“Well, shut the front door, baby. You’re really serious?” I was stunned stupid. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it.
She nodded and the corners of her mouth started to turn up.
“But Baby Nelson is only five months old,” I said.
“I’m well aware of that.”
“I didn’t think that you could get pregnant…”
“We really need to stop assuming that,” she said. “If my math is right, I got pregnant in Mexico. Again.”
That made me grin. I came around the island and hugged her hard. “Holy shit, we’re having another baby! Sera, we might need to put an addition on the house. I think we’ve outgrown this one. Damn, this is great news.” I smoothed her hair back. “Are you okay? Are you thinking about killing me or are you happy?”
She was nodding and crying. “I thought Baby Nelson was the last baby I’d ever have and now…”
“We really need to stop saying that too,” I said, kissing the top of her head tenderly. “Mexico, huh?”
“Mexico. Must be something in the air there.”
“I thought you had all the kids in a family suite with you this time,” Helena said. “How did you get pregnant with three kids and a baby in the room with you?”
“We did have the family suite,” Sera replied. “But sometimes when you’re staying at a kid-friendly resort with four kids you need to lock the bathroom door and turn the shower on.”
More than once. We’d professed to be very clean in Mexico, needing lots of showers.
“You guys are perverts,” Helena said, looking and sounding completely scandalized.
“I feel so sad for Chad,” Toni said, shaking her head at Helena.
“We’re never going to Mexico again,” Sera told me.
“Oh, come on, sweetheart, that’s our place. That’s where we fell in love. We’ve got to go to Mexico again.”
“I’m super happy and excited but this is it, Cash.” She gave me a stern look. “No more babies after this. I’m serious.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I picked her up off the floor and spun her around just because I was overwhelmed with how beautiful my life was with her and our kids. “Damn, I’m a lucky man.”
I called out toward the family room. “Hey! Everyone, come in here. We’ve got some news!”
It took a minute but somehow Miles and Chad managed to herd all four kids into the kitchen, the baby in Chad’s arms.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked.
I looked at Sera and waited, wanting to give her the opportunity to tell them but she smiled at me. “You can tell them.”
“We’re having a baby,” I announced proudly.
“You just had a baby,” Johnny said, sounding confused.
“This is another baby. A totally different baby.”
“What?” Miles said. He clapped me on the back. “Get out of here. Congrats, man.” He looked at Sera. “This is congrats, isn’t it? Or do I need to shield Cash from bodily harm at your hands?”
“It’s congrats.”
“Y’all need to figure your stuff out or this is just going to keep happening,” Ava said, staring down at her phone.
That girl was on fire tonight with her opinions. I grinned because she wasn’t wrong.
“Baby!” Marigold shrieked so loud I blinked. “Can we have a girl this time? Can I name her?”
“What would you name her?” I asked, bending down to pick up Marigold with one arm. I still hadn’t broken myself of the habit of picking her up. Maybe by the time she was double digits I’d quit carrying her.
“Pooky.”
That’s what I got for asking. “Pooky Young? We’ll have to run that by Mama.”
“I have some news too,” Toni said.
We all turned to look at her.
“What news?” Miles asked, watching Toni carefully. “I don’t know about any news.”
“I’m pregnant, too,” she blurted out, biting her fingernail. “I found out yesterday and I was trying to figure out how to tell you.”
Whoa. I didn’t see that coming.
Neither did Miles apparently.
For a second he just stared at Toni and the entire room seemed to hold their breath. Then Miles grinned. “Shorty, that’s fantastic news! A baby, oh my God. I’m so happy.” He kissed Toni and gave her a tight, long hug.
“Congratulations, man,” I said, and we clasped hands and side hugged.
Toni and Sera hugged and then held hands and then suddenly they were both jumping up and down and laughing and crying.
“We’re having babies at the same time!” Toni said. “This is amazing!”
“I know!” Sera said.