Page 15 of Merrily Yours
“There’s actually no way you remember how much coffee Mom drank. We were two.” Jules—the ever present logical mind.
“Way to ruin my fun, JuJu!” I say. “You’re right, I don’t remember. And you can have whatever you want,” I say to Bex, leaning back in my chair. “Have a glass of wine if it’ll help you unwind. Whatever you need, we can get it for you.”
Bex inhales, watching to see if I’m joking or not and then quickly picks up a napkin to dab under her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, why are you being nice to me?”
“Because you’re my sister and I love you and I love my niece and my unborn niece or nephew. As much as we tried to make your life miserable growing up, I feel like I need to atone for some of that now,” I reply.
“We…” Jules mutters and then he sets his hand in the middle of the table, and Bex looks at him knowingly before setting her own down on top of it. Then they both turn their gazes toward me and wait.
“Oh! Uh—is this like a little league situation?” I ask, placing my hand on top. They both nod and then pile their other hands in, waiting for me to place mine last. Bex lays her head down on her forearm and mumbles incoherently.
Jules and I exchange a look before he asks, “What was that, BB?”
She lifts her head back up, crying again. “I just really want a cold cut sandwich,” she wails.
Jules nods as if he understands what that means. Trying to be helpful, I ask, “Do you… do you want me to go grab you one?” I look at my phone and see that it’s just past 9:00 A.M. “I’m not sure if the deli is open yet, but?—”
“I can’t fucking have one,” Bex cuts me off. “Coffee, fine. Wontons, fine. Cold cuts? Nope. Soft cheese? Unacceptable.” She scowls down at her stomach. “I wanted cheese so bad when I was pregnant with Elodie. She was almost named Brie.”
Jules and I suppress smiles. “It’s not funny!” Bex exclaims, pulling her hands out of our pile.
“You’re right, it’s—” Red hair catches my attention. That damn ponytail bouncing up and down as Colette listens intently to whatever her moron date is saying. They find a table and he pulls her chair out, waiting for her to sit down before pushing her in, like a child. She doesn’t need his help, she’s a grown woman. She’s probably incredibly irritated that he’s stillstanding there as she awkwardly scratches the chair legs across the floor.
A throat clears and I realize I’ve been caught.
“Oh my God, you’re obsessed with her.” Bex’s eyes gleam, like I’ve told her she actuallyisallowed to have a cold cut sandwich.
“I hate her.” I don’t hate her.
“You don’t hate her,” Jules says, reading my mind.
My eyes narrow. “Stop reading my mind.”
“Stop wearing your mind on your face.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” I scoff.
“Will both of you please shut up?” Bex hisses before turning her now scrutinizing gaze on me. “So… what are you going to do about it?”
Now I’m confused. “About what?”
Bex’s sigh is longsuffering. “About the fact that you’re in love with her and she’s on a date with another man.” She throws the phrase out as if it means nothing.
In love.
Ridiculous.
“There’s a fine line between love and hate,” Jules interjects.
“So they say.” Bex sips her coffee, considering me for a moment before coming to a decision. She opens her mouth, closes it. Does it again. And then finally shrugs her shoulders and leans back in the chair, seemingly giving up on her task.
“Giving up so quickly, Rebecca?” I ask.
“Listen, I’m too pregnant for this,” she replies, rubbing circles on her stomach. “I would love for one of you to give me a sister, but I stopped holding my breath waiting for that a long time ago.”
“You don’t need a sister, you have three brothers!” I reply.
“Do you hear yourself?” she asks. “That’s exactly why I want a sister!”
