“Thanks,” he said, starting to walk away and stopped. “Wait. You said you were taking the pressure off of me. Are you having a baby?”
Devin put his hand to his chest. “I’m not having a baby.”
It was the wide grin on Devin’s face, Ivan’s now matching. “But Hope is?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “We told Mom and Dad last night. There was no way I wasn’t letting them know first. Hope just got out of the first trimester so we wanted to wait until then. I wanted to tell you in person.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Congrats. I won’t say anything and let you guys do your thing today.”
“I’ll do it after the family party. Let the kids have their cake and ice cream. Then when it’s done and before everyone else starts to come I’ll pull Aunt Jolene aside.”
“You’re not going to make an announcement?” he asked.
“Nope. I’ve got this planned. Remember, you’ll thank me. And owe me one too.”
He wasn’t sure what that all meant but would have to go with it and trust his brother like he always did.
31
Family Oriented
Kendra’s head wasn’t spinning as much as she’d thought it might with the number of people that she’d been introduced to.
Knowing those in Charlotte as well as she had made it easier. The family from Durham was another thing. All those twins. Good lord. Thankfully not any of them were identical, but it was still a test of her memory.
“How are you holding up?” Margo asked her. The kids were opening their gifts now that cake and ice cream had been passed out.
“Pretty good,” she said. “This isn’t your first July Fourth party, right?”
“No. I’ve been to them all. They did the birthday party first last year too. It’s easier this way. Funny to do dessert first, but it works out.”
It was almost two now and there was no lunch served prior. Lots of snacks that could easily make up a lunch, but not a formal sit-down meal. Cake and ice cream were served a little before two after a few games had been played with the kids. The party would start at three for everyone else, so they still had an hour for the kids to open gifts and get down for a nap for many of them.
Kendra found it funny and wondered if it would happen, but this family planned everything out well and did it around the kids.
Family oriented. Something she’d never had.
Then she had to remind herself she was. It was only with her mother, but she still had it.
“No one seems to be complaining. And Jolene has stayed away from me, so even better,” she said, laughing.
“She means well,” Margo said. “But man, is she pushy.”
“I don’t know if anyone would want her a different way,” she said.
“No, they wouldn’t,” Ella said, coming to stand next to them. “Would you like to hold Landon?”
“Yes, I would,” Kendra said, taking Ella’s son out of her arms. At four months old he was growing like weeds. “He’s getting so big.”
“He is. Eats like his father. Thankfully he’s sleeping through the night and making life easier.”
“You’re not thinking of coming back sooner, are you?” she asked.
“No. I want to stay home until he is six months old. I’m itching to get back, but it’s better this way before he goes to daycare. Next week I’ll start coming into the office to get things, but be working home a few days a week. This is what I did last time.”
She’d known that was the plan. Four months of minimal work, then two months for it part time from home. Part time work for Ella was still most likely thirty hours. She wouldn’t and couldn’t judge though. It wasn’t her life and if this were her business, she’d probably do the same thing.
“You know I’m here if you need anything. I can stay late or bring stuff to you,” Kendra said.
