After lunch, Mia and I were too full for dessert, but Coco asked us to bring her a spoon and the carton of Blue Moon from the freezer. I got them for her while Mia refilled our wine glasses.
“I can’t fucking get enough of this stuff. It’s obscene.” Coco stuck her spoon in the carton and scooped out a big blob of ice cream. “So Emme, with the MGM event Thursday—” She stopped talking, a quizzical look on her face and dropped her spoon into the carton. “Either I just wet my pants, or my water broke. Either thing is totally possible.”
Mia and I stared at her. “Are you serious?” I asked.
Coco nodded, putting the spoon in the carton. “Can one of you get Nick?”
“I will.” I jumped up and ran to the stairs. “Nick?” I called from the landing. “Coco needs you.”
He came flying down three steps at a time a second later. “What is it?” His expression was concerned.
“She thinks her water broke,” I said breathlessly, following him into the kitchen.
Nick went right to her side and took her by the arm. “What can I do, baby?”
“Help me up.”
Nick took one arm and Mia the other as she struggled to her feet. The back of her pants were wet, and she groaned as she walked slowly to the bathroom.
“Don’t ever get pregnant, Emme,” Coco said over her shoulder as Nick led her to the bathroom off the hall. “See what happens? You can’t even tell when you pee your pants anymore. And your husband knows all about it. Romance is dead!” she yelled as she disappeared inside the bathroom and shut the door.
Mia rolled her eyes, and Nick looked at me. “Ignore her. She always gets this way. Having a baby is wonderful. You should have ten of them.”
“Wonderful for you, maybe!” Coco yelled through the closed door. “For me it’s going to be twelve hours of labor and getting this beach ball alien out!”
Nick’s face lit up with a grin. “Does that mean it was your water breaking?”
“Yes.” The toilet flushed, the sink ran, and she came out. “Help me upstairs,” she said to him. “I have to change and grab my bag. Sorry girls. I have to cut the lunch date short.”
“How dare you go into labor before I finish my wine,” Mia joked.
“Don’t worry about us,” I told her.
“Oh, no. My parents are still in Mexico,” Coco said to Nick. “I told them not to take that trip so close to my due date! There’s no one to watch the kids!”
“Hello. I’m here,” Mia said, putting a hand on her chest. “I can handle them.”
“I can stay and help, too,” I offered.
She gave us both a grateful look. “You guys are amazing. Can someone grab Gianni from school at three-thirty?”
“Done,” I said.
“And feed them something for dinner?” she went on as Nick led her toward the stairs.
“Do not worry about a thing, babe,” Mia said. “Just get that baby out so you can have some wine with us this week!”
By the time Nick and Coco came back downstairs, the boys at their heels, Mia and I had put the lunch dishes in the dishwasher, stuck the ice cream back in the freezer, and put the leftovers in the fridge.
“Stay here,” Nick told his wife, leading her to the side door. “I’m going to back the car out.” Even though this was their fourth child, I could see he was worried about his wife, who was wincing as she walked, her eyes shut. He bolted out and ran to the garage. A moment later, his SUV eased into view, and Mia held the door open with one arm, giving Coco a quick hug with the other. “Love you,” she said. “Good luck.”
Nick jumped out to help his wife around to the passenger side, and after closing her door, he hustled around to the driver’s side again. “I’ll keep you posted,” he said, waving to us and the boys, who were jumping up and down on either side of me, yelling, “Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy! Bring us home a baby! But not a girl!”
Mia and I laughed. “It doesn’t work that way, sorry to break it to you,” she told them. “How about I put a movie on for you guys? And get you a snack?”
They were up for that, and as soon as we got them set up in the family room off the kitchen, Mia pulled the wine bottle from the fridge and poured the last of it into our glasses. “Can you stay a little while?” she asked. “I still want to catch up.”
“Sure.” I sank back into my chair. “How are Lucas and the kids?”
She lit up, as she always did when talking about her family, and pulled out her phone to show me photos of the beautiful French-style country home they’d built on the peninsula right next to their vineyards, of the tasting room and gardens where they held events, and a wedding they’d held there over last Christmas. She scrolled through a few more. “Oh, this was last summer.” It was a family photo in which she held their youngest, a boy named Gabe, in her arms, and Lucas held the hands of their two older children, Henri and Ellie. Behind them, the hilltop rows of grapevines disappeared into the sunset.
“God, this looks like a postcard.” I shook my head. “You have the perfect family. The perfect life.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Sometimes it feels that way, sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m very lucky. Now tell me about you. How are your parents? Your sisters?”
