Page 3 of Travis

I scoff. “I don’t think so. I’ve never...oh, shit, never mind.”

We hear the front door open, and little Grant screaming. “Uh oh.” Grayson chuckles, running to his wife’s aid.

“What happened?” he asks. “I thought you were at Gymboree.”

“We were.” Laura says, unimpressed. “But Grant had a different plan.”

Grayson lifts his baby son out of the carrier. “What’s the matter, little guy?”

Grant looks at his daddy and smiles wide, and then he proceeds to let out the loudest, biggest fart I've ever heard. Grayson looks at Laura, almost bashfully. Her arms are crossed over her chest. Her toes might as well be tapping on the floor.

“I...uh...I suppose that’s all that was wrong, Laura.” Grayson says, apologetically.

“Well, thank you.” she barks. “I suppose it’s good to know that my husband’s a doctor and he can figure out everything that’s wrong with our son.”

Grayson sits Grant on his arm, and the baby perches up high, as though proud of himself. But Laura, God love her, she can’t stay mad when her baby is so happy, and her husband is so happy to see them both. It makes me ache. “Alright, fine. So Gymboree isn’t as fun as daddy.” She looks over in the corner. “Is that my package?”

Oh, shit. “Err...” I hesitate.

“What’s the problem?” Laura asks, pulling the diaper bag onto her shoulder. The tone that she uses says not to mess with her. It’s her usual tone. Laura’s a tough girl. Before Grayson and Kurt came around, Laura ran this ranch just with her brothers, and before that, with her late first husband. I’ve been working here for about two years. My house, the one I left to Becky, is a ten minute drive from here. Since the separation, Laura invited me to live on the ranch, and I obliged, for lack of a place to go, more than anything.

The last thing I wanted was for Becky to hate me, and we were headed down that road. That’s why we parted ways before things got ugly. We’d been through enough, what with trying to have a baby, and with her start-up business, it was more than we could handle, I suppose. That’s how come we fell apart. Laura and her family have been very kind to me. The job pays well, and it's more of a steppingstone since I’m working towards my master’s degree in engineering. Schooling, for me, has been a part-time endeavor for many years. That’s also something that added to the pressure.

When Becky and I got married, she knew that I was working towards something. Just like she was. What was once the glue that held us together ended up in the end becoming the nail in the casket. But I’m almost there. Just one more semester and I graduate. It’s just too bad that our marriage couldn’t hold up long enough to see it through. Laura’s glare is divided between me and Kurt, and somehow, I wish Will was still here, too. Laura’s the only woman that scares the shit out of me. “They showed up like that.” I blurt.

Kurt, sheepishly hands the box to Laura, as she puts the diaper bag on the table and expectantly holds her hand out.

“I swear, Laura, we opened the box, and that’s what they looked like. I don’t know what the hell is all over them, neither, but I’ve got half a mind to say that the box got opened in transit and mixed with a box of dish detergent or laundry detergent.” Kurt rambles off.

Laura looks through the box, lifting her brows, sighing, as baby Grant coos in Grayson’s arms. “I suppose I knew this would happen. That’s why I had Will bring me his decorations.”

“There’s still lots of time, love.” Grayson states.

“Well, yes, for the wedding.” Laura counters. “But they want to do engagement pictures here next week.”

“Engagement pictures? Isn’t it a little late for that? Aren’t they getting married right before Christmas?”

Grayson coughs in his hand, stifling his remark. “Shotgun wedding.”

Laura slaps him without looking at him, making baby Grant laugh out loud.

“Oh, you think that’s funny when daddy gets hit by mama, do you?” Grayson says to his son.

Laura kisses her son’s cheek and takes him from Grayson. “He needs to be nursed.” She says to Grayson, and then she addresses me and Kurt. “I’ll deal with this. That company ought to be ashamed.”

“Why do these people want to theme their wedding for Christmas, anyway, love?” Grayson inquires with a half-disgusted sneer.

“Probably to hide the giant, pregnant belly.” Kurt snorts.

Laura elbows him in the ribs with her free arm.

“They are just…like that. They like Christmas and they love the look of the ranch, so it’s perfect to them.”

“Is she pregnant, doll?” Grayson asks, trying to keep a straight face.

“No, she’s not, for your information. So, you can all stop acting like children.”

“Sorry, Laura.” We all say under our breaths, in unison.

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