Chapter 31 Part one
Summary: Cooper and LaTonya deal with having newborns; Mercedes comes to visit them.
Rating: Mature. Sex, cursing.
Three Blessings
LaTonya woke up wondering what day it was. She picked up her phone on the nightstand, thinking it was Saturday, and saw it was Sunday. Since the triplets were born a month ago, she couldn't keep anything straight. She devoted her time and attention to their three beautiful daughters: Ella Edward, Lila Lucas, and Riley Randall. Each girl's middle name came from LaTonya's father's full name: Edward Lucas Randall. Their first names were her mother's full name: Ella Lila Riley. Cooper still wasn't talking to his parents, though they sent gifts monthly. While she was in labor, he stood by her, holding her hand, and cried as much as she did when they were born. The girls had odd blue eyes like their father, varying shades of russet brown skin, and kinky hair. Riley was a redhead; Lila's hair was inky black, while Ella's hair was blonde. And they were a handful.
LaTonya reached down, grabbed her leg, and attached it. She heard Cooper on the baby monitor talking to their daughters.
"There now, no need to cry. Daddy is here," he murmured, and she could imagine him picking each one up, kissing them to calm them down. Latonya sighed and felt the heavy weight of her milk-filled breasts. She picked up the monitor from the nightstand.
"Bring them to me," she said to Cooper. "It's time."
A few minutes later, he came to their bedroom holding Lila and Riley, handing them off to LaTonya before going downstairs to get a bottle for Ella. They rotated between breastfeeding and the bottle for the triplets and found it was easier. She unbuttoned her nightgown and offered a breast to each infant, and they latched onto her sensitive nipples, drinking her milk.
LaTonya's cornrows were frizzy and coming undone, and patches of dandruff covered her scalp. Her once pristine white nightgown was stained with grape juice from when she guzzled down a glass of it during a few precious moments of quiet solitude in the kitchen before falling asleep at the table. Her frumpy, disheveled appearance saddened her, and she wondered how Cooper could stand to look at her as he sat down beside her on the bed, holding Ella and a bottle of formula. He kissed her cheek.
"Good morning, love."
LaTonya yawned.
"Morning."
"How are you feeling?"
"Ok, I guess."
Cooper cuddled up next to her on the bed and fed Ella her bottle. He needed to shave, and there were bags under his eyes. Neither one of them had slept much. Constant fatigue and grieving the recent death of her father drained her, but when they shared quiet moments like this, she felt blessed to have her family. She was glad Kurt and Blaine had come for a few weeks. They were a tremendous help with cleaning the house, cooking the meals, and tending to the babies. She and Cooper paid for them When Lila and Riley were full, she burped them, and they fell asleep. Cooper gave her Ella and took the other two from her arms. LaTonya felt her eyelids grow heavy as Ella laid on her bare breast, satisfied from her feeding. She heard Cooper whispering that he was taking Ella back to her crib.
"Sleep well," he said, kissing her forehead as he buttoned up her nightgown and covered her with the blanket. She tried to answer him, but that required more energy than she had to give, and she fell asleep.
Cooper almost died more times than he could count. Once on a late-night train to Vienna, he and his mark fought in a sleeper car; the scar-faced man held a knife to his throat until Cooper slammed his head with an ice bucket before shooting him and slipping out without notice. Or when an Irish mob boss plunged a broken bottle into his side one gray Sunday morning as church bells rang. There was his near-drowning in the Seine, dark water filling his lungs, and by grace or providence, he gained strength before losing consciousness, and he pushed himself to the surface, a view of the pale blue sky above, the air smelling briny. None of those experiences prepared him for the most frightening one: becoming a father.
Those crying bundles with his crazy blue eyes scared him senseless because they depended on him, and he felt so protective of them he wanted to watch them all the time. He didn't want to be a terrible father, and he feared he would be before they were born. Even though he proved he was up for the challenge and showed his devotion, his lingering doubts surfaced when the house was quiet, and he held LaTonya in his arms, listening to her breathing. What if they found out he once killed other fathers in other countries who woke up to find the barrel of his gun pointed at them in the early morning light, with no recourse but to pray and take his bullet?
Was he going to hell?
Not so much that he believed in heaven or hell, a higher power, yes, but even that was different from the biblical God most people referred to. He and LaTonya decided they wouldn't discuss his past life with the girls; they just needed to know that Daddy owned his own security company. He was not the dark assassin of the past. Now, as he looked at his daughters sleeping in their cribs, their hair a perfect rainbow of red, black, and blonde, he knew nothing in his life was as important to him as his family's well-being. And to love something that much meant vulnerability, which meant the risk of being hurt with a pain worse than bullet wounds and knifes plunged in your chest. He stroked their soft heads, awed at their beauty. Even though they inherited his eye color, he could see LaTonya in them, especially their mouths, noses, and lips, which looked like hers.
