“Nope,”Heidipipes in. “He’sgoing to be sooo nice ‘causeIwant a mom and he said he’ll find me one.”
Everyonelooks atBlake.
“Isaid ‘someday.’Sodon’t go getting all cheerleader-y about it.”
Zoeturns toHeidi. “Idon’t have a mom, either.”
Heidi’sface lights up. “We’retwins!Didyour mom die, too?”
Zoenods. “Shedid.”
“Minedied whenIwas a tiny baby.Butshe gave me to daddy because he loves me the best.”Shelooks up atBlakeand grins at him with a smile smeared with ketchup.
“You’vegot that right,”Blakesays.
“Soa stork didn’t bring you?”Zoeasks.Ihad forgotten thatItold her that.
Heidilooks confused, then shrugs. “Charlie, you tell her.Ihungry,” she says, then takes a bite out of the piece of watermelon she’s holding.
Charlielooks toBlakewith an eyebrow raised, and he nods his head.It’shis story, not mine, soI’dnever tell it without his permission, either.ThenCharlieturns toZoe. “Blakewent on a date withHeidi’smom once.Hedidn’t know she had a baby until she showed up withHeidi.HeandHeidi’smom weren’t a good match, so they never went on a second date, but my brother here,”Charliesays, clapping him on the shoulder, “was apparently adorable withHeidi.
“So, a couple of months later when she needed help and had no one to turn to, she showed up at his door and asked if he could take her for a week.AndbecauseBlakeis a good guy under all that gruff exterior, he said yes.Shedidn’t come back for six weeks, though, and by then, we’d all fallen in love withHeidi.”
“CuzI’mloveable,”Heidisays as she goes in for another bite of watermelon.
“Thatyou are,”Charliesays.
Blakeclears his throat. “Whenshe came back, it was with paperwork to give me full custody of her.Shefound out she had terminal cancer, and the doctors thought she might only have days to live.Shedidn’t have any family and didn’t wantHeidito go into foster care.Ididn’t want her to, either.”
Iglance atZoeand see her looking atBlakewith curiosity and admiration.Likeshe’s seeing him differently.
“Noneof us did,” my mom says.
“Sowe all rallied together to help,”Charliesays, “and now we get to loveHeidiforever.”
Myeyes are still onZoe, andIcan see that the story is making her emotional and that she isn’t okay with everyone seeing her get emotional.Mymom is watchingZoeclosely, too, and it hits me that she probably understands so much more about howZoegrew up thanIdo.
I’mtrying to think of a way to change the subject but come up empty.Mymom doesn’t, though.Shesays, “Ifit’s notBlake, maybeEmerson.”
“Heis the nicest and most adult of us all,”Jacesays.
“OrCharliecould fall for someone at any time,” my mom says. “Younever know.”
“Well, there is someoneIkinda have a crush on,”Charliesays, dragging out the word “kinda.”
Everyoneis whooping andCharlieis blushing andI’mpretty sureCharlienever would have made that announcement in front of everyone if she hadn’t also noticed thatZoewas uncomfortable and was looking to take the attention off her.Charlie’samazing about things like that.
“Tellus more about him!”Mackenziesays, “What’shis name?What’she like?Whatdoes he do for a living?Howdid you meet him?”
“Hisname isOwen.Idon’t know his last name.He’sgot dark hair, some scruff, kind eyes, a happy smile, and…Ireally don’t know much more about him— he just moved into the townhome attached to mine in the middle of last week.Idon’t know what he does for a living.I’veseen him on three different days so far.Onone of the days, he was wearing a suit.Anotherday, he was wearing construction clothes— work boots, jeans, a t-shirt, all covered in dust.Andthe third time, he was wearing gym clothes.”
“Hisjob has a very confusing dress code,”Mackenziesays.
“So,”Milessays, “either he is a member of aVillagePeoplecover band and singsYMCAon the weekends, or he’s moonlighting as a superhero with the worst disguise ever.”
Charlielaughs. “I’msure it’s one of those.Toanswer how we met…Um, do you remember how the washer went out in my place last week?Well,Icame home from the laundromat with two garbage bags full of wet laundry—”
“—because your dryer still works—”Jacecut in.
