Part Ten

Sydney, Michael, Jake, and Heather sit at the restaurant that night, chatting over coffee and dessert. Michael and Jake have fallen into a conversation about work, so Heather turns to Sydney.

"So," she says, her voice low. "Have you told many people about your new little one?"

Sydney shakes her head. She can hardly believe it has been less than a week since they learned the news. "We told the kids, of course--"

"I'll bet they're excited," Heather says, eyes brightening.

"They've been very sweet about it," Sydney agrees with a smile. "We told them we're thinking of calling it Sam, if it's a boy, and Emily has taken to touching my stomach and saying hello, goodbye, and goodnight to Sam every time she says hello, goodbye, and goodnight to me."

"That's darling," Heather gushes. She lowers her voice, glancing at Jake to make sure he is deep in conversation before Michael before continuing. "I want a baby," she confesses. She is Jake's second wife; the two have been married about two years. "But Jake already has two, you know, from his previous marriage, and I've known since before we were married that he doesn't want more."

"Maybe he'll change his mind," Sydney suggests.

"I don't know," Heather says. "He's been talking about getting a vasectomy."

Sydney nearly spits out a mouthful of decaf.

"What?" Heather asks.

"Nothing, nothing," Sydney says, face turning bright red.

There is a moment of awkward silence before Heather brightly changes the subject. "So who else have you told?"

"Oh-- uh-- just our parents," Sydney says. "And you guys. And Emily's been telling everyone she speaks to, so I'm sure our baby-sitter, Amanda, knows by now. We haven't told our friends back in LA yet," she realizes. "You know," she thinks aloud. "It would be really nice to go back there for a weekend soon, while it's still safe for me to travel."

"I thought Jake said people were coming out soon, for one of the kids' birthdays, or something."

"Oh, just our parents," Sydney says. "It gets to be too much of a mess when we start inviting friends." She thinks of Eric and Kerri Weiss, and how they'd have to invite both of them and then hope one didn't show up, for fear of a scene. "Michael," she says, touching his arm gently.

"Hmm?" he asks, turning his attention away from Jake.

"We should go out to LA soon, while I can still travel."

"Okay," he agrees, giving her a quick kiss. "Let's talk about it more at home. Actually, are you about ready to go?"

"Sure, whenever you are."

Michael and Jake argue briefly over who will pick up the check, and within a few minutes they are outside of the restaurant, saying their goodbyes.

"I'll give you a call next week, Sydney," Heather says. "Maybe we can have lunch."

"Sure, that would be nice," Sydney says. It would be nice, she decides, to have some friends in New York. "I may have to bring a couple of little ones along, though."

"Oh, that's no problem, I love kids," Heather says, looping her arm through Jake's. "I want a baby, Jakie."

"We'll talk about it at home," Jake says, rolling his eyes at Michael in a way that vaguely irritates Sydney. "See you Monday, Mike. Goodnight, Sydney."

Michael and Sydney say goodbye, then start down the street in the opposite direction. "Why is Jake so against the idea of children?" Sydney asks, linking her arm through her husband's.

"How do you know that he is?"

"Heather says he's talking about getting a vasectomy."

"So are we."

"We already have three, almost four, Michael," Sydney says impatiently.

Michael sighs, running a hand back through his hair. "If you want to know the truth, Jake's not real big on responsibility, Syd. I think it's why his first marriage broke up. He's a great attorney, but I wouldn't be surprised at all one day if he pops in and says he's blowing town and buying a little place in the mountains where he can fish all day."

"We should do that someday," Sydney says dreamily.

"Do what?"

"Blow town," Sydney says, resting her head on his shoulder. "Maybe after the kids are grown up, and you're ready to retire, we can build, like, a hut on some little island."

"A hut, huh?" he repeats with a smile. "Do we even know how to build a hut?"

"Shut up," she says, giving him a playful shove. "Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"It sounds great," he says with a smile. "But I always thought we'd do something more along the lines of buying a beach house somewhere, a big one where the kids can bring their families for Christmas."

"Christmas on the beach." They stop walking, and she plants a warm kiss on his lips.

"We should hail a cab," he suggests. "Get back to the train station and get home."

"Yeah," she says a bit regretfully. She is loving this, just walking and talking with him, but it will be nice to get him home to bed, too. "Love you, Michael."

"Love you, Syd."