Page 33 of True Sight
“I really want one of these,” she cries, crouching lower to reach Annie’s belly which she’s exposed to the girls. I look at my friend who’s squeezing the space where the bridge of his nose meets between his eyes. “It’s either a puppy or a baby, you pick,” she threatens and my eyes go wide along with my friend’s.
“Oh, sugar, you stop with that baby nonsense,” Ms. Ruthie snips, coming into the kitchen carrying a tray of fresh baked pastries. She was once Magnolia’s caretaker before her parents threw her out. When Magnolia moved in with Kolbi, so did Ms. Ruthie.
“You can’t even cook up an egg without burnin’ it, how do you expect to take care of a baby? You surely don’t expect me to take care of it, I’m too old for babies.” The old woman raises her hand into the air like a stop sign and glares at her charge.
“Oh, I don’t really want a baby. I just say that to get Kolbi to finally give in and get me a puppy,” Magnolia whispers to the old woman.
“I heard that, flower,” Kolbi’s voice booms across the space. Magnolia smiles and giggles to herself before walking over and plopping herself down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Please, Kolbi, look how cute Annie is.” They both look at my dog who’s sitting at my feet, panting and seemingly smiling at the group.
My friend sighs and looks at his wife. “We cantalkabout a dog,” he starts, causing Magnolia to squeal loudly and squeeze him tighter. “You little brat.”
“Oh stop, you know you love it.” Magnolia smirks at himbefore kissing him on the cheek. I simply roll my eyes at the two of them and walk towards the fridge to grab a beer.
“Oh, hey, Conrad,” Hank calls out, walking in from the hallway. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“It’s no wonder, Magnolia here was just telling Kolbi how she was going to have a baby,” I joke, waving the beer bottle at my friend who is sitting at our game table.
“What?” Hank staggers, looking over to Kolbi.
“Now, that’s not what happened.” Kolbi raises a hand to stop Hank’s panicked heart.
“We’re getting a puppy,” Magnolia exclaims as if it is a done deal already.
“That’s not what happened either,” he groans, dropping his head behind him and closing his eyes in defeat.
“What didn’t happen?” Malcolm’s voice cuts in as he enters the room, holding Ophelia’s hand.
“Kolbi’s having a baby,” I throw out, hopeful of Malcolm’s reaction.
“And a puppy,” Hank adds with a smirk.
“Sounds disgusting,” Malcolm deadpans, screwing his face up into a grimace.
“We arenothaving a baby andmightget a dog. If this one can behave.” Kolbi looks towards the girl in his lap and gives her waist a squeeze, causing her to laugh again.
Hank moves towards Bailey and loops his arm around her shoulder. “Thank you for not being difficult,” he praises into her ear.
“Anything for you, soldier,” she says, and turns to whisper something in his ear that none of us can hear. When he smirks, I know it probably doesn’t need to be said any louder.
“Kids?” Malcolm quips to Ophelia, who is also tucked under his arm.
“God no,” she replies with a hint of disgust in her voice.
“Dogs?”
“Also, no.”
“Good girl,” he murmurs before reaching down and smacking her ass like he always does.
As I watch all of them have these very intimate exchanges, I realize that my three best friends have all found their person and I…haven’t. Unless I count Annie, which I won’t because while I might be a perpetual loner, I don’t actually want to be alone for the rest of my life. My mind flashes to a certain auburn-haired Brit who likes to wink at me and has dimples that would make an ice cube melt. I shake my head at the sudden invasiveness of Henry’s face in my mind, trying to shake it loose.
“Okay,” I announce, clapping my hands together to pull everyone out of the little love fests they are having. “Can we start now please?”
“Of course, brother, let’s get started.” Magnolia smiles at Kolbi again before he helps her up from his lap. My friends and I all find our seats at the table as Annie runs to stand next to Bailey who’s standing just off to the side, about to head into the living room. As I sit down, my phone buzzes in my pocket so I pull it out to read the message.
2 New Messages: Henry Baker
