Susan Lewis slipped her feet out of her sandals and dug her bare toes into the cool grass. She shifted herself on the steps of the porch and studied the scene in front of her. She reached up and absently took the frozen fruit bar that Abby had tapped her shoulder with.
"Geez…it's hot," Abby sighed as she sank down onto the step next to her friend. Susan nodded and tore the paper off her popsicle and took a bite.
"We need to go into business," she said.
"Really?" Abby chuckled. Doing what?"
"Making babies. I mean, look at them, Abby. How could anyone NOT want one of those?" Abby's eyes followed the slight nod of Susan's head and she grinned at the scene before her. Lauren and Cosmo were playing in the sprinkler. She was in a red and white striped bathing suit emblazoned with an occasional cherry. Her dark ponytails were dripping with water and she was laughing a deep, guttural giggle as Cosmo leaned over the sprinkler, letting the water hit him in his freckled face. His strawberry blonde bangs spewed up with the force of the sprinkler and he laughed. He jumped away and danced out of range of the water with Lauren right behind him. Their cheeks were rosy and their legs tanned from a summer spent in the sun. There was a low woof from the side of a blanket spread in the grass and Abby glanced toward her son. Declan had lifted his head from where he had rolled to his tummy and was watching in the direction of the noise from the center of the small front lawn. His light brown hair stood up like dandelion fluff on his head and his bare feet kicked against the soft quilt. Clad only in a diaper in the dappled sunlight, he looked anxious to join in the fun. The half grown chocolate lab that was stretched out along the very edge of the blanket wagged his tail but did not move from the baby's side.
"Well, we sort of have this problem," Abby said, not taking her eyes of their children.
"What?"
"No uterus? I mean, neither of us have one."
"We'll sell our eggs. It's a gold mine." Abby frowned slightly and glanced toward Susan.
"But that's only half of…..them."
"It's the best half though." Abby's frowned deepened and Susan looked over at her. It was just a second before they both dissolved in giggles.
"Oh geez…it's hot," Abby said again as they settled down. Susan nodded and finished her fruit bar. Abby opened another of the ones on the step next to her.
"I miss Susie," Susan sighed.
"She'll be home in a couple of days."
"IF she decides to come home," Susan snorted. "She's in San Diego. She's got a car. She's got the beach….which is literally covered with tanned, hunky highschoolers waiting for school to start. And then there are he nicely uniformed….."
"I thought it was Chloe's car."
"Well, Susie picked it out and she's been driving it since she's been there." Susan shifted and lifted her face to the sun as she sighed. "How can I possibly compete with that?"
"It's not a competition, Susan," Abby said as she took the last bite from her popsicle and toyed with the empty stick.
"You don't know Chloe."
"But I do know Susie," Abby said blithely as she held up the remaining popsicles. "She's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll do what's right for her. Cosmo? Lauren?" The children stopped and grins widened as they saw the popsicle packages she was holding.
"Yay!" Lauren squealed as she raced Cosmo to the steps. Abby laughed and pulled the wrapper off a popsicle and handed it to the little girl.
"Thank you, Mommy." Abby grinned and kissed the end of her daughter's pert little nose. Lauren stuck the strawberry bar in her mouth and plopped down on the quilt next to her baby brother. Cosmo handed the wrapper from his to Susan and dropped down onto the quilt. He wiped the wet hair from his face and grinned as the dog's tongue lapped at his popsicle. His rubbed a hand between the dog's ears and put the popsicle in his mouth.
"Oh…I did not see that," Susan groaned as she sat up and shook her head. Cosmo chuckled and cast a sly grin in her direction. Susan frowned and he shrugged and ran his hand down the dog's back. Fudge promptly rolled onto his back and Cosmo scratched his tummy.
"She's going to be on that plane, Susan," Abby said firmly as she stood up from the step and brushed the seat of her shorts off. "Lauren, be careful about getting water on the baby…." Lauren was dangling a dripping pony tail over the baby's back and he stiffened as cold droplets of water landed on his bare skin. It was only a second before the whimper changed to a full blown cry.
"Oh nice…." Abby sighed and picked him up from the ground. She jostled the baby against her shoulder and wiped the water droplets from his back. She sniffed and then tilted his diapered bottom a little closer.
"Eew," she said. 'I guess it was just a matter of time, eh buddy?" She leaned her head back and studied the baby's face. Straight brows and brown eyes stared back at her. She pursed her brows and he grinned and reached out to pat her face. A huge glob of drool dripped from his smile and Abby chuckled as she wiped it from his chest.
"I'm going to change him and put him down for a nap," she said as she headed up the steps. "I might log into Luka's computer too. He's up to something. Wanted me to check with you about your plans for Thanksgiving." Susan sat up and looked back at her in confusion.
"Thanksgiving? That's months away. School hasn't even started yet." Abby shrugged. Susan sighed and leaned back in the sun again as Abby went in the door to their side of the duplex.
"Just turkey and pie here at home."
