I could have sat farther away from everyone, down near the other end of the table, but that
would have made me look like a petulant child. Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to join them at the table, so with a sigh, I sat beside my ex-girlfriend. I still wasn't convinced the baby was mine.
Danielle grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly, a wide smile on her face.
“Feel it, Malcolm?” she beamed, smiling brightly.
I felt nothing. No movement, no sign of life. Nothing. She clearly felt something though, and her eyes filled with joy.
“The baby kicked. I'm sorry you missed it, but hopefully soon, you'll get to experience it with me,” she said.
“Isn't it too early for that?” I muttered.
My mom piped in. “She's about four months along? Then no, you can feel movement at about sixteen weeks,” she said, a look of happiness in her eyes I hadn't seen for some time. “It's early, but it just shows that the baby is healthy.”
I nodded. “Good to know.”
“You have a lot to learn still,” Dad said. “But don't worry, it'll come to you, Malcolm. It'll be second nature to you in no time flat.”
Sure, it will, I thought to myself.
Alba brought our dinner out to us. Tonight, it was filet mignon, grilled asparagus, and diced potatoes with butter and chunks of crab meat. My father's favorite – he never skimped on fancy meals. I'd have been just as happy with a burger and some animal style fries from In-n-Out, but family dinners were always a formal affair.
Thinking about In-n-Out brought back pleasant memories and I couldn't contain the smile, as I remembered eating fast food in bed with Casey.
“What are you smiling about, Malcolm?” Adam asked from across the table.
“Nothing,” I said, my face returning to its normal, blank mask. “Just thinking about how much I love a good steak.”
“Uh huh,” Adam said, scooping some potatoes onto his plate. “Are you sure it doesn’t have something to do with that girl who left your office yesterday? The sexy little brunette?”
His eyes bored into mine, trying to read my soul, a smirk on his face.
“I'm not sure who you're talking about,” I said. “I met with Mr. Brownstein, and a few other clients. Oh, maybe you meant Lena, from accounting? She had some questions and her boss is still on maternity leave.”
“I know Lena, it wasn't her,” he said. “Said her name was Casey. A young, pretty little thing, I might add. She looked a little disheveled leaving your office though.”
“Doesn't ring a bell,” I said. “Sorry.”
My fists were balled up on my lap, and I found myself no longer interested in eating. I glared at Adam, wondering what he hoped to accomplish with all of this.
Danielle cleared her throat as she reached for my hand. She looked at me and smiled.
“I'm sure you're mistaken, Adam,” she said.
I pulled my hand away from hers. “I know he's mistaken,” I said. “Not that it matters if I'm seeing someone or not, it's no one's business but my own.”
“Oh, I'd think the mother of your child might have something to say about that,” Adam said.
“Are you so sure it's not your kid, Adam?” I asked. “Because you two were awfully friendly – ”
Dad slammed his fists against the table, making the silverware jump and the glasses nearly fall over as he shouted at us.
“ENOUGH!” his booming voice echoed around the dining room.
Both Adam and I continued staring at each other, but neither of us spoke another word.
“Can we not have one decent meal together, as a family, without fighting?” Dad growled. “Who knows how many more of these I have left? At least you two could pretend to like each other. For my sake.”