by Carrie Carr
"Me, too. And it rides a lot smoother." Amanda glanced in the rearview mirror. "Eddie looks so small back there."
Lex turned to look at him. "At least there's enough room on either side of him for each girl. I'd hate to think about the fights they'd have over who would get to sit beside him."
"Don't remind me." Amanda mock shivered. "How are we going to handle it with them?"
"I was hoping you'd have an idea."
Amanda sighed. "I thought about picking them up from school and bringing them over to Gramma's, but there's going to be a house full of people. I was hoping for a little more privacy with them."
Lex nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Why don't we let them ride the bus home, since they won't recognize us in this? That way, no matter what, we're already at home." When there was no answer, Lex shifted so she could look directly at Amanda. "What's wrong?"
"I'm a little worried about how the girls are going to handle this. Remember how Lorrie was, once the 'new' wore off her baby sister?"
"Yeah, but she was only four years old. I don't think she understood how we could love her anymore, since there was a new addition to the household. But it didn't take long for her to be totally on board with being a big sister." Lex put her hand, palm up, on the console between them. She was gratified when Amanda quickly covered it with her own. "They're good kids. What's really bothering you?"
Amanda didn't answer right away, but tightened the grip she had on Lex's hand. They drove along in silence for several miles before Amanda finally spoke. "What if he changes his mind? I know we sign the papers tomorrow, but what's to keep Hubert from not returning them once he gets them? It could hang over us for weeks."
"Not gonna happen," Lex vowed. "As soon as we get the papers signed, I'm taking them to Oklahoma, personally. And I'm not leaving until I get them back from him."
"Really?"
"Yep. Besides, I was hoping to meet the woman who made my brother human."
Amanda laughed at the comment. "I know what you mean. I'm still not sure what to think about the new Hubert." She turned onto her grandparents' street and shook her head at the amount of cars in their driveway. "Do you think the promise of free food caused this crowd?"
"Nah. I'm betting Martha already told Lois, and your dad wants to see how Jeannie reacts. He seems to enjoy watching you put her in her place."
"She does tend to be full of herself," Amanda said. "But I can't wait to see her face when we walk in with Eddie." She parked behind her sister's Pathfinder. "Since she always has to outdo me, I wonder if she'll try to find a used Excursion."
Lex got out and opened the back door. "She'd look funny, trying to climb into one. Probably would need a ladder." She wisely stopped while she was ahead, since Amanda wasn't much taller than Jeannie. Lex unbuckled Eddie and wrapped a blanket around him. "Are you ready to meet the rest of the family, little man?" The baby gurgled and kicked, giving Lex a smile. She followed Amanda up the steps to the front porch, not surprised when the door opened.
Anna Leigh greeted Amanda with a hug. "It's so good to see you. Now get in the house and introduce us to your new little friend." She kissed Lex on the cheek. "I was quite excited when I heard the news, Lexington. Please, come in."
They were herded into the living room, where Jacob, Lois, Michael and Jeannie were waiting. Lex held Eddie close to her chest. "Hey, guys." She turned to Amanda. "Do you want to do the honors?"
"Chicken," Amanda whispered, but she gently took Eddie from Lex and unwrapped him from the blanket. "Everyone, we'd like you to meet our son, Edward Lee Walters."
Jeannie was the first to step forward. "I knew you were good, Slim.
But how on earth did you manage this?" She poked Lex in the stomach and peered at the baby in Amanda's arms. "He looks just like Lex." She looked into her sister's eyes. "Cheater."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Amanda grinned at Jeannie. "He's definitely a gift, though."
Jacob and Michael joined the group. Jacob held out his hands and was rewarded with Eddie. "I didn't even know you were thinking of another child, girls. But he's adorable."
"I agree," Lois cooed.
"How did you keep him a secret for so long?" Michael asked.
Lex put her arm around his shoulders. "We didn't."
"Give them some air," Anna Leigh said. "Jacob, take the baby and sit on the sofa. Michael, bring the girls some coffee, please." She sat beside her husband, who immediately passed Eddie to her. "Thank you, dearest." She smiled as Eddie reached for her necklace.
