Chapter Fourteen
Colton
" C olton! Open this damn door!"
"Shit," I mumble from the kitchen as I race towards the front door.
Ripping the door open, I'm greeted with a scowling Miss Ada laden with casserole dishes and covered plates. Reaching for two of the dishes, I free one of her arms and usher her into my townhouse.
"Damn, Miss Ada. I told you that you could bring a dish, not make half the meal." I set the dishes in the kitchen as she follows and sets the rest of the food she brought.
"Oh, hush you. I'm finally getting to meet your girls. I couldn't risk you flopping Thanksgiving dinner and ruining their first impression of me, now, could I?"
"Ruthless!" I grab my heart and stumble back into the fridge as if she shot me.
"Oh, quit being dramatic. We have shit to do to make sure this place is in tip-top shape for when the ladies get here. Start uncovering those dishes. "
"Yes, ma'am."
"Colton Harding, you knock off this attitude right now. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're not too old for me to go get a switch and tan your hide." Ada glares as she wags a finger my way.
I swear I try to keep in my laughter, but when I see her lips twitch, there's no holding it back. We both dissolve into a giggle fit, and that's how Meadow and River find us.
"Well, I'm not sure what brought this on"—Meadow waves her hand in our direction—"but this is my kind of party."
"Oh, dear," Ada titters. "We're not even close to being ready for you two. Damnit, Colton." Ada swats my arm as she huffs, which only renews my laughter.
"Miss Ada, I'd like you to meet Meadow and River. Meadow and River, please meet my best friend, Miss Ada."
"Quit with that nonsense, Colt," Ada tries to scold me, but her smile can't be stopped as she makes her way across the kitchen to Meadow and River. "It's lovely to meet you both. Colton speaks so highly of you two. It's the only thing that saves him from abandoning an old lady."
"Hey!" I protest.
"Well, that, and he brings me the good booze." Ada wiggles her brows.
"Oh, he's a good egg, for sure, and very thoughtful. I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends, Miss Ada."
"Enough of that 'Miss Ada' bullshit. I've been telling him to knock it off since he moved in, but he just won't listen."
"It's out of respect, and you know it. Now, are you done busting my balls for a bit so that we can get dinner on the table?"
"I suppose so. What do you have there in your hands, sweet girl?"
"I made Mom’s killer peach cobbler recipe. The peaches are from the tree in our yard. Mom's an amazing horticulturist," River boasts proudly.
"That's very impressive. Being able to grow your own food is something of a lost art. I always had a small garden when I could tend to it. There's nothing better than fresh, organic produce."
"You've got that right. Can I help with anything?"
"No, you're our guest. You and Riv can go sit at the table."
"Okay." Meadow turns to the small dining room, but I snag her arm and pull her to me.
Placing a chaste kiss on her lips, I savor her taste as I wrap her in my arms, then drop to my knees and kiss her belly. "Hey, peanut. How's my baby today?" I rub my hands over Meadow's obvious bump and smile when I feel the baby kick.
The first time I was able to feel our baby, I cried silent tears of joy. I’ve never imagined the rollercoaster of emotions I feel as I watch Meadow's body change with our growing baby, but it's one of the wildest things I've ever experienced in my life.
"They're doing great."
"Still feeling good?"
"Yes, Colt. I haven't felt ill in weeks, and my energy levels are back to normal. The girls and I went to yoga this morning, and finding my flow felt like heaven. It's wonderful to practice again."
"Good."
"So, y'all still don't know what you're having?"
"Nope. River doesn't either. She hasn't looked because she hasn't found an idea of how she'd like to tell us yet. "
"She's got more willpower than I do. I don't know how anyone waits anymore, with all the knowledge at your fingertips. It's a whole new ball game from when people were having babies back in my day."
"I think I handle it better than Colt, but that's the hippie in me. He's a planner, so I'm sure it's killing him a bit." Meadow smiles sweetly at me.
"I'm not gonna lie; at first it was driving me insane, but now I'm good with it. Our baby's gender is unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We know he or she is healthy and hitting all the milestones in their scans, and the genetic tests came back clear, so that's all that matters. Whether they are a boy or a girl, we're still gonna love them like crazy."
"Exactly." Meadow melts into my arms as she hums contently.
I kiss Meadow's forehead then shoo her to the dining room with River. Ada and I get the turkey and all the fixings into the dining room, and all of us eagerly load up our plates. I offered to make a vegetarian substitute for Meadow, but my girl is still craving meat and was okay with having turkey, as long as I promised to get a free-range, organic turkey. I figured that was an easy enough compromise for her to enjoy her meal.
"So, what are your plans for the little one once they arrive? Are you going to be looking into daycare?"
"I'll take them to work with me until Colton gets off work and then comes to pick them up. Perks of my boss being my best friend is that she's cool with me bringing the nugget with me. Between the three of us, our baby is going to be spoiled rotten during the day."
"That's good. If you ever need any help, I'd love to watch them for you." Miss Ada smiles at Meadow, who gets teary eyed .
"Oh, we'd love that. Thank you so much."
