Chapter 33
“I think this counts as dates two and three—we were gone an entire weekend together!”
“Absolutely not,” I argue. “It counts as one date and I get three more.”
“Three?! I don’t have time for three more dates, Benjamin.” Cole is currently in her bra and underwear, sitting on top of the bathroom counter and painting her toenails while I take a bath. She’s absolutely right about how relaxing they are.
“I’m in no rush, Colette,” I drawl, leaning my head against the rim of the tub. When she doesn’t respond, I crack one eye open to see her narrowed eyes glaring at me. “Let me?” I ask, nodding toward the red polish in her hands.
She scoots over on the counter letting her feet rest on the edge of the tub. “Have you ever painted nails before?” she asks, amused smirk on her lips.
“Never. How hard can it be?”
Really hard, it turns out. “Why are your toenails so fucking tiny?”
“You’re using too much polish,” she replies. “It looks like you yanked all of my toenails out and now they’re dripping bright red blood.”
“That is a visual I could’ve gone my entire life without having. Did you bring any of the remover?”
“No,” she laughs. “I wasn’t expecting to have to remove a bloodbath from my feet.”
I stop what I’m doing to admire the way she giggles. It’s so rare with Cole, this lighthearted side of her, and I’ve seen so much of it this weekend. It only makes me crave more, just like anything new I learn about her.
“What are you looking at?” she asks after I’ve stared at her a beat too long.
I shake my head. “Nothing… just you seem happy. Lighter somehow.”
She purses her lips together. “Have you heard of masking?” she asks. “The conscious, or sometimes subconscious, decision to suppress any of my neurodivergent ‘quirks.’”
It’s like a lightbulb goes off in my head because of course that’s what’s going on. “Yeah, actually. I was reading about it the other day. Do you think you’ve been unmasking more around me?”
“Maybe. Probably,” she admits. “Does… does it bother you?”
“What? No, absolutely not.” I give her a cheeky grin. “I fucking love that I get a side to you that no one else does. I like that you’re comfortable around me.”
“I am. Don’t fuck it up,” she deadpans.
I hold three fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor.”
“You are no Boy Scout, Benoit Bardot,” she teases. “I’m going to the porch to put my feet in the sun in hopes that the entire bottle of nail polish you used on my toes dries eventually, and then we need to pack up. C’mon, Ernest.”
The dog follows her obediently out of the bathroom, and I don’t think I’ve ever related to a dog more. I would also follow Colette anywhere she told me to go.
Sighing, I sink further into the hot water. It’s been a perfect weekend and I don’t want to leave. I want to stay holed up here with her and Ernest forever.
Unfortunately, reality is calling and we have to answer.
I’ve been doing the weekly story time at the Sassafras Public Library ever since this past spring when Ethel volun-told me. There was a week I couldn’t make it and I recruited Gabe to take my place, so now he and Jules join me every so often.
When Chloe started Kindergarten last month, I begged to swap to the afternoon slot so we could still hang out. I’m pretty sure Ethel pulled a few strings in the way only she is able to do, but I’m not going to question her tactics.
I’m setting up the puppet theater when Jules and Chloe bust into the room. Well, Chloe busts… Jules scrambles in behind her looking a little dazed. He really got thrown into the whole dad thing—baptism by fire and all that.
“Benjamin!” Chloe calls, adopting the nickname from Cole.
She drops her backpack unceremoniously on the ground next to me. She has one pigtail that’s hanging by a thread and the other one has fallen out completely. Her shirt is only half tucked in, and there’s an unidentified brown smear near the collar.
“Hey, Princess Chloe! How was school today? Did you have some chocolate in your lunch?” I raise my eyebrows questioningly at Jules.
“It was SO good! I love school. Did you know that blue whales have tongues that weigh as much as an elephant and their heart is the size of a car? They are also the loudest animal on Earth.” She lets out a loud cross between a moan and a screech.
“And yes, JuJu put M&M’s in my lunch today. How’d you know?”
I clutch my chest after Chloe finishes her diatribe, exhausted just from listening.
“Yes,” Jules answers my unasked question. “This is what it’s like every day after school.”
“It’s a good thing you are an excellent listener,” I joke before turning my attention back to Chloe. Now that I know it’s chocolate on her shirt, I pick her up and twirl her around. “I had no idea about blue whales. That’s so cool, Chlo. We should find more books about whales while we are here.”