"Of course." Jacob rested his arm on the back of the sofa. When Amanda parked on the other side of him, he patted her leg. "So, are you going to tell us little Edward's story? Or will we have to wait until he can talk? I'd really like to know how you managed to get a baby that is the spitting image of Lex."
Amanda laughed. "It's really very simple, Grandpa. He's actually a Walters."
Everyone turned and looked at Lex, who shook her head. "No, I was not pregnant." She pointed to her flat stomach. "Do you honestly think I could hide a baby here?" She sat on the chair nearest Amanda.
"Stranger things have happened, Slim." Jeannie dropped onto Lex's lap and put her arm around her neck. "So, if not you, who's the daddy?"
"My brother, Hubert." Lex had to wrap her arms around Jeannie when she almost fell off her lap.
Now the room's attention was on Amanda, who was confused for a moment, then grimaced. "Eww. No! Hubert found out he was a father a few days ago. A woman dumped the baby off and left. He couldn't raise him, so he asked us to adopt Eddie."
A chorus of "Oh" echoed around the room. Jeannie poked Lex. "And here I thought you were a stud."
"She is," Amanda asserted. She stood and tapped her sister on the shoulder. "Do you mind?"
"Not a bit." Jeannie snuggled closer to Lex as the rest of the room laughed.
Lex blushed, but kept her mouth shut.
Amanda tugged on Jeannie's hair. "Move it or lose it."
With a sigh, Jeannie got off of Lex, but not before lightly kissing her on the lips. "Anytime you get tired of old grumpy butt there, just let me know." She shrieked when Amanda pinched her on the rear.
WITH A DEEP, heartfelt groan, Lex dropped onto their bed, where Amanda already lay with Eddie. "I love our family, but damn, they can sure wear a person out."
Amanda propped her head on one hand and smiled at her wife. "I know what you mean. Jeannie was certainly frisky today."
"Yeah. She was pretty funny, and seemed to feel good. I hope she has another easy pregnancy." Lex mirrored Amanda's posture and looked at their sleeping son. "Eddie had a good time."
"I was worried he would be scared with all those people around. But he seemed to enjoy the attention." Amanda moaned. "Speaking of attention, it's almost time to meet the school bus." She tried to fight off a yawn, but failed. "Guess I'd better get my shoes on."
Lex sat up. "Nah. I'll do it. I think I've got more energy than you." She carefully leaned over Eddie and kissed Amanda. "I'll talk to them about our new little addition before we get here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep." Lex pulled on her boots and stood. "I'll probably stop by the bridge to talk with them, so don't expect us back immediately, okay?"
Amanda's eyes shone with love. "You've come a long way, Lexington Walters. There was a time when I couldn't get five words in a row out of you, and here you are, volunteering to talk to our girls."
Lex tried to appear nonchalant, but the blush on her face gave her away. "Yeah, well. You're a bad influence, Amanda Walters." She winked and left the room.
THE TRUCK HAD barely come to a stop when Lex saw the yellow-orange school bus crest the hill. She waited patiently until the bus stopped and released two excited girls. Within moments, the back doors to the truck opened, and the silence was broken by non-stop chatter.
"Momma! I got to paint a Christmas orminant," Melanie said. She stood on the seat and waved a small box in Lex's face. "It's taped in the b
ox so's it don't get messed up."
Lex took the box before it hit her nose. "That's great, sweetheart. Let's wait until we get back to the house, so your mom can see it, too, okay?"
"'kay." Melanie sat and buckled her seatbelt.
"How about you, Lorrie? Did you have a good day at school?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lorrie fastened her seatbelt as well. "I got a ninety-six on my math test, and only missed one word on the spelling list."
Lex stretched over the seat and ruffled Lorrie's hair. "I knew you'd do great, kiddo. You studied too hard not to. Do either one of you have any homework tonight?" After negative answers from both, Lex turned around and started the truck. "Good."
As the truck headed up the graded road toward the house, Lex tried to think of the best way to start the conversation she needed to have. "Girls? Do you remember when your mom and I told you we were thinking of adding to the family?"
"Like a kitty?" Melanie asked, excited. She had been asking for a kitten for the last month, after a classmate's cat had a litter.
"No, silly. Like a brother or sister," Lorrie corrected. "Right, Momma?"
Lex tried to keep a serious expression on her face. "Right."
"Are you going to have a baby?" Lorrie asked.