"I'll be able to help out too," River pipes up.
"What do you mean, Riv? You'll be away at school…" Meadow trails off.
River shoots me a nervous look, so I give her an encouraging nod.
"I don't think I'm going to go to MIT next year."
"But—" Meadow starts, but River holds up a hand, stopping her.
"Will you please just listen for a minute?"
"Of course," Meadow agrees as she glances in my direction.
I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Colt helped me get in contact with the director of the science camp at school the other week. She sent us all the information for the scholarship and gave us a contact at MIT. We called them together and talked about my options. Normally, a student who would be receiving the scholarship would be a junior or senior and therefore the scholarship would go into effect relatively quickly.
"When we explained my reservations about being away from my family at only fifteen, they were extremely understanding. They understand that while I am extremely intelligent and mature, I am also still a teenager. I wouldn't be able to live in a dorm as a minor and would have to have a host family. The idea of living with people I've never met is not something I'm comfortable with.
"MIT reassured me that they will not hold this against me, and are willing to hold my scholarship for me until I am of age and ready to commit to a degree at their school. They told me they were more than willing to help make any recommendations or connections to schools closer to us that would align with their values and curriculum .
"So, Colton and I have been narrowing down that list, and I've found two schools that I'm really excited about looking into. One of them is about an hour away from here, and the other is about forty-five minutes away. Both are easy enough commutes that I would only have to do a few days a week if I make my schedule work out, and I can take the rest of my classes online."
"Wow, you two have been busy." Meadow blows out a breath as she leans into me.
"We have. We weren't trying to keep anything from you. Promise. River came to me as her guidance counselor, and in that capacity, I helped her to the best of my ability. I told her it would stay between us until she was ready to broach the topic with you."
"I needed all the information and a plan first, Mom. Please don't be upset."
"Riv, I'm not upset at all. I'm elated if I'm being honest. I've been doing rounds in my head, trying to figure out how we were going to swing MIT next year because there was no way in hell you were going to go on your own, and I really didn't want to tell you that you'd have to put your life on hold until we could figure out the best solution for all of us.
"So, when are we going to see these schools?"
"Well, I figured we could go over Christmas break. That will give me time to block out your schedule at work."
"Sounds good to me."
"Now that we've got that cleared up, Colton, when are you leaving me to move in with the girls?"
My drink goes flying out of my mouth as I sputter and cough. Meadow tries to stifle her giggle as she gently pats my back .
"Miss Ada, that is not appropriate to ask right now," I scold, which makes her roll her eyes, and River joins her mother in laughter.
"I'm glad you all find this fucking amusing," I huff as I throw my hands in the air in exasperation.
"Oh, dear, it's extremely amusing."
"Well, can you please let it go? That's not something Meadow and I have talked about yet, and it's definitely not going to happen here at Thanksgiving."
"Alright, keep your britches on." Ada digs back into her food.
The rest of the evening goes pretty much the same—great conversation, with Ada busting my balls. Much to my dismay, River and Meadow join her every chance they get. My heart is full and happy seeing my girls get along with Ada so well. She's such a huge part of my life that it would've been awful if they didn't all get along.
We all stuff ourselves so full, with the extra dishes that Ada made on top of everything I cooked, that we're unable to eat Meadow's dessert and decide to take a stroll around the block to make room.
"Who the hell came up with this plan?" Ada grouses as she shrugs on her coat.
"That would be the crazy pregnant lady," River murmurs.
"Hey, brat. You know this is one of my favorite traditions."
"I know, Mom, but that doesn't mean I will stop complaining about it."
"Well, maybe next year, you'll remember this and not eat as much."
"Eh, fat chance. I have a feeling that with Colton around, we'll always have a real turkey for Thanksgiving. There's no way I won't be binging as much as I can get of it. "
"Riv, you know I would've made you turkey in the past." Meadow looks hurt as she turns to River.
"I know. Don't get all worked up. It would've been ridiculous to make an entire turkey just for me. Besides, you know I always order it when we go out to eat close to the holiday. I get my fix."
"Good."
We leisurely make our way around the block. Ada has the girls in stitches with her gossip about all of our neighbors and her inappropriate jokes about the single men her age. It's the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, we'll head to my parents, which will be chaotic, before joining Wren, Brooks, Daphne, Ezra, and the Wilson sisters and their partners for a Friendsgiving at The Tavern .
"I'm gonna stop at the house to fix a drink, and then I'll be over. Do you want one, Colt?"
"Nah, I think I'll fill up on the cobbler. We'll get you a plate. Just come on in when you're done."
"Will do."
I guide the girls into the house and start gathering everything to dish out the cobbler River made while she pulls it out of the oven, where she had it reheating. It smells like heaven, and I can't wait to dive in.
"River, if this tastes half as good as it smells, I might be requesting you make this for my birthday instead of having cake next year."
"I think I can manage that." She smiles proudly up at me.
Meadow leans against the counter as she watches River and me move about the kitchen as if we've done this a million times before. Sure, being with Meadow is as easy as breathing, but having that ease with River was the best surprise .
