Page 137 of Our Long Days
Quinn sniffles, and at the sight of his mom’s teary eyes, Ethan makes a break for it.
“Honey, why are you crying?” I pull Quinn flush to my chest.
“He’s so big. And smart. And kind.” Her shoulders quake. “And I’m worried the new baby won’t love me as much.”
My head cocks to the side. Did I hear her right?
Hands on her biceps, I gently pry her away. A wobbly smile and big doe eyes look up at me.
“Quinn. Honey. What new baby?” My voice shakes.
“Surprise.” She cries harder. “You’re going to be a dad again.”
The air gets lodged in my throat. “Y-you’re pregnant?”
Biting her lip, she nods. “I found out this morning. Graham,” she whispers, “it happened.”
I grab her rosy, tear-soaked cheeks and bend down to smash our mouths together. She gasps, hands fisting into my shirt to deepen the kiss.
We pull away breathlessly, a shared look of absolute awe on our faces.
“I wasn’t sure it was possible to be happier than I already was,” I croak, vision blurring. “God, Quinn, how am I this lucky?”
Taking my hand, she presses it to her stomach. “We’re lucky to have you.”
PATRICK
Of course we’re late.
I’m always on time. Johanna is equally punctual.
Our girls, however, are the opposite.
Three equally loud voices argue from the backseat of the truck.
“Maddy, that’s my seat.”
“No, you’re the baby, Olivia. You sit in the middle.”
“Ugh! Shut up. I’m trying to listen to my music.”
Massaging my temples, I count to ten.One. Two. Three. Fo?—
“I see you’re scared to approach the lion’s den as well.” A voice snickers behind me.
“Were you and your sister ever like this?” I ask, throwing a hand at the squabble of girls.
“You don’t want to know what we got up to.”
I turn my pitying expression to Johanna, who only laughs at my expense. “Help me.”
“Honestly, you’re too soft on them.” She pushes up on her toes and brushes a kiss to my chest. “I love you for it.”
Then, she goes into full Mom-mode. With her loud clap, the truck goes silent, and three pairs of eyes dart in Jo’s direction.
“Olivia, your car seat is in the middle. Sit your butt down. Madeline, quit shoving your sister. Lottie, we don’t say shut up.” She smiles sweetly at the girls. “Now, buckle up. We’ve got a party to get to, and your father is a second away from a mid-life crisis.”
Jo slams the back door shut, though their cackling laughter can still be heard. My wife turns to me, pretending to dust her hands. “And that’s how you do it.”