I filled her in on everyone, even Stella’s relationship with Buzz, which made her laugh. “Well, different relationships work for different reasons,” she said. “I couldn’t live without sex, but maybe that’s just me.”
“I don’t think I could either,” I confessed, thinking about last night. My stomach muscles tightened up.
“Are you seeing anyone now?” she asked. “Last time we talked, you were getting over that Richard guy.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. “He’s long gone. As for now…” I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. “Maybe.”
She tilted her head. “Maybe?”
“It’s sort of complicated.”
“Talk to me,” she said, tipping up her wine glass.
Taking a deep breath, I told her about Nate, the baby, and what had happened between us over the weekend. “So it’s really new,” I said. “But I really like him. And I think he likes me.” At least, I’d thought so last night.
“Got it. Is he the reason you’re hesitant to move away for the summer?”
“Yes,” I admitted, spinning my empty glass by the stem. “But he probably shouldn’t be. It’s not like we’re anything serious.”
She poked my shoulder. “Give it a chance, Em. It’s been one night.”
“I know, but…I’ve known him a while. And he’s been very up front with me that he’s not a relationship kind of guy and doesn’t really believe in happily ever after and all that.”
Mia nodded knowingly. “I once knew a guy like that. Want to know where he is now? At home with our three kids.”
“Nate’s not like Lucas at all, though. Or like Nick. Those guys are not afraid of showing their feelings.”
“They weren’t those guys when we met them.” Mia rubbed my arm. “I don’t know Nate, so I can’t say for sure, but I do know what it’s like to feel the way you do and worry he’ll never feel the same. Hang in there, give him some time to realize what he has. Concentrate on other things. Let him miss you.”
“Is that what you did?”
She thought for a moment. “Lucas and I lived an ocean apart for months after we first met, so missing each other came with the territory. But I’ll tell you what I did have to learn to do—stop obsessing over what the future would bring and learn to enjoy the present.”
I sighed. “You sound like Maren. She’s always telling me I should learn to be more mindful. She thinks it would help me achieve more inner peace and harmony.” I wiggled my fingers and made a heart pattern in the air between us.
Mia laughed. “God, I love Maren. Who knows, maybe she’s right! Certainly more inner peace and harmony never hurt anybody.”
“I can’t fucking get enough of this stuff. It’s obscene.” Coco stuck her spoon in the carton and scooped out a big blob of ice cream. “So Emme, with the MGM event Thursday—” She stopped talking, a quizzical look on her face and dropped her spoon into the carton. “Either I just wet my pants, or my water broke. Either thing is totally possible.”
Mia and I stared at her. “Are you serious?” I asked.
Coco nodded, putting the spoon in the carton. “Can one of you get Nick?”
“I will.” I jumped up and ran to the stairs. “Nick?” I called from the landing. “Coco needs you.”
He came flying down three steps at a time a second later. “What is it?” His expression was concerned.
“She thinks her water broke,” I said breathlessly, following him into the kitchen.
Nick went right to her side and took her by the arm. “What can I do, baby?”
“Help me up.”
Nick took one arm and Mia the other as she struggled to her feet. The back of her pants were wet, and she groaned as she walked slowly to the bathroom.
“Don’t ever get pregnant, Emme,” Coco said over her shoulder as Nick led her to the bathroom off the hall. “See what happens? You can’t even tell when you pee your pants anymore. And your husband knows all about it. Romance is dead!” she yelled as she disappeared inside the bathroom and shut the door.
Mia rolled her eyes, and Nick looked at me. “Ignore her. She always gets this way. Having a baby is wonderful. You should have ten of them.”
“Wonderful for you, maybe!” Coco yelled through the closed door. “For me it’s going to be twelve hours of labor and getting this beach ball alien out!”
Nick’s face lit up with a grin. “Does that mean it was your water breaking?”
“Yes.” The toilet flushed, the sink ran, and she came out. “Help me upstairs,” she said to him. “I have to change and grab my bag. Sorry girls. I have to cut the lunch date short.”
“How dare you go into labor before I finish my wine,” Mia joked.
“Don’t worry about us,” I told her.
“Oh, no. My parents are still in Mexico,” Coco said to Nick. “I told them not to take that trip so close to my due date! There’s no one to watch the kids!”
“Hello. I’m here,” Mia said, putting a hand on her chest. “I can handle them.”
“I can stay and help, too,” I offered.
