A Dance of Life

34

"I know we didn't fly here, but I really wish we could have flown back," Pat comments as she places our suitcases in the trunk of my dad's car.

"Unless you want to spend time massaging my swollen feet, I would advise against it," I chuckle, leaning on the car.

"I mean, they're going to get swollen anyway," she says, sounding out of breath. "You might as well relax in the air. We could even get business class."

"Do you want to pay for that?"

"Uh, no?" She slams the trunk and bends over it. "Your dad is very generous. I'm sure if I pitch the idea to him he'll..."

I give her a flat look and raise my eyebrow. "I'm joking, Ellie," she tells me, laughing awkwardly.

I smile and wiggle my eyebrows. "I know. I was just pulling your leg. But I would rather not take any chances."

The porch door opens, and my dad, Diana, and Lucas walk out. Diana is carrying a bag that I'm hoping is filled with snacks. Some spicy snacks. My mouth waters as I imagine it, but I quickly shake the daze off.

This craving stuff is weird.

Lucas wraps his arms around me or at least tries to, laying his head on my belly. "Bye-bye babies," he says, his voice sounding wobbly.

"Are you only going to say bye to the babies?" I laugh, rubbing his head. "What about Pat and me?"

He gives me an angry look. "Now I have to stay in the room alone."

I look at Diana for help, but she shrugs and puts the bag she was carrying into the backseat. "Diana will stay with you."

"Nope," she says, crossing her arms. "He needs to learn how to stay on his own."

"I don't want to stay with you anyways," he growls, sticking out his tongue.

Diana rolls her eyes but sticks out her tongue as well. She moves towards me and pulls me into a tight hug. "You're coming back, right?"

My eyes sting with tears, and bend over slightly to her eye level, cupping her cheek. "I am so sorry for the pain I've caused you, D. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you and Lucas have a good life."

Her brows crease and her lips begin to quiver. "Stop trying to make me cry. It's not going to work."

I let out a short laugh, giving her another hug before entering the car. I blow Lucas a kiss through the window, but he scowls at me and stumps into the house. I chuckle as my dad and Patricia enter the car, and we drive off. I watch Diana through the rearview mirror, waving at the car until we're out of sight.

God, please help me do the right thing.

"I'm missing them already," I say, leaning my head on the window in the back seat.

"Yeah right," Pat scoffs from the front with a laugh.

"No really, I think I'm getting some pregnancy brain," I laugh.

I open the bag Diana handed me to find that it's filled with empty packets of potato chips and a piece of paper. The word 'haha' is written all over the page, along with the word 'sike' in capital letters in the middle.

"I change my mind," I scoff, throwing the bag on the car floor. "I miss only Lucas."

~~~~~

"Make sure you call every day," my dad says, kissing both my cheeks multiple times.

"Stop, stop," I giggle, struggling out of his grasp. "I'll call you so much that you'll stop picking up my calls."

"You promise?"