Page 19 of Not Another Yesterday
“So Penny dear, may I ask when your due date is?” my grandmother asks Penny, who already looks like she’s about to pop. The fact that she’s carrying twins certainly adds to her looking much farther along than she actually is.
“February sixteenth, but we’re unlikely to make it that far,” she says with a smile at Frank. “We’re having twins, so the doctor said he’ll be happy if we make it to thirty-six weeks. But to be honest, I’m ready to have these boys now,” Penny laughs.
“You’ll have to at least make it to your baby shower,” my mom chimes in. She’s been planning Penny’s Christmas-themed baby shower for weeks now.
“Oh, how exciting,” my grandmother chirps. “Babies are such a joy. You both will certainly have your hands full with two, but that just means so much more love. Do you have a good village?”
Penny and Frank look at each other with some confusion.
My grandmother laughs. “Family and friends to help you. Unfortunately, Jen and Bobby had moved away to North Carolina when they had Cat, so Gerry and I weren’t around much to help them. Although I did go to stay with Jen for about a month after Cat was first born so I could help out.”
“Yes, my parents are close. Just across the bridge, actually. Frank’s parents live in Montana, but Ran is here,” Penny says with a wink at Ronan.
Ronan raises an eyebrow at her. “I’m not really sure how much help you think I’ll be,” he says with my favorite half-smile. “I don’t know the first thing about babies.”
“We’ll teach you,” Frank chuckles.
Ronan’s phone starts to buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out and takes a glance at the screen, his eyebrows creasing. “Sorry, I have to take this really quick. I’m just going to step outside,” he says to no one in particular, then leaves and heads out the front door, closing it behind him.
“Not very polite to take a call right in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner,” my dad mutters.
I throw him a stern look, while my mom elbows him in the ribs. My dad’s dislike for Ronan has no rhyme or reason other than the fact that Ronan is my boyfriend, especially considering how fond my dad is of Frank.
“So, do you have your nursery all set up?” my other grandmother asks.
Penny nods, rubbing her tummy lovingly. “Mostly. Frank just needs to put together the cribs and then we’re pretty much set.”
“Good call on turning Ran’s room into the nursery instead of mine, by the way,” Steve says with a grin.
“Yeah, we figured it made sense since you’d need your room when you come to visit,” Frank says.
“Plus, the light in Ran’s room is so nice,” Penny chimes in. “It has windows facing north and east; the morning light is just so beautiful in there.”
“And it helped that Ran’s room was already mostly empty. It was really just his bed and desk left,” Frank says.
It’s true. Ronan obviously took most of his possessions with him when he moved in with Shane, which wasn’t too much to begin with—just his clothes and books. He even left his hockey gear behind.
The chat about babies continues for a while, and I begin to wonder about Ronan when he still hasn’t returned to the dinner table fifteen minutes later. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom, and I look out the doorway window. I spot Ronan—his phone still to his ear—pacing the short walkway.
“Who’s he talking to?” Steve asks me in a quiet voice when I return to the dinner table. He obviously figured I was checking on Ronan.
I shrug. “How did he seem to you this morning at the gym?”
He looks at me sheepishly. “I actually hadn’t seen Ran yet today; I didn’t go to the gym.”
“Too tired?” I ask with a giggle.
Steve nods. “Yeah. When Shane texted us at like six-thirty that he and Ran were heading out, I just looked at my phone, shoved it under my pillow, and rolled over to sleep some more,” he chuckles.
“Six-thirty? What happened to eight?”
“No idea. Maybe they were up and just wanted to get it done.”
I hear the front door open, then close before Ronan walks back into the dining room. I watch him as he retakes his seat between Steve and me.
“Everything alright?” Steve asks him before I get the chance.
“Yep, all good,” he says. Steve and I exchange another look. Ronan notices. “Jesus, guys. I’m fine!” he says quietly but forcefully. “Can you both stop acting like I’m a wounded animal?”
