Nip it in the Bud (Bunch-A-Blooms 3)

I feel my panic recede as we giggle.

“Are you feeling better now?” Olive asks.

“Much. Thank you, girls, for coming over.”

“That’s friends are for,” Olive says.

“What she said, plus pancakes were promised.”

“Gee, thanks,” I say.

“What? Pregnant woman.” She points to herself, and I shake my head. This is my crew, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

“Are you meeting them there?”

“No, they’re picking me up around noon.”

“That gives us enough time to help you pick out an outfit. Come on, let’s do the dishes, so we can get you ready.”

A few hours later, I answer the door feeling ready to face whatever the day has in store for me.

“You look great,” Drew says as he kisses my cheek.

“Thank you.” I step outside and see two girls with dark curls and skin the color of coffee with a healthy dollop of cream. “Oh! Is … their mom black like me?”

“No.” He shakes his head, and my eyes widen. Then how?

“Biologically, they’re not mine. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to tell you that.”

The truth pitches me over the edge of like into love. He took these girls on as his own responsibility sacrificed and raised them when he didn’t have to. In a day and age where plenty of biological fathers shirk their responsibility, he stands heads above the rest.

“You’re amazing, Drew.”

He tenses. “They’re mine just the same.”

I nod my head. “I know they are.”

He relaxes, and we head to the car.

“Girls, this is Willow. Willow, this is Ilana and Neomi.” At first glance they look identical, but I know in time I’ll learn to tell them apart. For now, I make a note of the fact that Neomi has a ponytail, and Ilana has a French braid.

“Hi Ms. Willow,” they chime. Their eyes are guarded, but not openly hostile. I can work with this.

“It’s nice to meet you, girls.”

“You too.” They’re polite but clearly skeptical. I can’t blame them.

“I haven’t been to the butterfly show in a long time, so I’m excited.”

“You work in a flower shop, right?” Neomi asks.

“I do.”

“Why don’t you have flowers in front of your house?”

I laugh. “Because the flowers in the shop demand all my attention. Sadly, anything other than succulents, which don’t require a lot of care, would die with me in charge of them because of my schedule. We grow a lot of our own flowers at Bunch-A-Blooms, so I have a garden in a way.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Neomi says.