Page 33 of That Baby (That Boy 3)
I don't bother to try to convince her to stay. If she wants to go home, she can go. I don't care right now.
I let Angel run around the backyard. She's bounding through the grass, chasing her tail, sniffing the fence, and running up to give me kisses. After she finally decides to go to the bathroom, I pick her up and knock on the basement door.
Phillip lets me in.
"What the heck? Whose dog is that?" He grabs Angel out of my arms. "Look at this, Danny. Have you ever seen such an adorable face?"
Danny pets the puppy and lets her lick his cheek. "Well, aren't you the cutest thing ever?" he says to her.
"Look at her pretty little pink collar," Phillip says as the puppy chews on his hand. "I want to keep her."
"That's good," I say. "Because she's ours. Boys, meet Angel."
"Ours?" Phillip asks excitedly. "Where did you get her?"
"She's a gift from Danny's dad. I have a carload of baby gifts and puppy gifts."
Danny looks around. "Where's Lori?"
"Uh, she went home." I try not to purse my lips.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure, but I think she's mad that your dad gave me a dog and didn't get one for you."
"Well, no shit. When I mentioned a dog, she said something like, over my dead body."
"Yeah, she did," Phillip says. "I remember thinking the way she said it was really rude."
Danny sighs. "Two more weeks, people. Two more weeks. Then we'll have the baby and everything can go back to normal."
He rubs the puppy's ears and says to her, "I'll be back to see you tomorrow morning. You're a cutie." Then to me, "Do I need to unload your car tonight or can it wait until morning?"
"It can wait until morning." I study him. "Are you still hungover?"
He points to Phillip and laughs. "It's all his fault."
Phillip laughs too. "We had fun though."
"Yeah," Danny agrees. "It was a good night."
Phillip and I play with the puppy until she collapses in my lap and goes to sleep.
"So we have a new addition to the family," he says with a grin. He hasn't stopped smiling. "Did you choose the name Angel for her?"
"No, remember how our dad's used to go out to that farm and shoot skeet?"
"Yeah, I went with them sometimes."
"That's where she was born. They had already named her Angel."
"Your dad always called you Angel."
"Mr. D said as soon as he heard her name, he knew he had to get her for us. Do you think it'll be okay if we take her to work with us?"
"Of course. Everyone will love her," he says, softly petting her.
"She's going to get all your attention now, isn't she?" I fake pout.
Phillip laughs. "You just might have some competition."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dear Baby Mac,
Your muscles are getting stronger and you have eyes, eyebrows, and eyelashes!
And now you are being measured in inches instead of being compared to a fruit. (You're about 5 inches long!)
And I think, maybe, possibly, I felt a little flutter.
Honestly though, it was probably all the Mexican food I ate for lunch.
I've been thinking a lot about your nursery. It will be in a pretty room with a big palladium window that overlooks the backyard and the lake. I think you will love it.
We also started taking weekly pictures of my stomach, so we can chart both our growth. Right now, my stomach just looks kinda bloated, except I can't suck it in anymore.
And, in some super exciting news, you have a sister.
Well, a furry sister.
We got a puppy!
She's so cute! Her name is Angel, and I know the two of you will be best friends someday.
April 18th
Knows it all.
Danny comes over after he and Lori get home from their birthing class.
It's been four days since the shower and I haven't heard a word from Lori.
And I'll be damned if I'm calling her.
"Learn anything new?" Phillip asks Danny as they sit on the couch with their beers. Angel immediately jumps on Danny's lap and chews on his hand.
"Not really. We discussed birthing plans. Apparently, you're supposed to decide how you want the birthing process to go before you go into labor. Lori was Pre-Med, so she thinks she knows it all."
"She didn't know how to breathe through her contractions when she had the preterm labor," I mention.
"Maybe that's why her birthing plan is so detailed. She has a list of stuff to pack for the hospital. She's bringing in soothing music. I'm supposed to give her back massages. She wants to do it all natural--Ouch! This little puppy has sharp teeth!"
"Oh, here." I hand him a chew toy. "She likes this."
"Anyway, she read her plan--and I totally just condensed it for you guys--to the class. Afterwards, this guy takes me aside. He said they are on their second baby and that although I'm called the coach, the second the doctor comes in, I'll become a nobody. He told me women worship their OB-GYN. He said that I should remember three things. Don't look below her elbow, don't faint, and to keep a couple hundred dollar bills on me at all time. He said Lori's birth plan reminded him of his wife's first one. Apparently, she wanted a natural childbirth and waited too long to get an epidural. By the time she decided she wanted one, it was too late and she had to deliver naturally. He is convinced that if he could've slipped the anesthesiologist a couple hundred bucks he would have gotten it done--shit, Angel." He pulls his hand back quickly. "She keeps biting on both my hand and the toy. I think she likes my hand better."
"Come here, Angel," Phillip says. "Let's go outside."
He takes the dog out and just as they're coming back in, Lori comes stomping down the stairs.
"Hey," Danny says to her, "I was just telling them about--"
Lori's face is red with anger as she thrusts a piece of black fabric at Danny. "What the hell is this?" she yells.
"I don't know. Stop waving it around so I can see it."
"It's a fucking thong, Danny!"
"Uh, okay?"
"It was in your jacket pocket. Did you really cheat on me when I'm just a week away from having your baby?" She's hysterical. Crying. Screaming. "I can't believe you slept with a stripper! I knew this would happen!"
"I didn't cheat on you!" Danny says, defending himself. "Seriously, Lori, you need to calm down."
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I knew you were acting weird!" She throws the fabric at his head. Angel leaps up and snatches the thong out
of the air and takes off running.
"Ohmigawd!" I yell. "Don't let her chew on that! Phillip! Get her!"
While Phillip and I are chasing Angel, Danny yells at Lori. "You need to calm the fuck down."
Angel is fast. Just when I think I have her cornered behind the bar, she darts through my hands.
"Phillip! Get her, please. That's so nasty. I don't want that in her mouth!"
Phillip dives across the floor and misses her.
Lori screeches, "I want a divorce! I'll raise this baby on my own and you will never get to see it. Do you hear me? Never. Ever. You're not fit to be a husband or a father!"
"Got her," Phillip yells, cornering Angel by the television. He grabs the dog and then attempts to get her to give up the thong. But Angel isn't having it. She's got her jaw clenched and is playing tug of war with him. "Angel. Give!" he says in a deep, stern voice. The puppy looks up at him, spits the thong onto the floor, and starts doing victory laps around the couch.
"I didn't do anything! Some chick at the club put them in my pocket. I was drunk and forgot to take them out. Phillip, you remember that chick with the red hair and the silver glitter stars over her boobs?"
"Uh, I think so," Phillip says.
Lori waves her finger at Phillip. "I don't believe anything you say. Of course, you're going to lie for him."
"I wouldn't lie about something like that, Lori," Phillip says. "The girl was suggestive but nothing happened. We were sitting next to each other all night. All night."
"Maybe you cheated too," she accuses. "And you're both covering for each other. Really, I don't care anymore. Don't come home, Danny."
"I'll come home if I want to. Lucky for you, I don't want to. You're being ridiculous. I'd never cheat on you."
I pick Angel up and hug her. "Lori, you need to calm down."
"Shut up, Jadyn. Just shut up!"
Angel starts barking at Lori. I don't blame her. I want to bare my teeth and growl too.
