20. Millie
CHAPTER TWENTY
MILLIE
I've changed outfits three times. Joseph is leaning against the doorframe watching me hold up two tops, one in each hand, frowning at both.
"You look great in everything, Mills."
I give him a look.
"What? You do."
I type: That is the least helpful thing you could possibly say right now.
"Okay, the one on the left."
I look at the one on the left. I look at the one on the right. I put them both down and grab something completely different from the closet. He laughs.
The problem isn't the outfit. It's the bump.
It's obvious now, not huge but clearly not a big lunch.
Every top either hugs it too tight or hangs weird around it, and I'm trying to find the version of myself that looks put together and not like I'm about to walk into a stranger's house and announce I'm carrying their grandchild. Which is exactly what I'm doing.
I settle on a soft cream dress that's flowy. Looks a bit too formal for a family dinner, but it's comfortable and hugs my bump beautifully.
Joseph brings wine for his parents. I pack a small gift bag with treats for Christopher. He sees it and grins.
"You're bringing a gift for the cat. You're going to be Mom's favorite person before we even sit down."
I type: That's the plan.
The drive is quiet. My stomach is in knots, and none of them are the baby. Joseph reaches over and squeezes my hand at a red light.
"They're going to love you."
I type: What if they don't?
"Mills. My mom has been asking about you every day since I told her I have a girlfriend. She already loves you. You just have to show up and confirm it."
Girlfriend. I try not to smile at that.
His parents' house is bigger than I expected.
Comfortable, lived-in, with nothing to prove.
Joseph mentioned his stepfather owns a business, and I can see it now, in the brick walkway laid in a careful herringbone, the planters trimmed back for winter, the brass numbers on the door rubbed bright.
There are real chairs on the porch, with a folded throw over one arm, like someone sits out here in the evenings.
His mother opens the door.
She's small, bright-eyed, and her smile is so much like Joseph's it catches me off guard. She pulls me into a hug before I can even hold up my phone. Gentle but firm. She smells like ginger and something sweet.
"You're here, finally! Come in, come in."
Joseph's stepfather is behind her. Tall, broad, calm.
"Mom, Dad, this is Millie." Joseph puts his hand on the small of my back. "Mills, this is my mom, Mae. And my dad, Rupert."
Rupert shakes my hand with both of his. "Welcome. We've been looking forward to this."
Joseph hands over the wine. "Happy anniversary, you two."
Mae takes it. I hand her the bag of treats for Christopher.
She opens it and gasps. "Oh! For Christopher! Millie, you didn't have to, he's going to love these."
She turns to set the bag on the counter, and when she faces me again, there's nothing between us. No bag of treats, no coat. Just me. And the bump is right there under the soft fabric, impossible to miss.
Her eyes drop, and she freezes.
"No..." She looks at me. Then at Joseph. Back at me. Her hand goes to her mouth.
Joseph puts his arm around my shoulder. "You're having a grandson, Ma."
Mae squeals. It's the highest pitch I've ever heard from a human being.
It could rival an E7 harmonic on the violin.
Tears pour down her face instantly. She grabs me first, pulling me in, one hand pressing gently against the bump.
"Oh my goodness. This is the best anniversary present you could ever give us. "
She lets go of me and hugs Joseph, crying into his chest. He holds her and grins over her head at me.
Rupert comes forward. His eyes are glassy, but his face is steady.
He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations.
We're very happy for you both." Then he pulls Joseph into a hug and claps him on the back so hard Joseph makes a sound like the air left his body.
Everyone laughs. Mae is still wiping her eyes.
Within minutes, we're in the living room.
Mae is asking me everything at once: how am I feeling, how far along, am I eating enough, is Joseph feeding me properly or is she going to have to intervene.
She says the last part while looking directly at Joseph with an expression that is clearly a threat.
"Hey," Joseph says from the counter. "My cooking has improved."
Mae looks at me for confirmation. I tilt my hand side to side.
"That's what I thought." Mae shakes her head. "I'm sending you home with leftovers. Enough for a week. Non-negotiable."
"Ma, we don't need a week of—"
"Non-negotiable, Joseph."
He gives up. I can see why. Arguing with Mae is probably where he learned that arguing with me is pointless, too.
"I am actually a great partner, though. Right, Mills?"
I nod. Then type: He's been wonderful. Really. He takes care of me.
Mae reads it. She nods firmly. "As he should! I didn't raise an irresponsible man." She points at me. "Millie, if he ever gives you trouble, you bring him here. I'll sort him out and give him back better than ever."
Joseph looks at me. "Do you hear that? Do you know how terrifying that sounds? She's offering a factory reset."
Mae shrugs. My shoulders shake.
"She means it too," Joseph says. "She once grounded me at twenty-three. I had my own apartment, and she grounded me."
"You deserved it," Mae says.
The baby kicks. I put my hand on my stomach, and Mae notices immediately. "Is he moving?"
I nod.
She reaches over and places her hand where mine was. We wait. He kicks. Mae's face lights up. "Oh, there he is! Strong kick. Just like Joseph. He used to kick so hard I couldn't sleep."
Joseph groans. "Ma, please don't start telling Millie pregnancy stories about me."
"Why not? She should know what she's in for. You were the most restless baby. You kicked all night and slept all day. I was a zombie for months."
I smile and type. Looks like nothing has changed. Jo is still restless most of the time.
Mae reads it and bursts out laughing. She grabs my arm and we're both laughing together, her loud and full, me silent and shaking, and it feels like we've known each other for years.
Joseph looks between us. "You two are laughing about me. I can tell."
