Page 31 of You Spin Me

Bella looks at me like I’m nuts.

“My brother-in-law yells that whenever my nieces fall down. I think Howard Cosell said it.” I point at Delilah. “See, it worked. She’s up, no tears.” Cupping my hands around my mouth, I yell, “Good job, Lilah!”

Bella hip-bumps me. “You’d be a good mom.”

“Eh, I’d be okay.”

“Do youwantto go out with him?”

Talking with Bella is like talking with my sister, so I get how to keep up with the zigs and zags of mommy logic.

“I thought I was going to at least meet him Saturday night. He invited me to this club where he was spinning. I had a great time dancing with Randall and Mike and Becky, but…” I’m not sure how to explain what happened because I still don’t really get it.

“But what? He was there but didn’t want to meet in person? Do you think he’s messing with you or something?”

“There were so many people, and the place where the DJs were spinning was like”—I gesture with my hand—“up high and dark. It was some big event, so there were a bunch of them working together. I could’ve pushed my way in, I guess, but I got shy all of a sudden.”

Her brows come together. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“I know. I worked myself into a tizzy about it.”

“Like maybe he’s married or something?”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

“I wonder how you could find out.” She rubs her hands together and waggles her eyebrows. “Field trip to the downtown courthouse?”

Laughing, I shake my head. “You’re a nut.”

“Which is why you love me.”

“So true.”

Eyes tracking the pink bike, which is about to disappear behind some bushes, Bella yells, “Lilah, turn around.”

“I actually think I like getting to know him on the phone. It’s been nice to feel like a heterosexual guy likes me for what’s in here”—I knock on my head?—“rather than because of these girls.” I point at my chest. “It feels really different because he hasn’t seen the whole package.”

Isabelle shrugs. “It is a nice package.”

“You know what I mean, though, right?” I’m nowhere near as pretty as Bella, so I hope she does get it. “Your package is exceptional.”

She sighs. “It was once upon a time. Now I have these.” She draws a squiggly line in the air in front of her stomach.

“What are those?”

“Stretch marks.” She groans. “And you don’t even want to hear about what pushing that girl out did down there.”

I can’t help but grimace. “Really?”

“Really.” She matches my expression. “Some parts don’t stretch back all the way.”

My jaw literally drops. “I did not know that.”

“The things they don’t tell you about being a mom.” She shudders, but when she looks up, a huge smile takes over her face. Delilah’s pumping her little legs as fast as she can, heading straight for us. Bella gives me a conspiratorial grin and grabs my hand, and—screaming in mock horror—we pretend to run away.

CAL

I guess the listener line volunteers have figured out that Jess is a regular caller because when I catch movement in the window at 10:10 p.m. Monday night, a piece of poster board with “JESSICA” printed in black marker waves in the window. The volunteer also holds two fingers in the air—meaning Jess is on line two. I give him a salute to let him know I got the message as I call out the titles of the tracks I just played. Jess doesn’t have rehearsal Monday nights, so I don’t have to worry about her making the long drive. It makes me ridiculously happy that she’s calling anyway.

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