"I've got some vanilla ice cream in the freezer if you wanna grab it?" I ask Meadow, who nods.
"Oh, you're definitely gonna want this for your birthday if you're going to add ice cream to it," River confidently brags as I put twice as large a portion in my bowl as I did for the women.
"I have no doubt about that, Riv."
"Hot damn, something smells good in here," Ada hollers from the hallway.
River grabs two bowls, and I grab the other then head towards the living room, where Meadow and Ada are sitting.
"My lady." I hand Meadow a bowl before sitting down beside her on the couch.
The first bite explodes in my mouth. The warm peaches with the cold, melting ice cream make me moan. The butter crust melts in my mouth, adding the perfect texture with the peaches and the ice cream. I'm so absorbed in my food that I don't even realize the women are all tittering around me until I feel Meadow's body shaking beside me.
"What's so funny?" I mumble through a mouthful, which makes them lose it.
"You and that cobbler. I think you might love it more than me with all the sounds and the mumbled words of love you're throwing its way."
"I was not talking to my food," I defend as my cheeks flush.
"Oh, you most certainly were, Colt." Ada smirks at me.
"Whatever. That's just a compliment to River and how amazing her cobbler is. And I'll absolutely be cashing in on having you make this for my birthday, kid. "
"Sounds good." She smiles at me then is quickly distracted by her phone.
"That's still weird to me," Meadow mutters.
"What?" I garble through a mouthful.
"Her being on the phone like that. Acting like a giddy teenager." Meadow smiles dreamily.
"Ah, must be talking to Brantley."
"That would be my guess. He's a really good kid, Colt."
"He is. Jackie did great with him. He fucking adores River and was not dissuaded when I gave him a stern talking to about River and respecting her, and consent being the most important lesson he can learn in his life."
"You didn't." Meadow gasps.
"Of fucking course I did. Why wouldn't I?"
"Umm, maybe because he's your nephew and you know he's a good kid."
"Sure, but it's also because he is my nephew, and she's just as important to me, that I'm going to hold him to even higher standards than I would any other kid their age."
"Oh, Colton." Meadow's eyes are glassy as she leans in and kisses me.
I try to pull away, but Meadow deepens the kiss, forgetting that we're not the only ones in the room. Meadow whimpers, and it isn't until a throat clears that she pulls away.
"On that note, I think it's time for me to head home." Miss Ada heads towards the kitchen, where we can hear her banging around.
Looking around the room, I realize River's gone. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. "
"Not your fault, Colt. I was the one who deepened the kiss. It's just that—"
"What, Dow?"
"It's always been me and River against the world. Sure, we've had my parents’ support from afar, and we've had Wren and Daphne over the past few years, but she's never had a father figure in her life. Seeing the way you love her, and want to protect her and see her do well… I just couldn't ask for anyone better, Colton. I love you."
"Oh, Meadow. I love you too. And I love River, so much. You are my girls, and I'm so fucking happy that you're both in my life. Even if we weren't together, I think I would've been drawn to River. She's fucking brilliant, and anyone would be a fool not to see it."
Leaning in, I brush away the tears rolling down Meadow's face before I kiss her softly. I want to deepen the kiss and show her just how much I love her, but now is not the time. Pulling back, I smile at her then stand. Reaching down, I offer her my hand and pull her to her feet, then go find Ada and River. They're in the spare room playing chess, and not to my surprise, Ada's talking shit.
"Now, why the hell would you make a bonehead move like that?" she chides as River smirks at her.
Studying the board, I can see how River is setting her up. It absolutely looks like a stupid move, but in only a handful of turns, River will have Ada right where she wants her. Leaning against the door, I watch it all play out and join in with Meadow's applause when River wins the match.
"Well, damn. You're a shark, River!" Ada exclaims, making the glint in River's eyes flare .
"Not a shark, Miss Ada. You asked if I was any good, and I told you I could hold my own."
"Well, I thought that, with a remark like that, you meant you did alright."
"Oh, she does alright. She kicks my ass on the regular, and you're a fool for thinking you had a chance. You know how smart River is and how she's wiped the floor with me in chess."'
"I thought you were just being a doting dad."
Warmth floods my chest at Ada's words.
Meadow’s eyes are glassy. River rolls hers before giving me and her mom a sweet smile.
"Alright, why don't I walk you ladies out. We have a long day tomorrow." Not that I want them to leave, but Meadow needs her rest.
"Sounds good."
Ada and River head down the hall, and I go to follow them but am stopped by Meadow.
"Why don't you pack a bag and join us? I'll sleep better if you're there."
"You've got it, babe." I lean down and peck her lips, then head to my room to pack a bag while thinking about Ada's question from earlier.
Logically, it makes sense for me to move in with Meadow and River. Meadow has a three-bedroom house. There would be a room for the baby, and River wouldn't be uprooting her life, but Meadow hasn't mentioned it yet, and I don't want to pressure her. She knows I'm all in.
The desire to not have to pack a bag and be able to call their house my home grows with every passing day. We need to make it through tomorrow's festivities, and then I'll make it a point to bring it up to Meadow.