Page 31 of At Last

“Lips,” he says bizarrely non sequitur.

“Come again?” I ask, pulling my brows together.

“Lips,” he says again. This time sounding more like an order.

As he stares, pursed perfect lips waiting for it to click, it clicks.

Oh,lips.

I stretch my body over the island to lean in and give Duke my lips. I guess he likes my sharing.

Our moment gets interrupted when we hear a female voice say, “Knock,knock.” At the same time hear the double rap of a fist against the front screen door. Duke has central air, but opened the windows and doors to let the breeze flow through the space.

Elise, with baby Gun in a carrier, stands waiting and I don’t mind one bit she interrupted. “Will you get that, Chief?”

He brushes his thumb over my cheek before walking over to the front door and holds it open for our first guest to pass through. “It was unlocked,” he says, and grumbles.

“But it’s rude to just enter someone’s home.” Elise protests.

“You just enter the clubhouse.”

“But that’s not your home.” She continues to argue her point.

“She’s got you there, Chief.” I decide to chime in.

And that’s when Jade who’d been watching movies in her room and most likely heard voices thus came out to be nosey, spies Gun and screeches. “ABABY!” Then she makes a beeline straight for Elise and her son.

“Oh my gosh, Caitlin? Is this Jade?”

I nod.

“She’s your mini me.” Elise finishes.

“Yes. She most definitely is. I’m so glad you two could come over,” I say, pointing to her and her boy. “Too bad your husband couldn’t make it.”

“Yeah, well…” she trails off.

And I understand why, because he’s still not home and from what she’d explained, no plans have been made to bring him home. So I change subjects promptly. “I hope you like stuffed peppers.”

“Are you kidding? I like anything I don’t have to cook right now. Although Ilike to cook, cooking with a baby attached to your hip isn’t the most fun experience. Oh, but my boy started rolling over.”

“That’s exciting. Did you bring a blanket? Lay it out on the floor, then you can set him down. Jade will look out for him. She loves babies.”

Elise walks over to the living room area to drop her diaper bag down on the—yet again, dingy from use, chintz fabric sofa—to retrieve Gun’s blanket. “Jade,” she calls. “Would you like to hold Gunner while I get him set up?”

My daughter, meanwhile, in her little girl exuberance, climbs up next to Elise and the baby carrier, knowing it’s alright to talk to Elise because she’s here in the house with us and so has registered her as a friend.

“I’m Elise Hollister.” Elise introduces herself. “This is my son, Gunner. But we call him Gun.”

“Dat’s cute.” Jade giggles, clicking her sock-covered feet together as she reaches a gentle hand out to stroke Gunner’s head. The excitement of her feet juxtapose the calmness of her hand. I love my little girl.

“Your mom’s my friend, but she’s also the one who delivered baby Gun, because she’s my doctor.”

“He’s da pwettiest baby I evur seen.”

“Think you can hold him?” Elise asks.

“Oh yes. I helwp Miss Jenny wiff da babies at school.”

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