Room for You(42)

“Welcome, please come in.” She stepped back and nodded politely as we walked through the doorway.

We were barely through the door, when a little boy leapt from the widest staircase I’d ever seen, straight into Brody’s arms. “Uncle Brody!”

The cute little guy with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, dressed in Angry Birds pajamas, wrapped his arms and legs around Brody’s torso like a monkey. Not that I could blame him, I’d wanted to do that to him myself a few times.

“What’s up, my man?” Brody peeled him off and tossed him up high in the air over and over. Logan’s squeals echoed through the cold, stone foyer. A chill passed through me as I looked around. You couldn’t even tell kids lived here.

She probably keeps them locked in the dungeon.

I chuckled to myself as a little girl with a head of white-blonde ringlets wobbled up to Brody and held her arms up.

“Becca!” He cheered as he reached down and scooped her up in his other arm, covering her tiny face with kisses as she squirmed and giggled.

“Figures the first thing you’d do when you get here is make the kids wild.” A soothing voice from behind me called out.

A distinguished looking man, dressed in what I imagined was an expensive jet-black suit, appeared from the back of the house. I was shocked by his resemblance to Logan, who was an exact replica of him, just a smaller version. Same sandy blonde hair, same bright blue eyes.

He walked over and offered his hand, which Brody awkwardly shook around Becca, pulling him in for one of those man hugs where they don’t really embrace each other, more like back slapping.

“Glad you made it, I wasn’t so sure you’d actually show.” He reached for Becca who eagerly dove for her father’s chest, laying her head on his shoulder while she eyed me cautiously.

“Trust me, I didn’t want to, but Kacie here was dying to try Blaire’s cooking.” He joked sarcastically as he draped his arm over my shoulder.

“Hi Kacie, I’m Andy.” His smile was warm and familiar as he gently took my hand in his.

“Hi Andy, thanks for inviting me.” I couldn’t resist the cute little thing clinging to his neck any longer. “You must be Becca. Aren’t you the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen. Is that your baby?” I pointed at the floppy doll tucked under her arm.

She sat up straight, her eyes lighting up as she lunged for me.

“Becca, sit nice, honey. Not everyone wants to hold you.” Andy kissed her cheek.

“It’s okay, I’d like to … if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” he said as he handed her over to me. “I have to attempt to pry Logan off of Brody anyway. That’s a task in and of itself.” He reached over and tickled under Logan’s arms in an attempt to get him to loosen his grip around Brody’s neck, but Brody squeezed Logan tight and defiantly ran the other direction. Andy looked back at me and sighed. “As you can see, they have the same mental capacity. It’s why they get along so well.”

Becca held her baby up to me, pointing at its face. “Nose.”

“Is that the baby’s nose?” I cooed at her. “Where’s your nose?”

She giggled and shoved her chubby little finger in her nostril. Andy reached over, quickly plucking it out. “She probably learned that from Uncle Brody, too.”

I laughed, feeling instantly relaxed with Andy and wondering how such a nice guy could be married to the witch Brody had described. Clearly he must have exaggerated. Andy held his hands out to Becca, but she swatted them away and laid her head on my shoulder.

“Wow, looks like I’ve been replaced,” he teased.

“Fine by me,” I said. “She’s cuddly.” The smell of baby shampoo in her hair made me ache for my girls. I’d been so distracted with Brody today that I thought I was handling being away from them just fine, until this little reminder hit me square in the face.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” A woman bellowed as she came into the room. She looked like a supermodel. Tall, ultra-thin and dressed like she just walked out of a magazine, her large, platinum curls swayed like a pendulum when she moved. I was sure there was a dentist somewhere who was putting his kid through college, thanks to all she’d spent on teeth whitening.

“Becca, come here. Stop bothering people.” She roughly took Becca from me, while Becca fussed in protest. “Gloria, could you come here, please?” She yelled toward the back of the house, sounding annoyed as her turquoise earring violently swung back and forth.

“Coming.” A young lady briskly walked to the foyer. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her while her eyes were plastered to the floor like a child who had just been reprimanded.

“Gloria, what am I paying you for? You’re supposed to be watching the children!” She scolded as she pushed Becca into Gloria’s arms. In the hand off, Becca dropped her baby on the floor and I bent down and picked it up, quickly handing it to Blaire, who rolled her eyes. “Here. Don’t forget her stupid doll.”

She looked over at Brody and Logan and snapped her fingers. “Logan. Go. Now.”

Brody glared at Blaire and gently pulled Logan off his shoulders, setting him on the ground. “We’ll catch up before you go to bed, okay?” Brody high-fived Logan as he walked off with Gloria and Becca, his shoulders slumped in disappointment.