Spiralling Skywards: Fading (Contradictions, #2)(39)
I give my head another shake. “I’ll call Luke and check that he’s coming.”
“I’ll call Uncle Luke. Let meee Mummy, please.” Carter jumped up from the floor where he was playing and bounced on his toes in front of me.
“Let me talk to him first mate, then you can.”
“Don’t be long then. You always talk for a long time.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
I called my brother.
“Sunny girl, what can I do for you?” Luke said in way of a greeting.
“You still coming over tonight?”
“Sure am. Why’s that?”
“Nan’s cooking, as guest of honour, you get to choose what we eat.”
“Well that’s extremely civilised of you.”
“I have my moments. Oh, and she said to bring any washing and ironing you want doing with you.”
“I can most definitely do that.”
“So food? I’ve got steak, chops, or burgers?”
“Too easy then. Steak, baked potato, and some of that spicy coleslaw stuff that you make.”
“I’m on total bed rest.”
“You can’t make a coleslaw from your bed?”
“Okay. For you, I’ll try.”
“Good girl. How ya feeling anyway?”
“Fed up. Midwife came this morning and said that my BP’s still at the higher end of normal, so I’m allowed out of bed, but only as far as the sofa. At least the twinsies are doing fine. Heartbeats are strong and healthy, and I think I’m starting to feel them move.”
I heard what sounded like a smothered yawn.
“Sorry, Luke, am I boring you?”
“No, sorry. Just tired.”
“Well, it’d be really cool if you and my husband could get home at a reasonable time today and eat dinner when the rest of us do.”
“We will, I promise. I’m actually gonna knock off soonish and go get my laundry for Nan. I’ll make sure Del leaves early, too.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then but can you just talk to the little man before you go.”
“Sure can, put him on.”
I hand the phone to my son, who holds it to his ear and paces like a professional, while chatting to my brother.
***
My afternoon was spent lying flat on my back while Carter played with his Batman figures on my belly.
“Why don’t you let Mummy have a sleep, Carter, why are you playing on her belly like that anyway?” Nan asked him.
“Coz I’m teaching my brothers about Batman and how to play with me.”
“Your brothers? How’d you know they’re brothers in there? They might be sisters.”
“Noooo. Silly, Nanna. My dad told me they were brothers. He said we can have a sister next time.”
“Next time my arse,” I said quietly from my prone position on the floor.
“Actually, that wouldn’t be a bad idea, love, at least then you wouldn’t get pregnant.”
“Nan!” I screeched. “Little ears are listening.”
“Oh, he has no clue what we’re talking about, do you, mate?”
“My brothers,” Carter told her, still almost entirely focused on his action figures.
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Nan, seriously. I’m not having this convo with you in front of my child.”
“What convo?” My brother asked as he came through the front door.
“Uncle Luke!” Carter abandoned his toys and launched himself at Luke.
“Anal,” Nan stated loudly, which made Luke’s eyebrows shoot up. The look he gave me was both horrified and amused at the same time.
“Oh yeah? Obviously not something Sunshine’s into, otherwise she wouldn’t keep getting knocked up.”
“That’s exactly what I told her.”
I looked between my nan and my brother, who was swinging my screaming, child upside down by his ankles.
“Told her what?” Liam entered the room and asked.
“No,” I shouted and pointed at both of them. “Do not go putting ideas in his head.”
I watched in horror as Luke threw—yes, threw—my child what looked like twenty feet (although it was more like three) across the room to Liam. Lucky for my husband, he caught him, spun around in a circle, and then blew a raspberry on his naked belly before throwing him back to Luke.
“Anal as a form of contraception,” Nan kindly informed my husband.
I covered my face with my hands. “Little ears,” I reminded them all again with a groan.
“He’s no idea what we’re talking about, do ya, little man?” Luke asked my child, who was once again being swung upside down by his ankles.
“Anal!” Carter shouted. “What’s anal, Mummy?”
I sat up and glared at my nan.
“You. This is all your fault. You’re supposed to be here helping to get my blood pressure down, not making it bloody worse.”
“Bad word, Carter. We mustn’t say that one.” Nan had the good sense to at least pretend to look contrite before turning to Luke. “I’ll go and put the washing machine on and start dinner. Where’s your shi—stuff, Luke, in the laundry?”