Page 11 of Protecting Addison
“We want at least three,” Blink said. “With hopefully one set of twins, since they run in my family.”
“We also want them, but Wren and I are enjoying our time together for the moment,” Safe said.
“Famous last words,” Smiley said with a chuckle. “You say that, and then—BAM. Preggo.”
Everyone talked over each other, agreeing.
“Kevlar? What about you and Remi?” Flash asked.
“Yeah. We want at least one. Maybe more. We might adopt, like you, MacGyver. Maybe take in a foster. A kid who needs someone to love him or her.”
“With all the time you spend volunteering with the Girl Scouts, I can see you with several little girls,” Safe told him.
Kevlar smiled. “Yeah.”
“Right, so everyone wants kids except me,” Smiley said. “They’re smelly, loud, and take up way too much time.”
“You might change your mind when you meet someone,” Kevlar said. “I didn’t think much about kids until after Remi and I got together.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I like other people’s kids, but I don’t really want any of my own.”
“What if you find a woman who wants, like, ten kids?” Flash joked.
“I’d like to think that when Idofind someone who can put up with my grumpy ass, that we’ll be on the same page about something so important. If we aren’t, I’m not sure I’d fall in love with her in the first place.”
“I don’t think it works like that,” Kevlar said seriously.
Smiley simply shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be an issue anyway. I have a feeling I’m going to be the single one of our bunch. I’ll be the annoying uncle who takes allyourkids and teaches them bad words, how to do doughnuts in a parking lot, how to sneak out of their houses, and how to shotgun a beer.”
“That’s it, you are officially not allowed anywhere near Artem or Borysko. Or my daughters, for that matter,” MacGyver said.
“Daughters,” Flash said with a shake of his head. “It’s so hard to wrap my head around any of us having children. And an almost-teenager? It’s mind-blowing.”
Everyone nodded.
“How’s Ellory doing? She’s got that bowel thing, right?” Safe asked.
“Crohn’s disease, yeah. And she’s okay. Today wasn’t a good day. She puts on a brave face, but I can always tell when she’s hurting. It sucks, because there’s nothing any of us can do to make it better.”
“But now that she can get consistent healthcare, that’ll help, won’t it?” Kevlar asked. “I mean, that’s why Addison married you, isn’t it?”
For some reason, his friend’s words hit MacGyver wrong. “Well, she wouldn’t have married me if she didn’t like me alittle…at least, I’d like to think that.”
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Preacher agreed immediately. “Look, I’m not an expert on women, not even close. But it wasn’t as if marriage was her last resort. You told me that you offered to help pay for Ellory’s treatments even if she didn’t marry you.”
That was true. After MacGyver had asked Addison to marry him, he’d promised that even if she said no, he’d still help with Ellory’s medical care. He’d met the girl several times and genuinely liked her. He couldn’t stand the thought of her not being able to get the help she needed because Addison couldn’t afford it. Yes, he needed help with the kids, but he never would’ve pressured Addison to do anything she didn’t want to do.
“We’re hoping the doctors at the base hospital will be able to regulate her meds so she doesn’t have so many ups and downs. Her doctor has scheduled an upper GI series to see if he can spot anything new on the scans,” MacGyver told his friends.
“Ugh. That’s where she has to drink that nasty stuff that’ll make her insides light up when she goes through the machine, right?” Smiley asked.
MacGyver couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. Before meeting Ellory and reading up on Crohn’s, he probably would’ve described the procedure the same way. “Yeah. She drinks a mixture with barium in it, and it’ll make her GI tract light up in the x-rays.”
“And that’ll help figure out what’s wrong?” Kevlar asked.
“Well, the doctors pretty much know what’s wrong, but it’ll pinpoint where the inflammation is and maybe how to help relieve the pressure.”
“Sounds like you have a plan. And the other kids are doing good. How areyoudoing?” Kevlar asked.