"I'll always protect you," he said to them. "I love you."
He wished that his father-in-law had lived to see his granddaughters. He would've loved them so much. When he died, LaTonya collapsed in Cooper's arms, crying, and all he could do was mourn with her. Though Edward would weave in and out of memories and look at him as a stranger, there were days when his former, lucid self would emerge, and he knew LaTonya was pregnant, and Cooper was her husband, and he was an old man and not a young runner preparing for a race. Those were the best days, with Edward touching LaTonya's belly, talking about how much he loved his unborn grandchildren. But they were rare days, so he and LaTonya cherished them together.
Cooper left the room, leaving the door open in case they started to cry. Even though they had baby monitors, he felt better without a barrier between them. He went to the kitchen and made a big cup of coffee, settling down at the table and looking outside at the yard; he noticed the grass needed cutting and the hedges trimmed and made a mental note to call the landscaper. While sipping his coffee, Cooper watched the birds drink from the fountain in the flower garden. Then his phone rang, and he saw it was Abby.
"Hi, Abby," he said, "How are you?"
"Guess what? Last night, I looked through my telescope and saw the Running Man nebula."
"Did you?"
"Yes. At first, it's hard to see, but you have to look at the center. That's where you find the shape in the blue cloud. And it made me think of you."
Cooper's eyes grew misty.
"Have you been keeping up with your studies? How is your GPA?"
"My GPA is three points higher this semester. And guess what? Travis asked me to the eighth-grade formal. It's like a prom, but not as fancy. Me and Mom are going shopping to buy a green dress."
"Of course you are."
Abby laughed.
"That's what Papa said. Can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
"He still combs my hair, even though I can do it myself. But I don't want him to stop. Is that weird?"
"No."
"I didn't think so. That's when we talk. I might get too old, though. You know, I'm taller than most girls in my class."
"You're never too old or too tall to talk to your father."
"Sometimes, I don't like growing up."
"It isn't easy, I admit. But we can't avoid it."
"I know. Hey, I have a riddle for you."
"Ok, what is it?"
"It lives in winter, dies in summer, and grows with its roots upward. What is it?"
Cooper thought for a moment.
"An icicle."
"Right."
Cooper smiled, staring at a squirrel darting about the yard.
"My turn," he said.
"Go on," she said.
"You can't keep this until you have given it."
While Abby thought of the answer, Cooper watched a red cardinal chirping on his windowsill. After a few moments, she said:
"A promise."
"Correct. And I have another one."
"Ok."
"What three words are said too much, yet not enough?"
Abby was quiet for a few moments, then said, "I love you."
"Correct, Miss Abby. And just so you know, I love you very much, and I promise I will always be there for you. Growing up doesn't change that, ok?"
"Ok, I love you too, Cooper."
"And I don't think it matters that you're taller than Travis. He likes you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have asked you to the formal, and if others have an issue, that's their shortcoming, not yours. No pun intended."
"Cooper, how did you - "
"A lifetime of observation."
Abby laughed.
"Goodbye, Cooper. Send us more pics of the babies."
"I will, Miss Abby. Take care."
LaTonya took a bite of homemade butter almond ice cream; closing her eyes, she savored how good it was.
"Mercedes, you outdid yourself. This is incredible," she said, taking another bite.
"I'm glad you like it. You said it was your favorite, and since Aunt Josephine bought me an ice cream maker for my birthday, I've been making it a lot."
LaTonya put her feet on the ottoman and settled back into the mound of pillows on the couch. She hadn't felt this relaxed since the triplets were born.
"Don't forget, I also made a vanilla pound cake."
"I just gained ten pounds hearing that," LaTonya said. "Thanks again for coming."
"Having three babies is hard, and I've been concerned about you."
LaTonya said nothing at first and only stared into her bowl of ice cream.
"Hey," Mercedes said, stroking her arm, "You've been through a lot. I want you to know I'm here for you, and Sam is, too."
LaTonya took a tissue from the box on the coffee table and wiped her eyes.
"I can't believe my father is gone. Everything happened so fast. I just wish he could be here to see his grandchildren. I think Ella looks like him."
"I'm so sorry," Mercedes said, "I can't imagine how hard this is for you.