"Uh, no. I'm not." Lex parked the truck in the clearing by the bridge and unbuckled her seatbelt, so she could turn around and face them. "Why? Do I look pregnant?"
Melanie giggled. "No, Momma. You're not fat. Mrs. Sanders is fat." The second-grade teacher was six months pregnant with twins, which fascinated all the children at school.
Lex's eyes widened. "No, sweetheart. Mrs. Sanders has two babies growing inside." She could just imagine the teacher's reaction. "She's not fat at all. So let's not say that, okay?"
"Okay. Is Mommy going to have a baby?" Melanie asked. "She's not fat, either."
"No. Your mom isn't pregnant." Lex rubbed her face. The conversation was quickly getting out of hand. "I know we haven't talked about him, but I have an older brother, Hubert. He lives in Oklahoma. Anyway, he came to see us yesterday morning."
Lorrie frowned. "Is that why we stayed with Gramma and Grandpa? 'Cause you had company? Didn't he want to see us?"
Lex shook her head. "No, not at all. The reason your grandparents picked you up at school was because the roads were icy and we didn't want you riding the bus. Um, your Uncle Hubert asked us to do something for him, and we agreed."
"Is he going to live with us, Momma?" Lorrie asked.
"No, Uncle Hubert isn't, but his son, Eddie, is."
"How old is he? Can he stay in my room with me?" Melanie squirmed in her seat. "Does he like to play puzzles or games?"
Lex held up her hand to stop the barrage of questions from Melanie. "Hold on there. Eddie's just a baby, so he can't play just yet. Your Uncle Hubert had some, um, troubles, and he asked your mom and me to adopt Eddie. He's three months old."
Lorrie crossed her arms over her chest. "Adopt? Like you did me?"
"In a way, yes. So Eddie is our son, just like you and Melanie are our daughters. We love you girls so much, and we thought it would be nice for you to have a little brother." Lex noticed the unhappy look on Lorrie's face. "What's wrong, lil' bit?"
"Nothing."
Lex knew better than to accept her answer. "No, come on. Talk to me. You can say anything you want, and I won't get mad. I promise."
"Does this mean I can't play softball now?"
"Of course not. Why would you think that?"
Lorrie looked at her shoes. "'Cause you and Mommy will be too busy with a baby to take me to practices and games and stuff."
"Why would you think that?"
"My friend, Kayla, doesn't get to do anything, anymore. Her mommy had two babies this summer. She used to play soccer, but she's stuck at home helping all the time." Lorrie looked as if she were about to cry.
Lex got out of the truck and opened Lorrie's door. She brought her onto her right hip and held her. "You can still do whatever sports or activities you want, sweetheart. We may need you to help a little with Eddie, but not enough to take away from the things you already do. I promise you that."
"Really?" Lorrie sniffled and looked up into Lex's face.
"Yep." Lex kissed the top of Lorrie's head. "Are you girls ready to go meet your little brother?"
Melanie crawled across the seat to slip into Lex's other arm. "Where's he gonna sleep?"
"Right now, he's in a crib in our room. But we're going to probably redecorate the guest room that shares a bathroom with Lorrie."
"Oooh! Can I move there?" Melanie squealed, as she wriggled up and down. "I want to share with Lorrie."
It was a struggle to keep from falling back, but somehow Lex held firm. "Settle down, kiddo. Let's get up to the house, and we'll talk to your mom about it. How's that sound?"
Both girls cheered.
AMANDA HAD FINISHED snapping Eddie's one-piece sleeper closed after changing a particularly full diaper, when she heard the back door slam. Seconds later, the pounding of rushing feet on the stairway alerted her to the impending invasion. She picked Eddie up and kissed his tummy. "It's about to get wild in here, handsome. But you might as well get used to it."
Both girls hit the doorway at the same time. Lorrie was the first to reach Amanda. "Is that him?" she asked, excitedly. She stood on her tiptoes to try and see his face.
"Can I pet him?" Melanie added.
"He's not an animal, Mel. You don't pet babies." Lorrie elbowed her sister.
Lex stood in the doorway and grinned at the girls' exuberance. "I'm sure you'll both get a chance to see him, if you'd let your mom sit down."
