Page 64 of Finding Basil
Sabrina explained, “Fertilized eggs, two of them, one from you and one from Herb.”
Herb’s entire body shook, and the thing was, he couldn’t distinguish fear from excitement. “Two…at once.”
“Do not scare me,” Sabrina ordered. “I’m already scared.”
“Sorry, honey. I just…this is big.”
“Don’t get in a rush now,” Tilda said.
She was a pretty woman, thick and confident, light brown skin and amazing green eyes. Not that Herb had ever felt vibes from a person or not, but…she had good ones, as far as he could tell.
“I need at least a few months to recover from this birth. That little boy that came out of me was almost ten pounds. I’ll get back into shape, we’ll keep in touch, get to know one another, and if we think it can work, we’ll start the process.”
Basil asked, “For you, what do you need just for you?”
“Besides good medical, I need money each month for rent, which you can pay directly. I’ll need a small stipend for food, clothing, though I do have plenty of maternity clothes, with twins, I may need bigger sizes, if you go for twins. You don’t have to, you know.”
Herb and Basil locked eyes, and Herb saw how excited Basil was. Herb could deny him nothing, so he turned to her and said, “We’re very interested, and we’ll talk about twins, of course. But you recover. And after?”
“After, I’d want twenty-five thousand to live on for the next few months while I recover and can do this all over again. Hopefully, I’ll start being recognized in the art world sometime during all this, and I can just do it for the joy of it, instead of what I live on.”
Herb assured her, “I know a lot of people in the city who are always looking for the next best thing. I can drop your name.”
“Well, then we’ve just become best friends.”
After exchanging numbers, Basil and Herb left the women alone and went back to their respective homes to rest, although neither could, and they were on the phone through the early hours of morning, listing pros and cons, throwing out baby names, all of it.
They’d keep the secret while the wedding commenced, unwilling to have that news get in the way of the wedding that they’d so looked forward.
And it was beautiful. The wedding was held in a small chapel, with the family’s priest presiding. Herb hadn’t converted, and that was usually a requirement, but Father Lehey, well, loved the family enough to break that one little rule.
The party was at Lili’s, just off the fields of sunflowers and marigolds she planted nearest to her home. The patio was huge, meant for parties, parties it hadn’t seen in years.
They’d brought in tents, flowers, buffet tables with chafing trays and a champagne fountain. A bar was set up near the marigold patches, and the wedding party’s table was in front of the field of sunflowers.
It was beautiful.
Toasts were given all night, and the dancing never stopped. Sabrina came but was stationed inside the house most of the time, near her brand-new babies. Herb and Basil spent a long time there too, feeling more and more like their story was being written before their eyes.
Carla and Andrea, another of Basil’s nieces, did a flash mob for their uncles, and everyone joined in the fun. There had never been a better time in his life. Herb was sure that he’d made the right choice when he searched online for a home and found it.
Abuela danced with Herb and told him how much she loved having him as a grandson too. That was possibly the greatest gift he received all night. “He loves you, my boy. That beautiful creature that came into our lives to make us all happy, he has never been as happy as when you’re with him.”
Herb felt tears falling down his cheeks as he said, “I feel the same way. I can’t stop smiling when I’m with him.”
“You found him that day he needed you, and you found him before that. There was something moving you, something you can’t see, can’t hear, but it moved you to him, and him to you. Cherish each other. That’s all you can do in this life. Cherish each other.”
They were cutting the cake, the four-tiered thing with the lemony icing and two silly grooms on the top, when Lila told them she was about to announce her gift.
“Lila, you helped with the wedding, and you let us have it here for no charge!” Herb argued.
“Shut the hell up. Cut your cake and have your first piece.”
They fed each other the cake delicately, and then they kissed, the spice and lemon lighting up their tastebuds as they shared that kiss.
When that was finished, Basil’s parents asked for silence from the rowdy crowd, and they flanked Lila, smiling as Lila announced her gift.
“Now, those that know me, well, I don’t give up easily. I’m as stubborn as the day is long, and we know that for a farmer, that’s a mighty long time.
