by Nixie Taylor
“Eiffel,” Maggie says.
“What did I say?”
“Awful,” Maggie says, giggling once more.
“Come on, Maggie,” my sister says. “These two clearly are exhausted and need some sleep.”
“They look fine to me.”
“Trust me, dear.”
Maggie skips ahead of my sister on the way to her room.
We wait a few minutes to make sure we don’t bump into them in the elevator before racing back to our room. Happily, we don’t get any sleep at all.
Epilogue - Flint
Fall has settled in Illinois, which means I keep needing to wear summer clothes one day and winter clothes the next. But the weather is perfectly autumnal on the day of the Fall Festival at Maggie’s school.
April looks stunning across the field in her green, form-fitting sweater and khaki pants, talking to the other parents.
I wave at her from my spot in line and then go back to anxiously glancing at my watch and wondering how much trouble I’ll get in for cutting to the front of the line.
“Are you okay, Dad?”
“Yeah, I suppose. I don’t like lines.”
“Why?”
I thought kids were supposed to outgrow the Why Phase when they were much younger, but apparently, nobody told Maggie.
“I’m not sure, really.”
“Do you have to pee?”
“What? No. I mean, a little bit, but I can hold it, because I’m not a baby.”
She snorts a laugh. “You could go over with Mom. I’m old enough to wait in line by myself.”
“Of course you are, but how will I ever get a Batman logo painted on my face if I don’t wait in line?”
“Batman? I’m getting a giant spider.”
We spend the next few minutes discussing the merits of various possibilities to get painted on our faces. Right when Maggie convinces me to get a matching spider, April threads her arm through mine.
“You should get a spider, too, Mom.”
“Please tell me you didn’t agree to that pet tarantula she keeps begging for.”
Her free hand rests on her belly. She’s not showing yet, and we haven’t told anyone. It’s just our secret for another few weeks. We were both worried about what Maggie was going to say until she announced at dinner a few nights back that she would really like a little sister, and would accept a little brother.
Life back in the suburbs is going better than I could have ever dreamed when I moved away after being released from prison. I’ve got a new job as a personal trainer. All of my appointments are during the day while the girls are at work and school, and then we get to spend the evenings together.
“April, you are absolutely glowing,” Maggie’s teacher, Mrs. Tompkins, says when we get up to the face painting table.
“It’s because she’s pregnant,” Maggie says, stunning us both to silence. “Her skin looks great, her hair is thicker, and she pukes twice before ten o’clock each morning. They haven’t told me if it’s a sister or brother yet, but I’m hoping for a sister.”
Mrs. Tompkins must be able to accurately read the shocked expressions on our faces. She whispers, “Congratulations.” Then she pretends to lock her lips and throw away the keys.
“What kind of painting do you want, dear?” Mrs. Tompkins asks Maggie, changing the subject.
I take a moment to reflect on how easy it was to wait in line with my two girls at my side. It’s just another reminder of how happy I am every day we’re together.
“Since the secret’s out,” I say, “how about you paint a stork carrying a bundle on my face?”
“I’ll take a baby, if you can paint one,” April says.
We both look expectantly at Maggie, certain she’ll join us in our baby-related paintings. “Whatever. I’m still getting a spider. One tarantula, please.”
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