LaTonya continued wiping her eyes as the tears flowed down her cheeks.
"When I was a kid, there were no mother-daughter bonding moments; it was just my Dad and me fighting my illness, going in and out of the hospital. I love my babies and husband but I struggle between gratitude and grief."
Mercedes hugged her.
"Whatever you're feeling is how you feel. Don't judge it. I can relate about the bonding moments because Aunt Josephine was always working two jobs, so she couldn't do the first bra, first-period sort of things."
"My first period was the worst," LaTonya said. "I had cramps, and the pad felt bulky. My body was changing in a way that I didn't want. I had already lost my leg, and then I lost my childhood too. But my father was understanding, and I wouldn't have traded him for anything."
"How is your stomach healing?"
"I'm still sore, but it's getting better."
"That's good."
"Yeah, it wasn't so great the first few weeks," she said as she ate the ice cream again. "You should open an ice cream parlor."
"That's what Sam says, too," Mercedes said, getting up from the couch and looking out the window, "It's still raining. Do you want to watch a movie?"
"I'd love that."
"You choose."
"Live and Let Die."
"Bond. Why am I not surprised?"
"That's what I like. I'm not a rom-com chick."
"You say that, but have you ever seen one?"
"Are you trying to convert me?"
"I used to think I didn't like them, and then I saw About Time."
"What's it about?"
"This guy and girl fall in love, and he can travel through time."
"I'll pass."
Mercedes laughed.
"Alright, Bond, it is then."
"I wish I could relax like this all the time," LaTonya said, setting her empty bowl on the coffee table and leaning back once again.
"You'd get bored."
"Probably... I miss going on morning runs with Cooper."
"When you're healed, you can go again."
"It'll be more like a slow jog by then," LaTonya said, chuckling, "I tried to lift a laundry basket, and Cooper flipped. I know he means well, but I don't think I would've injured myself."
"I have to side with Cooper on that one. You need to let yourself heal, and lifting laundry won't help."
"When I was a kid, it seemed like I was always healing from surgery or inspiring someone. I hated that."
"What do you mean by inspiring?"
"At track meets, people would come up to me and say how inspired they were by my courage to be a runner with my disability. It got old after a while. They thought they were being nice, but it made my skin crawl. Yes, I'm disabled, but I don't exist for your inspiration."
"Damn."
"When I was about twelve, my father took me to Friendly's for chocolate Fribbles and French fries. I had just got my hair done that afternoon, and I felt pretty with my bouncy, shiny curls. All the women in the salon made over me when I was done, and Daddy looked so proud when he came to pick me up, and he said that I was growing up to be as fine as my Mama. We were laughing and talking and having a good time when this man came up to us, said he would pray for me to heal, and told my father he must be proud of me despite being crippled."
"He said that?"
"Yes, girl, and get this, he started praying all loud in the middle of Friendly's. One minute I'm happy and carefree, and the next, I'm a charity case for this fool who thought he could save me."
"Wow. That happened?"
"That's just the tip of the iceberg. We believed in God, but that man was intrusive, making assumptions and thinking he could save me. Not everybody wants faith healing or revivals. Besides, where were your prayers when I fought to get an accessible dorm room during my first year of college? Or when the elevators and escalators broke down at the subway station, and I was in too much pain to take the stairs that day? Or when a strange man stalked me because he had a fetish for amputees?"
"I'm sorry, LaTonya."
"You don't always get better. Stop saying get well. Instead, ask, what can I do? Besides, they say God doesn't make mistakes. This is who I am, and I love and honor the body I'm in."
Mercedes sat closer to LaTonya on the couch, putting her arm around her.
"It takes a lot for you to be vulnerable."
LaTonya laid her head on Mercedes' shoulder; closing her eyes, she said, "This isn't a woe-is-me story.
"I didn't think it was," Mercedes said, "You're carrying a lot inside you."
"You know my father was at every track meet. He never missed a single one, and he put all my medals and trophies on display in a separate room of the house."
"You had a trophy room?"
"Yeah, girl, Serena Williams had nothing on me," LaTonya said, laughing. "I was Queen of the Trophy Room."
"He sounds like a wonderful man."
"He was," LaTonya said, and a few tears trickled down her cheeks. "Thank you, I needed this."
"Needed what?"
"Just talking about stuff. Don't get me wrong, Cooper is my everything, and he's wonderful, but he wants to fix things, and he can't fix death."
"I understand."
"Our daughters have the best father."
"And the best mother," Mercedes said.
"Thank you."
