Page 93 of Strictly Against Policy

“Yeah,” Anthony nodded slowly.

Andy smiled, leading us into the dining room. “We know.”

“No one’s surprised, Jonathan.” Shoua laughed warmly.

Julie looked directly at me as we made our way to their cozy living room, her eyes shining as bright and happy as her brother’s. The corners of her lips curled tighter into this beautiful and welcoming grin. “Welcome to the family, Lina,” she said.

Jonathan made a noise and turned to his sister. His face seared bright red from cheeks to ears. “Julie—” he started.

“Thank you,” I gushed, my heart racing. “I’m happy to be part of it.”

Jonathan looked at me. The flush on his face turned a deeper shade of red.

“Come on, everyone, let’s grab some plates and head over to the living room. The movie isn’t going to watch itself,” said Andy.

He motioned toward the dining table, which was laid out with various dishes of barbecued ribs, roasted vegetables, sticky rice, a bright red chili dip, sliders, and tater tots. All the food was set up buffet-style for simplicity and efficiency. Anthony blew out a low whistle as Shoua turned to Julie, surprised.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to cook this much?” she asked. “We could’ve come over earlier, and I could’ve helped you.”

Julie laughed. “I didn’t cook. It was all Andy.”

I looked over to her husband, who was grinning proudly at everything he had made. “Enjoy, everyone,” he said. He looked at me with warm eyes. “Don’t be shy, Lina. Eat as much as you like.”

“Will do! Lina, you go first. You’re our special guest tonight,” said Anthony, making sure to gently push Jonathan and I to the front of the line. He glanced at the sliders. “I see Julie’s getting her mushroom Swiss slider and tater tot fix again tonight.”

Jonathan groaned, grabbing a plate and handing it to me. He took his place after me. “Don’t tell me you’re going to dip your sliders and tater tots into your unique chili sauce again?” he asked as we made our way through the various dishes laid out. Disgust twisted the seam of his lips into a grimace.

“It tastes better like that,” Julie shrugged from behind Jonathan. “I love the taste of mustard, ketchup, and fish sauce combined together.”

“That doesn’t sound appetizing at all,” my boyfriend muttered, mouth gaping.

I laughed. “It’s called a pregnancy craving for a reason, Jonathan. It’s not meant to be logical.”

“Exactly,” Julie beamed cutely at me. “I crave it so much I’d mix a whole bottle of it and drink it if I could.”

“Damn, Julie. If your cravings are that bad, what’s stopping you?” asked Anthony.

Shoua laughed from her spot behind Jonathan. “It’s not what’s stopping her. It’s who. Right, Andy?”

The man in question laughed, all the way from the end of the line where he stood with his twin. His chuckle sounded similar to Anthony’s, although it didn’t shake the walls. “Yup. As far as I’m aware from your doctor’s appointments, Tink, you’re not at risk of having preeclampsia. Yet. We should be careful and try to keep it that way.”

“I agree,” Jonathan chimed in.

Julie hummed dryly. “Neither of you are my doctor, Jonathan and Andy.”

“I’m still your pharmacist,” stated Jonathan.

Everyone laughed as we filled each of our plates with various selections of food. The one thing we all had in common was a little sauce bowl filled with the cilantro-lime chili dip Andy made. Julie’s was especially filled to the brim.

“Why didn’t you get much food?” asked Jonathan in a low whisper.

“It’s fine. This is more than enough,” I said, glancing at my plate. It may not have been much compared to everyone else’s stacked plates, but it was enough for me.

My boyfriend frowned. “You should get more.”

“Julie, you’re watching the movie with us?” asked Shoua as we all made our way to their cozy living room. “I thought you didn’t like psychological thrillers and horror.”

“No, I doubt I’m going to last watching a whole movie with a full stomach. My bedtime’s at nine these days,” she said.