and wanting to see what he has to say.
David laughs while lifting his eldest son and stamping a kiss on his chubby cheek. “Hold on to that question. I’ll tell you all about it once you grow up.”
“I want to know now!”
David glances at me and takes a deep breath. “Okay, little rascal. Let’s put it this way. Mommy takes daddy’s seed, puts it in a pot and gives it water and food, and months later, it turns into a baby.”
Matt nods. “That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it,” David says and puts him down. “Now off you go. Your grandma’s waiting for you to pick the figs.”