"Now, before I start the movie, do you want me to get the vanilla pound cake?"
"I should say no, but screw it, YES!"
Mercedes laughed as she got up from the couch.
"You should say what you want. Nobody is judging you."
"I know, but still... the baby weight and all."
"I see how Cooper looks at you. That man ain't worried about it."
LaTonya smiled.
"Yes, he admires me, doesn't he?"
"Very much."
"My father said something like that," LaTonya said as she wrapped a quilt around her shoulders to ward off a sudden chill, "One time when we were visiting him at the nursing home, he said: That man looks at you like you're a grand prize."
"He was right."
LaTonya nodded.
"Yes, he was," she said, laughing. "Get the pound cake. I want to have a piece while we watch the movie."
"Coming right up," Mercedes said, "I'll throw on some whipped cream and fresh strawberries."
"Now you're talking," LaTonya said. "I can get used to this."
"Don't get too comfortable," Mercedes said as she walked toward the kitchen, "I have to go home, eventually."
After the movie, they drank tea in the kitchen, watching the rain from the window.
"Your house is beautiful," Mercedes said. "It feels like a home."
LaTonya sipped her tea; an uneasy feeling crept into her belly.
"Feeling like home isn't the same as being home, you know?"
Mercedes looked at her.
"Is something the matter?"
"I just don't feel settled here. I don't know why."
"Do you like your neighbors?"
LaTonya laughed.
"The closest neighbor is a half-mile away. So yeah, we like them."
"You were so happy when you moved here."
"Oh, I'm still happy. It's not that. I don't know what it is."
"Have you told Cooper?"
"No, he worries enough as it is."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but have you considered therapy?"
"Why?"
"I think whenever there's something unresolved, it haunts you."
"So, I'm haunted by something?"
"Maybe. Why do you feel unsettled?"
LaTonya had no answer for that. Her life, on the surface, fulfilled every dream she had: marriage, family, and a beautiful home. So what was she yearning for? She picked up the flowered teapot, one of the precious few possessions she had of her mother's, and poured herself another cup of tea. It used to be a complete tea set, but now only the teapot remained. The flowers on it were delicate purple lilacs, so intricate in their detail that as a child, LaTonya thought she could pluck them off and even tried to until her mother said that the flowers were painted on to look at while you drank tea. Her mother's voice was soft, with a hint of a Southern accent.
She was dark-skinned, had a beautiful midnight complexion, and had long hair that smelled of roses. Then one morning, she was gone. Her body lay in the garden, a basket of tomatoes beside her, and LaTonya found her, thinking she was sleeping. But why would her mother be sleeping beneath the twisted tomato vines? Her father came outside and shouted and then... she couldn't remember anything else. What then? The lilacs on the teapot were all she had left, so she used it every day. She touched the lilacs, heard her mother's voice, her laughter, felt her soft touch...
LaTonya clutched her cup, staring at the steaming amber liquid that filled it.
"I'm the one who found her."
"Found who?" Mercedes asked, reaching over and holding her hand.
"My mother. I found her dead."
Mercedes didn't ask her for details. She hugged her as she cried. Then LaTonya lifted her head from her shoulder and said, "I hate my mother for dying, for not being there when I was a kid."
"I'm so sorry."
"How can I be enough for the girls? I love them so much. But how can I be enough? There's this hole in me. I have little holes that make a big hole, like pinpricks in a balloon, and it slowly deflates. They feed from me. Cry in my ear. Look at me to give them everything. What if I don't have everything?"
Mercedes remained silent as she held LaTonya in her arms.
Later that night, LaTonya dreamed that she and Cooper, and the girls were on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean. Cooper was sunburned, his eyes bluer than usual, and the sky looked unreal, a shade of blue that could never exist beyond the realm of dreams. LaTonya's skin glistened in the light. She wore a white sundress, and the girls were in white sunbonnets and sunsuits. The ocean sparkled.
"Where are we going?" She asked Cooper.
He smiled and kissed her.
"Wherever we want."
She woke up to the sound of the babies crying. Cooper pulled back the covers and got out of bed.
"You sleep," he said. "Mercedes and I will take care of them."
"They may be hungry."
"There are bottles in the fridge."
"But — "
"Go back to sleep."
LaTonya lay her head on the pillow, smelling Cooper's scent of spiced soap on the sheets, and closed her eyes. She went back to sleep for a while but the babies' mournful cries awakened her again. She got up, put on her robe, and went down the hall to their room, where she found Cooper rocking Ella and Riley in the glider chair while Mercedes paced back and forth with Lila, her head wrapped in a green silk scarf, a cotton burping cloth draped over her shoulder protecting her white silk pajamas from spit-up.
