“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Sienna’s pissed she won’t be here for the delivery. Don’t be surprised if that woman charters a flight back to Charming come December.”
I lean closer to him and lower my voice. “So why are they crying?”
He shrugs. “Women cry all the time. I don’t always understand it. When Sienna’s sad, I feed her, snuggle her, and offer a back massage. Makes her feel better every time.”
Johnny smirks. “You mean you snuggle her until she fucks you.”
Ben jabs a finger in Johnny’s chest. “Don’t talk about my woman like that, or I’ll tell everyone about the time you crapped your pants.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Watch me.”
“Okay, kids, enough.” I separate them and pull Johnny into a headlock. “Apologize to Ben.”
“Sorry, bro,” he says as he picks his nose with his middle finger.
Laughing, I let him go when he waves the booger finger near my face. I’m gonna miss these two dumbasses.
Everything’s packed up except some of the furniture. The girls are sitting on the couch, and it looks like the tears have stopped, so I head over there.
Maggie’s face is splotchy, but she smiles when she sees me. “Hey, I was just telling Sienna about the ultrasound.”
“Did you tell her about my swan dive at the end?”
“Not yet. Here, you tell her.” She pats the seat next to her, and I sit down and drape an arm over the back of the couch and turn toward her and Sienna, who’s bug-eyed. It’s an expression everyone seems to have around me these days.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m still stunned about recent developments here.” She waves between me and Maggie. “Last year, you guys had a screaming match in my front yard and now you’re having babies. Plural. It’s a lot to take in.”
You’re telling me.
Maggie gives me a sheepish smile before she turns back to Sienna. “We’ve apologized to each other for all the bad stuff. We’re ready to move on and be adults. No more mustard-filled donuts.”
Sienna howls with laughter. “I love the pranks she pulled on you, Olly. Who knew Maggie was such a little deviant? When we interviewed her to babysit for Lily, she had her letters of recommendation alphabetized and tabbed.”
“I don’t mess around with childcare. My little sister is autistic, and when my mom leaves directions for Frannie, she really needs the babysitter to follow it. So I take that seriously. But when it comes to getting back at the guy who drove off my boyfriend”—Maggie gives me a look—“I guess you could say I played a little dirty.”
“You were too good for Luke anyway. Don’t even pretend you weren’t.” I lean close to her and whisper, “And for the record, that’s not the only time you liked it dirty.”
Maggie elbows me, and I chuckle.
Sienna juts out her lower lip. “I’m sad I won’t be here for the Maggie and Olly show. You two are such a cute couple!”
“Well…” Maggie fidgets with a strand of her hair. “I wouldn’t say we’re a couple exactly.”
What she means is we’re not a couple yet.
I aim to make this a priority.
It’s just a matter of time.
Maggie continues. “We’re taking it slow. Learning how to be friends. For years, all we did was bicker. I don’t want that for our kids. They deserve better.”
When she says it like that, how can I deny that’s the best route? Didn’t I just say I wanted to take things slow with Maggie? But when I’m around her, I want to be with her. I want her in my bed and in my life and central to all things.
