Part 4 –Consulting Nena

Colby found Nena in her room, reading J. K. Rowling's latest book. He was thrilled that Nena's reading level continued to far outstrip her age and grade level. She was better than average in the rest of her academics, but not as spectacularly. It was a source of embarrassment to her that she was 'just good' at math. Nothing that Colby or Charlie could say would make her understand that just being around one of the world's top mathematicians didn't make you a mathematician. Nor should it. Colby adored Nena as she was, with her creativity and imagination, her stubbornness and moods, her outgoing behavior and quick mind. What would another baby be like? He hoped just as wonderful.

"Sweetie?" he asked. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Nena didn't even look up from her book. "I'm readin'."

"Please?"

She heaved a dramatic sigh and put a bookmark in her book. There were some teenage mannerisms that she already had down pat, even though she was only seven.

As soon as they were walking down the sidewalk, though, Nena reverted to the skipping, happy child she usually was. Colby let her run ahead of him as they got near the park. She dashed to the swings and lay on her stomach in the swing. She pushed off with her legs and made fighter pilot noises.

Colby smiled and followed. He sat down in the grass near the swings and leaned on the metal support for the rope bridge. He waited until Nena got tired of the swing, then motioned her to come and sit by him. She came and plopped down in the grass next to him.

Colby pushed hair out of Nena's face.

"I love you, Nena-bear," he said tenderly.

She frowned. "I love you too, Daddy Daddy. Is somethin' wrong?"

"Nope," Colby said. "Just need to talk to you about something."

Nena's eyes widened anxiously. She pressed her lips together and waited.

"Honey, what would you think about getting a baby brother or sister?"

Nena blinked at him. "How?"

Colby swallowed. "Umm …" He'd hoped to avoid this particular conversation.

"All you got is a boywife, you need a mommy."

Colby looked at her uneasily. "Do you know where babies come from?"

"'Course, I do!" Nena said with seven-year-old contempt.

"Umm, tell me?"

Nena rolled her eyes, but said, "A mommy and a daddy take a piece of themselves – a piece of the heart is best – and put it inside the mommy's tummy where the pieces mush together like playdough and make a baby shape. The baby grows and grows inside the mommy's tummy, which protects it like an egg, you know, until it's too big for the mommy's tummy then she goes to a doctor and gets it taken out and you have a baby."

"Ah, oh, I see, okay," Colby said with relief. It was close enough to the truth that he could leave it at that. He wondered where Nena had gotten that idea.

Nena picked up a piece of grass and fiddled with it. "So … is Mommy gonna be the mommy?"

"No," Colby snapped, horrified at the image of Jenny being the mother of Charlie's child, then tried to soften his reaction with a smile. "No, honey, we haven't got the details worked out yet."

"But …"

"Nena," Colby said firmly before she could start asking more questions that he didn't have the answers for. "What you and I need to talk about how you'd feel about bringing a new baby into our family."

Nena started to shred her piece of grass. "Boy or girl?"

"Would it make a difference?"

"Guess not …"

"Would you like to be a big sister?"

"I don't know … maybe. Would the baby live part time with his mommy?"

"Nope, he or she would be our baby all the time."

"Oh," Nena said, frowning. She ripped apart her piece of grass and got another.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"He'll be more yours and Charlie's than I am."

Colby shook his head and put his arm around her. "We've talked about why I have to share you with your mom, but I still consider you 100 my girl. Even if we have another kid, Charlie and me won't love you any less than we do now. Love doesn't work that way."

Nena mumbled, "Mommy got Mark and she doesn't love me as much anymore."

"Oh, honey," Colby said, giving her a big hug. "Mommy just wants to spend time with her new boyfriend. She doesn't love you less, she's just … distracted."

Nena made a skeptical sound.

"Believe it," Colby said firmly. "But back to what I was asking about – You're a big part of our family and I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first, before Charlie and I start talking details."

"Would I have to share my bedroom?"

"I don't think so, we'll probably take over the guest bedroom."

"Would we still have Daddy-n-Nena time?"

"Of course!"

"Would I have to take care of stinky diapers?"

"We'd like it if you helped, but you can help in less stinky ways."

"Like what?"

"Like doing your homework without being bugged five times."

Nena grimaced. "Homework is boring."

"I know, honey, but that's school for you."

She ran her fingers through the grass. "Would the baby be any fun?"

"Once he or she is old enough."

"Can I … can I teach him how to paint and fish and … play Fed?"

"That's a big sister's job," Colby grinned. "To teach their little brothers and sisters stuff. And to get them in trouble and protect them from trouble, to talk you into stealing apples from the neighbor's orchard, then go get help when you sprain your ankle."

Nena smiled at him. "That's what your big sister did?"

"Yep, that and lots of other stuff," Colby said with a wistful smile. He hadn't talked to Eve in years. "She was always getting me into trouble and out of it, then back in it."

"Cool," Nena said. "She's my Aunt Eve, right? But your family doesn't like Charlie so they don't talk to you?"

Colby flushed. "Right."

"Then they're stupid," she said.

Colby had to laugh at that.

"Okay," Nena said finally. "I think it's okay for you to get me a baby brother or sister."

"Great!" Colby said, beaming at her. Until she'd given it, he hadn't realized how important her agreement was to him.

"Now," Nena asked doggedly. "Where are you going to get the mommy?"