She perks up. “That is a great idea!”
“How’s Thea?” I ask Jules. He immediately takes his man bun out and reties it, his nervous tic.
“She’s good. Ready to have the baby. Only a few more weeks.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth.
“How about you, bud? How are you feeling?”
He nods a few times before answering honestly, like I knew he would. “Absolutely terrified.”
I clap my twin on his shoulder. “It’s going to be great. I’m excited to be an uncle again!”
“We’re uncles again?” Gabe asks, hustling into the story room with Anders and his daughters right behind him.
“Not yet,” Jules answers. “Soon.”
Gabe looks back and forth between Jules and I. “We already knew that, didn’t we? That Thea was due soon? This isn’t, like, new information.”
“No, Gabriel. We were just discussing it before you got here. Now, both of you grab a puppet and look over your lines before the rest of the kids get here.”
“I want lines next time,” Anders whines. “I’m kind of an expert at this sort of thing.”
“Sure, Anders. You’re welcome to join anytime,” I acquiesce. “But right now, it’s showtime—go sit down and enjoy.”
Puppet story time is a huge hit, obviously. Gabe only misses one of his cues, but the kids all thought it was hilarious when he broke character. After we’re done, we head over to Louie’s for an early dinner, meeting Bex and Thea there.
“So, I heard good things about you and Cole’s little cabin getaway,” Thea tells me between bites of pickle.
“I want to know!” Bex chimes in. “Tell me about it!”
This bit of information from Thea is surprising considering Cole’s desire to keep everything so close to her chest. “Did you?” I ask, ignoring my sister. I’m trying to stay nonchalant and failing pretty hard.
I told Gabe, Jules, and Bex about my pact with Cole after announcing our engagement at family dinner. Gabe obviously already knew about the feelings and Jules did not seem surprised at all. Bex, per usual, became feral, wanting to know anything and everything about Cole.
“I remember her from high school, obviously. She’s always been gorgeous and it’s hard to miss that hair. But I want to know”—she had slammed her hands down on the table—“everything!”
Thea interrupts that memory with a shrug. “I mean, it’s Cole. I didn’t get a ton of information out of her but she did mention that you made very good use of the hot tub.”
Jules puts his arm around Thea, pulling her in close to him. “I did not need to know that, Rosie girl.”
She groans in response. “I miss being able to get in a hot tub. Take a scalding hot bubble bath. I need this baby out of me!”
“Oof, I feel that,” Bex says, sending a comforting smile Thea’s way.
Chloe pushes her stomach out and rubs it obnoxiously, mimicking her mom. “Get this baby out of me!” she mocks, to peels of laughter from Elodie, Bex and Anders’ two-year-old.
“Okay, you.” Thea laughs, poking her daughter’s stomach. “Let’s go get some ice cream at the shop next door and leave these boys to chat, yeah?”
“But I like chatting,” Chloe whines.
“You also like ice cream,” Thea reminds her.
“Fine.” She hops out of her seat, sliding her hand into Thea’s as they head toward the exit.
“I’ll go with you.” Bex stands, baby Molly strapped to her chest and Elodie by her side, following closely behind Thea and Chloe.
“So,” Gabe starts as soon as they’re out of earshot. “Thea heard good things about you and Cole’s trip to the cabin.” He bounces his eyebrows up and down a few times. “Do you think she’s any closer to accepting your proposal? For real this time?”
I cross my arms over my chest, leaning back against the booth. “We made a lot of progress at the cabin, but I don’t quite think she’s one hundred percent in yet.”
“What do you think she needs?” Jules asks.
“Time.” I shrug. “She’s asked for time to continue to process all of these major changes happening in her life right now. The absolute least I can do is respect that desire.” Jules gives me a nod of approval.
“When’s the next date?” Anders asks.
“I’m not sure yet. But I think I have an idea of what I want to do. Do you think you all would be able to help me?”
“As long as Thea stays pregnant, I’m happy to help,” Jules says.
“You know I love this kind of shit,” Gabe chimes in, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s fucking go!”
“I’m in, obviously. I’ve missed Bardot shenanigans,” Anders adds.
Gabe places his hand in the middle of the table, me, Anders, and Jules piling our hands on top like we are back in little league baseball.
“Team Bardot on three,” Gabe says. “One, two, three.”
I grin at my brothers, Anders included, excitement filling my stomach as our plan begins to come together.