"That's a good idea." Amanda moved to sit on the bed, where she was immediately surrounded by the girls.
Melanie studied him carefully. "He doesn't have much hair."
"It's dark, like mine," Lorrie marveled. She reached out to touch his hair, but paused. "Can I touch him?"
"Be gentle," Amanda said softly. She smiled as Lorrie used one finger to brush at his wispy hair.
"It's soft, too," Lorrie whispered.
Lex picked up Melanie and sat in her place. She held Melanie in her lap. "Touch his arm. It's really silky."
Melanie followed her sister's lead, and lightly stroked Eddie's arm. "He's softer than my baby doll." When Eddie's eyes tracked directly to her, she gasped. "He's looking at me!"
Eddie grinned and kicked his feet, causing both girls to giggle.
"Where's his teeth?" Melanie asked.
Lex laughed. "He's too young for teeth. He'll get them, a little at a time."
Lorrie sniffed and leaned closer to the baby. "He smells nice."
Amanda exchanged amused grins with Lex. "He didn't a few minutes ago."
"I'm sorry to have missed that," Lex teased. When Eddie started to wave a fist, she whispered in Melanie's ear. "Stick out your finger by his hand, and watch what he does."
Melanie did as she was told, and marveled when Eddie immediately grasped her finger. "He grabbed me!" She wriggled her hand until Eddie released her.
Lorrie did the same, and was just as excited when her finger was grabbed. "Cool." When Eddie pulled her finger to his mouth and started to gum it, she wrinkled her nose. "Eww. He's slobbering on me."
"That probably means he's hungry. Would you girls like to follow me down to the kitchen and watch me make his bottle?" Lex lifted Melanie off her lap and stood.
"Yay!" Melanie danced from foot to foot. "Can we have a snack, too?"
Lex winked at Amanda. "Sure thing. I think there's some apples we can slice up. How's that sound?"
Lorrie took one of Lex's hands, while Melanie captured the other. "We'll help with the bottle first, right, Mel?"
"Right." Melanie tugged on Lex's hand. "Come on, Momma. Eddie's hungry!"
AFTER EDDIE WAS fed and put in his crib for a short nap, Lex clipped the baby monitor receiver to her belt before she and Amanda took the girls downstairs for dinner. As they sat around the table, Amanda go
t caught up with the conversation Lex had with them in the truck. "Are you sure you want to switch rooms, Melanie?"
"Uh-huh. Momma said we had to talk to you about it." Melanie tucked several potato chips into her peanut butter and jelly sandwich and took a bite.
Amanda tried not to wince as she watched Melanie enjoy the unusual meal. "I guess we'll go pick out some paint colors this weekend."
Lorrie put her glass of milk down and pushed her empty plate away. "Mommy?"
"Yes, honey?"
"Can I paint my room, too?"
Lex stood and put her plate in the dishwasher. "Are you tired of the light green walls?"
Lorrie nodded. "I'm too old for a baby room."
"Green is a baby color?" Lex asked.
"Uh-huh."
Amanda covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing at the look on Lex's face.
"Okay. What's a better color, lil' bit?"
"Purple!" Melanie helpfully interjected.
Lorrie rolled her eyes. "Yuck. Black, or maybe silver," she said.
"Black?" Lex practically yelped. "I don't think so."
"But, Momma, I'm old, now. I want a grown up room."
Lex sat beside Lorrie and put her hand on her shoulder. "Sweetheart, we don't mind you changing the color of your room, but let's wait and look at some paint samples before you decide for sure."
"Okay."
Melanie bounced in her chair. "Can my new room be purple? That's my favorite color now."
"We'll see," Amanda said. "Why don't you two go upstairs and think about your rooms?"
Both girls grabbed their plates and left them in the sink. Melanie took Lorrie by the hand. "Come on, Lorrie. You can help me decide where my art wall will be."
Lorrie sighed, but dutifully followed. "Okay, but next you get to help me decide what posters to keep on my walls."
Amanda waited until she heard both sets of footsteps on the stairs, before she turned to Lex. "Are we going to survive those two?"
"Sure." Lex scooted over a chair to sit beside her wife. "We'll probably both be completely gray-headed before they're in high school, though." She shook her head as Amanda leaned into her. "Black or purple walls? Good lord."