She gave us both a grateful look. “You guys are amazing. Can someone grab Gianni from school at three-thirty?”
“Done,” I said.
“And feed them something for dinner?” she went on as Nick led her toward the stairs.
“Do not worry about a thing, babe,” Mia said. “Just get that baby out so you can have some wine with us this week!”
By the time Nick and Coco came back downstairs, the boys at their heels, Mia and I had put the lunch dishes in the dishwasher, stuck the ice cream back in the freezer, and put the leftovers in the fridge.
“Stay here,” Nick told his wife, leading her to the side door. “I’m going to back the car out.” Even though this was their fourth child, I could see he was worried about his wife, who was wincing as she walked, her eyes shut. He bolted out and ran to the garage. A moment later, his SUV eased into view, and Mia held the door open with one arm, giving Coco a quick hug with the other. “Love you,” she said. “Good luck.”
Nick jumped out to help his wife around to the passenger side, and after closing her door, he hustled around to the driver’s side again. “I’ll keep you posted,” he said, waving to us and the boys, who were jumping up and down on either side of me, yelling, “Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy! Bring us home a baby! But not a girl!”
Mia and I laughed. “It doesn’t work that way, sorry to break it to you,” she told them. “How about I put a movie on for you guys? And get you a snack?”
They were up for that, and as soon as we got them set up in the family room off the kitchen, Mia pulled the wine bottle from the fridge and poured the last of it into our glasses. “Can you stay a little while?” she asked. “I still want to catch up.”
“Sure.” I sank back into my chair. “How are Lucas and the kids?”
She lit up, as she always did when talking about her family, and pulled out her phone to show me photos of the beautiful French-style country home they’d built on the peninsula right next to their vineyards, of the tasting room and gardens where they held events, and a wedding they’d held there over last Christmas. She scrolled through a few more. “Oh, this was last summer.” It was a family photo in which she held their youngest, a boy named Gabe, in her arms, and Lucas held the hands of their two older children, Henri and Ellie. Behind them, the hilltop rows of grapevines disappeared into the sunset.
“God, this looks like a postcard.” I shook my head. “You have the perfect family. The perfect life.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Sometimes it feels that way, sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m very lucky. Now tell me about you. How are your parents? Your sisters?”
I filled her in on everyone, even Stella’s relationship with Buzz, which made her laugh. “Well, different relationships work for different reasons,” she said. “I couldn’t live without sex, but maybe that’s just me.”
“I don’t think I could either,” I confessed, thinking about last night. My stomach muscles tightened up.
“Are you seeing anyone now?” she asked. “Last time we talked, you were getting over that Richard guy.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. “He’s long gone. As for now…” I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. “Maybe.”
She tilted her head. “Maybe?”
“It’s sort of complicated.”
“Talk to me,” she said, tipping up her wine glass.
Taking a deep breath, I told her about Nate, the baby, and what had happened between us over the weekend. “So it’s really new,” I said. “But I really like him. And I think he likes me.” At least, I’d thought so last night.
“Got it. Is he the reason you’re hesitant to move away for the summer?”
“Yes,” I admitted, spinning my empty glass by the stem. “But he probably shouldn’t be. It’s not like we’re anything serious.”
She poked my shoulder. “Give it a chance, Em. It’s been one night.”
“I know, but…I’ve known him a while. And he’s been very up front with me that he’s not a relationship kind of guy and doesn’t really believe in happily ever after and all that.”
Mia nodded knowingly. “I once knew a guy like that. Want to know where he is now? At home with our three kids.”
“Nate’s not like Lucas at all, though. Or like Nick. Those guys are not afraid of showing their feelings.”
“They weren’t those guys when we met them.” Mia rubbed my arm. “I don’t know Nate, so I can’t say for sure, but I do know what it’s like to feel the way you do and worry he’ll never feel the same. Hang in there, give him some time to realize what he has. Concentrate on other things. Let him miss you.”
“Is that what you did?”
She thought for a moment. “Lucas and I lived an ocean apart for months after we first met, so missing each other came with the territory. But I’ll tell you what I did have to learn to do—stop obsessing over what the future would bring and learn to enjoy the present.”
I sighed. “You sound like Maren. She’s always telling me I should learn to be more mindful. She thinks it would help me achieve more inner peace and harmony.” I wiggled my fingers and made a heart pattern in the air between us.
Mia laughed. “God, I love Maren. Who knows, maybe she’s right! Certainly more inner peace and harmony never hurt anybody.”