"Have they eaten?" LaTonya said, standing in the doorway, "I hope they're not sick."
"They've been fed, burped, and changed," Mercedes said as Lila cried, her face contorted in discontent, "And we checked for fever. Their temperatures are normal."
"We've tried singing, silence, dancing, and begging," Cooper said. "Nothing will stop them."
LaTonya watched as her husband and her best friend tried to soothe her daughters and felt helpless. Then she said, "Come with me."
"Where are we going?" Cooper asked, rising from the glider.
"The piano room," LaTonya said, taking Ella from the crook of his arm.
"This isn't an occasion for a concert," he said.
"It's the perfect occasion."
They went downstairs to the piano room, and LaTonya turned on the light. The baby grand piano sat in the middle of the room in all its glory, and a black leather loveseat was in the corner.
"Dim the lights," Cooper said. "It might soothe them."
She did as he asked and sat next to Mercedes on the loveseat. Cooper sat on the plush leather bench in front of the piano and opened it, and Riley snuggled against him in the carrier. Then his fingers touched the keys, and the music began. It wasn't anything LaTonya had heard before, and she wondered if it was the composition Cooper mentioned writing to soothe his anxiety. The babies hushed and listened to the music, their eyes on Cooper, entranced as he played, lulling them to sleep.
The music was ethereal and beautiful, reminding LaTonya of all the magical, intimate moments they shared as a family and even before that, when they first kissed, fumbling toward a relationship, the music changed like the tide, ebbing and flowing, conjuring memories of how their lives intertwined, forming their family: Cooper rubbing her belly, as he sang to their unborn children; falling asleep on the couch together, the television light on their faces, making love in the darkness of night, holding each other and feeling blessed. The music felt like family, love, and everything in between. He played until their daughters were in a deep slumber. Then they took them back upstairs and placed them in their cribs.
As they crept out of the room, Mercedes said, "I'm glad that worked. See you in the morning."
"It is morning," LaTonya said, pointing to the window. "The sun is rising."
"Well, I'll see you in the late morning," she said and walked down the hallway to the guest bedroom.
Cooper took LaTonya's hand, and they went to their bedroom. Closing the door behind them, he put his arms around her, hugging her.
"I'm coming apart," she said.
"It's ok."
"Cooper, I'm so tired."
They lay together on the bed; she buried her face in his neck as he stroked her back.
"I knew you were holding it all in," Cooper said, "But I didn't want to force you. I thought I failed you because you didn't say anything."
"It's not your fault."
"I'm not concerned with fault. Only about you. What can I do?"
"Take me sailing."
"What?"
"Take me sailing around the world. Forget everything. Just to get away."
"I'm hiring a nanny."
"I'm scared that I'll fail our daughters."
"We'll get a nanny and a therapist."
"Just listen."
"Alright."
"Every night, I fall apart. Every day I wake up, and I put myself together again. I look horrible. But you love me."
"Very much."
"I'm sorry, I look horrible."
"Sweetheart, for the love of God, you don't look - "
"I don't know how to be strong anymore."
"You don't have to be."
"I can't be weak."
"You're not weak."
"Then what am I?"
"An amazing woman that I'm blessed to call my wife."
"Cooper, I don't feel so amazing."
"I know."
They were quiet as LaTonya rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and she said:
"Every time I look at Ella, I see my father. And I see my mother in Lila and Riley."
"Ella has his mouth and birthmark on her cheek, and Lila and Riley have your mother's nose and chin."
"So, you noticed too?"
"It's hard to miss."
"Yeah..."
"Sometimes, I hear you crying in the bathroom," Cooper said, stroking her hair.
"I'm sorry."
"There's no reason to be sorry. I want to help you."
"I think you're right about therapy and a nanny."
"Ok, I'll arrange for both."
"I have so much going on inside me."
"I'm listening."
LaTonya snuggled up to him and told him everything, all the pain she ignored, acknowledging the turmoil, no longer abandoning herself but facing it.
When she finished, he held her and said, "Seeing your parents' features on our girls' faces is like past and present grief colliding."
"It is."
"And then there's the anxiety of new motherhood. No wonder you're falling apart."
"I'm Humpty Dumpty," LaTonya joked. "I need all the King's horses and all the King's men to put me back together again."
"You know they failed at that."
LaTonya laughed.
"Only you would point that out."
"Did you know that was a riddle?"