Mae shrugs innocently. I keep my face straight.
"This is how it starts," Joseph says to Rupert. "They team up. I'm outnumbered."
Rupert sips his tea. "Welcome to my world."
Joseph sighs then looks around. "By the way, where's Mei Mei?"
"Running late. She's picking up the cake."
The evening goes on. Better than I hoped. Mae asks about me. Where I grew up, how I ended up in Boston, how Joseph and I met. When I type my answers, she reads them with the same patience her son has. I'm starting to think patience is genetic in this family.
His stepfather asks about my family, and I keep it brief. They're in another city. We're not very close. He nods. Doesn't push. Mae squeezes my hand under the table, and I think she understands more than I wrote.
Christopher finally emerges from wherever he's been hiding and jumps onto my lap. Mae gasps. "He never does that with new people. He must like you."
I scratch behind his ears. He closes his eyes and purrs. I think about Tofu at home doing the exact same thing on Joseph's shoes, and I wonder if cats can sense when someone belongs.
Joseph watches me with Christopher on my lap. He's smiling, and I smile back.
Mae leans forward. "So, Millie. What do you do for work?"
I type: I'm a musician. I play the violin.
"Oh, really? That's wonderful!" Her face lights up. "You know, my daughter plays too. Violin, piano, guitar, you name it. She's very musical."
I type: Yes, Jo told me how talented she is. I'm excited to meet her. We already have one thing in common.
Mae reads it and beams. "Oh, she'll be delighted to meet you. Actually, she's in—"
The doorbell rings.
Mae's head turns. "Oh! Speaking of. That must be her." She gets up, excited. "Perfect timing."
I hear the door open. Mae greeting someone in that warm, loud way of hers. Then another voice underneath. Familiar.
Mae walks back in, and behind her is Vivienne.
Everything in me goes still.
She's holding a cake box. She's smiling. She looks polished but at ease, the way she always does outside rehearsal. Joseph gets up, grinning.
"Mei Mei! It's been too long."
They hug tightly, and she's beaming. He rocks her, and she laughs and pushes him. "You're crushing the cake, Jo."
She looks past his shoulder. Her eyes find me. The smile drops.
"Millie?"
Joseph pulls back. "Wait. You two know each other?"
"We're in the same orchestra." Vivienne's face is moving through confusion. "Millie, what are you doing here? I heard you had an accident..."
Mae, cheerful and completely unaware of what's happening in front of her, fills the gap. "Joseph was Millie's doctor at the hospital. And now they're together! And she's pregnant!"
Vivienne stares. At me. At the bump that's impossible to miss. At Joseph.
"What?"
Joseph reads the room. "Okay, maybe we should let her settle in before you give her all the life updates at once."
"Oh, wait, Viv, can you help me with something in the kitchen first?" Mae says.
"Yeah, sure." Vivienne nods, giving us one last look before she follows Mae into the kitchen.
I sit back down on the sofa beside Joseph. I type and show him: I thought your sister's name was Mei Mei?
He leans close. "Mei Mei is Mandarin for younger sister. So it's what we call her, but her name is Vivienne."
I would never have known. They don't look similar, either. Maybe because Vivienne looks more like her father. I type: Why is her surname Smith?
"That's my stepfather's last name. I kept my mom's last name. Liu. It was important to me."
Joseph runs his hand over his face. "I can't believe this. I never even considered the possibility you two were in the same orchestra. Or that you even worked in an orchestra. You seemed to be vague about your job so I never pushed."
I type: I did that on purpose. I didn't want to think about the orchestra. I was in a bad place about it.
"What do you mean?"
I shake my head. Type: It's kind of stupid, but at the time, I really wanted to be First Chair.
Vivienne got it. I took it hard. That's actually why I went on the dating app that night.
And why I was distracted when I fell. It all started because of that.
Looking back now, it seemed so small, but it meant a lot to me.
His face goes pale. Something shifts in his expression that I can't read. "Wait. What?"
I panic. Maybe he thinks I'm bitter. I type fast: Not that I'm not happy for her. I am. Vivienne and I are actually close within the orchestra. I was just bummed about the situation at the time.
But his expression doesn't change. He's staring at the floor and the color hasn't come back to his face.
I'm about to ask what's wrong when Mae and Vivienne come back into the living room.
"Dinner is ready!" Mae announces.
I stand. I catch Vivienne's eye and wave. She gives me the smallest smile, tight and barely there, like we're strangers instead of two women who've sat next to each other for three years.
I find that odd, but I don't push it. Maybe she's just overwhelmed. A lot happened tonight.
We eat dinner, but it feels different now. Vivienne barely eats. She pushes food around her plate. She nods when Mae talks but adds nothing. I catch her looking at me twice and looking away fast, and each time I see something in her face that I can't place.
After dinner, Mae is hunting for Christopher, who has vanished into some corner of the house. I offer to check the hallway.
I walk through the house, shaking the feather toy, listening for paws. I hear voices instead, coming from the next room. I should walk away. I should go back to the kitchen and pretend I didn't hear anything. But something in how they sound stops me.
"Please. Tell me it's not her." Joseph's voice is barely above a whisper.
"It's her. She's the one they were going to pick for First Chair. That's why I asked you to call Rios and convince him to choose me."
The toy drops from my hand.
It hits the floor, and the sound is small but enough. They both turn.
I'm standing in the doorway.
And the world rearranges.
The audition. Maestro Rios telling me how close it was. The rumor that First Chair was mine. It was true. All of it was true.
I earned it, and he took it from me.
My Joseph.