"What was a riddle?"
"Humpty Dumpty."
"How can a nursery rhyme be a riddle?"
"I read somewhere that when it was first published, the reader had to guess what Humpty Dumpty was if you notice. The poem never says it's an egg."
"I never noticed, but you're right," LaTonya said. "I want to be whole again."
"You are whole. And you're wonderful and loving and beautiful, and I hate to see you in pain. We'll get through this together. I promise."
They kissed, and Cooper said, "I'm sorry you were the one who found your mother."
Instead of saying, "that's ok," or "it's not your fault," or any other placating, meaningless platitude, LaTonya let the tears fall and responded, "I am too."
LaTonya and Mercedes went for a walk at the local park early one morning when the air was chilly, and sunrise illuminated the sky with golden light. Cooper and the babies were still asleep at home. They walked a couple of laps around a duck pond. LaTonya enjoyed the exercise; it wasn't as invigorating as a long run with Cooper, but she had to ease into strenuous activities. After their walk, they went to the coffeehouse across the street and got lattes and blueberry scones. Sitting down at a table near the window, they sipped their hot drinks and watched the passerby.
"This is the best latte I've ever had," Mercedes said, "Better than Starbucks."
"When we first moved to Vermont, we came here a lot before the triplets were born," LaTonya said as she bit into her scone. "Sometimes we just sat there and talked for hours."
"Do you miss those times?"
LaTonya hesitated, then said, "Sometimes I do. But I wouldn't trade my girls for anything."
"You need to set aside time for just the two of you. I know it's hard, but believe me, it's worth it."
"Is that what you and Sam do?"
"Yes, and it's helped our marriage a lot. Do you have any friends to babysit?"
"No. As much as we like this town, we've stayed to ourselves. At least you and Sam have family and friends nearby. I feel isolated."
Mercedes squeezed her hand.
"Listen, I'm glad you're getting therapy and help with the babies, but you need other support. That's when friends come in. I'll always be there for you. Distance won't change that. I love you."
"Thank you, Mercedes. I love you too. And I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Cooper and I would like you and Sam to be godparents to our daughters."
"I'd be honored. I'll discuss it with Sam, but I don't think he would object."
"Thank you. It would mean a lot to us. We also asked Paul Dill to be a godfather."
"I remember him from your wedding."
"Yes, he's one of the few people Cooper trusts. His distrust of people is why we keep to ourselves a lot."
"But you need a network, especially here in Vermont."
"We'll figure it out," LaTonya said, glancing at her watch, "I better get a raisin tart and large coffee for Cooper. He and the babies will be awake soon."
"I'm getting another latte."
"They're addictive, aren't they?"
"Very."
After getting more lattes and pastries, they walked home.
Cooper was in the living room with Ella and Lila when they returned, feeding each a bottle. Riley was asleep in her rocker. His eyes brightened when he saw LaTonya set the coffee on the table.
"You got me coffee; bless you."
"Here, we'll take over for now," she said, taking Ella from his arms while Mercedes took Lila, "Go have some peace and quiet in the kitchen. I got you a raisin tart too."
He kissed her cheek.
"The morning exercise did you good. You're glowing."
"Maybe I'm pregnant again."
For a second, Cooper looked scared, and his face grew pale:
"What?"
"Oh God, Cooper, she's joking," Mercedes said, settling down on the loveseat with Lila.
LaTonya laughed, shaking her head.
"How could you think I was serious? Go drink your coffee."
"Yes, I need to recover from whatever just happened," Cooper said as he left the room.
Mercedes stayed another week, and they bonded over daily walks, shopping sprees, and movie marathons. Because Sam missed Mercedes, he came to Vermont with the kids, and the two families had an impromptu vacation together. They hiked in the mountains and visited local attractions like the Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington and the Top-Notch resort in the hills of Mount Mansfield. For LaTonya, the best part of all was gathering at mealtimes. Growing up, she didn't have a big family, and though she loved her father, it got lonesome with just the two of them. With Sam and Mercedes and their kids staying with them and sharing their days together, she relished in the early morning cacophony of chatter and laughter, and the familial bond she felt for the Hummels grew deeper. Sam and Mercedes agreed to be the godparents to Ella, Riley, and Lila, and LaTonya made plans for a naming ceremony. When the Hummels returned to Kentucky, and the house was theirs again, she no longer felt lonely, only peaceful, and at night Cooper held her beneath the covers, sometimes singing her to sleep, and her heart had fewer cracks.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading my story. Part two is forthcoming.
